Stanford (14-12, 7-7 Pac-12) at Arizona (15-12, 6-8 Pac-12)
Sunday • Feb. 24 • 5:00 p.m. PT
McKale Center • Tucson, Ariz.
Television: ESPN2 | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
Game Notes: Stanford | Live Stats: ArizonaWildcats.com
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STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford continues its tour of the Grand Canyon State with a Sunday matchup against Arizona in Tucson. The Cardinal, winners of five of its last seven, is coming off a defeat to Arizona State Wednesday in Tempe. Stanford is looking for its first win at McKale Center since Feb. 16, 2008.
FIVE OF SEVEN
Stanford has won five of its last seven, with three double-digit victories during the span. That includes a 23-point win at Oregon State and a 24-point victory over UCLA at home. The Cardinal is one of just three Pac-12 teams to win five of its last seven, along with Washington and Colorado. In Stanford's five wins during the stretch, it is averaging 85.0 ppg and shooting 52.6% (151-287).
SHARMA SINGLE-SEASON FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE LEADER
Senior Josh Sharma's 70.5% field goal percentage is the highest in a season in program history. He is currently ahead of second-place John Revelli, who shot 67.1 percent during the 1982-83 season. He leads the Pac-12 by nearly seven percent Oregon State's Kyler Kelley ranks second at 63.9%). Sharma would lead the nation in FG percentage, however the NCAA only ranks individuals who average 5.0 or more field goals per game. Sharma currently averages 4.04 field goals per game. Sharma's 70.5% is currently fourth-best in a season in conference history. It's the best mark in 22 years, since UCLA's Jelani McCoy set the conference single-season record at 75.6%.
In Pac-12 play, Sharma is shooting 78.3% (65-of-83). He is 24-of-27 from the field over his last three games, after finishing 7-of-9 vs. USC, 10-of-11 against UCLA and 7-of-7 at Arizona State.
SHARMA: THE PAC-12'S MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Senior Josh Sharma is making a strong case for the Pac-12's Most Improved Player award. In his first three seasons, the center averaged 2.98 points and 2.29 rebounds. Last season, he averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds. This season, the senior is averaging 9.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg. He has 253 points this season, after combining for 268 points over his first three seasons.
SHARMA NEARLY PERFECT FROM THE FIELD IN LAST THREE GAMES
Josh Sharma has made 24 of his last 27 field goal attempts over the last three games. He was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field Wednesday against Arizona and shot 10-of-11 from the floor in the win over UCLA. He was the 10th player in program history with at least 10 field goal attempts and just one miss or zero misses.
EIGHTH ON THE CAREER LIST
Sharma owns a career field goal percentage of 56.1%, which currently ranks eighth in program history. It is the highest FG% by a Stanford player since Josh Owens shot 57.2% from 2007-12.
JOSH JAMS
Of Josh Sharma's 105 field goals this season, 50 are dunks. He has 43 dunks in the last 21 games.
SHARMA'S LAST 10 COMPARED TO HIS FIRST 16
Over his last 10 games, Josh Sharma is averaging 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and is shooting 77.9 percent from the field. He averaged 7.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg in his first 16 contests.
KZ OKPALA AMONG PAC-12'S BEST
Sophomore KZ Okpala, one of 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring (17.5 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (5.8 rpg). In conference play, the forward is fourth in scoring, averaging 18.4 ppg. Okpala scored a career-high 30 points at California. He has 13 20-point games this season, the second-most in the conference.
BREAKING DOWN OKPALA'S PERFORMANCES
• 13 20-point games this season is the second-most in the Pac-12 and is nine more than last year
• Career-high 30 points at California is one of 10 30-point games in conference play this year
• Averaging 18.5 ppg in his last 15 games, after averaging 15.9 ppg in the first nine contests.
• Stanford is 4-1 when Okpala scores 23 points or more (only loss was by two to Arizona)
• Of the 20 performances of 29+ points in the Pac-12, only Okpala and Robert Franks have achieved the feat three or more times
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala leads Stanford in scoring (17.5 ppg) in 33.5 mpg in 24 games this season (missed Washington State and Arizona State games with an injury). In 23 games as a freshman, he averaged 10.0 ppg in 28.5 mpg.
AGAINST ARIZONA
Arizona leads the all-time series, 66-29. The Wildcats have won the last 18 games. Stanford's last win in the series was Jan. 4, 2009, when the Cardinal, led by a game-high 19 points from Landry Fields, defeated the Wildcats, 76-60, at home. Stanford has lost nine consecutive games at McKale Center. The Cardinal last won at Arizona on Feb. 16, 2008, as Brook (23) and Robin Lopez (14) combined for 37 points and 18 rebounds in No. 7 Stanford's 67-66 victory.
CARDINAL PLAYERS AGAINST ARIZONA
Twelve active Stanford players have faced Arizona previously. KZ Okpala has averaged 15.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg, and Daejon Davis has averaged 9.0 ppg and 3.3 apg in three games against the Wildcats.
YOUNG SQUAD
Eleven of Stanford's 15 players are in their first or second year playing. Only senior Josh Sharma and juniors Marcus Sheffield, Trevor Stanback and Rodney Herenton have more than two years of playing experience. Through 26 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 82% of Stanford's minutes (4,278 of 5,227), 80% of Stanford's scoring (1,527 of 1,911) and 78% of Stanford's rebounding (728 of 931).
Stanford's starting lineup in seven games has been made up of freshmen and sophomores. Freshmen and sophomores have combined for 111 out of a possible 130 starts through 26 games. The Cardinal is one of only four teams in Division I that have started all freshmen and sophomores this season, joining East Carolina, Incarnate Word and Mount St. Mary's.
ON THE ROAD IN THE PAC-12
Stanford has won seven conference road games of its last 17 conference road games since the start of the 2018 conference slate. The Cardinal won just six conference road contests in 27 tries in a three-season span from 2015-17.
SENIOR SENDS IT AWAY
Josh Sharma owns 32 blocks on the year. He ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.2 bpg) overall and sixth in the conference in league action (1.4 bpg).
DAVIS DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Daejon Davis is fourth in the Pac-12 in steals (1.6 spg), fifth in assists (4.4 apg) and 21st in scoring (12.3 ppg). He is third in the conference with 5.2 apg during Pac-12 action. The point guard is averaging 13.0 pts., 4.9 asts. and 2.0 stls. in his last seven games. He has posted a season-best 19 points in three games, against Kansas, Eastern Washington and San Francisco.
The sophomore has recorded at least four points, four rebounds, and four assists OR four steals in a game six times this season. Against Colorado, the point guard recorded 16 points, six assists and four rebounds. Davis has posted at least four points, four rebounds, four assists AND four steals in two games this season against UNC Wilmington and Middle Tennessee.
DA SILVA'S LAST SEVEN GAMES
Sophomore Oscar da Silva is averaging 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last seven games. He is averaging 9.8 ppg and 6.0 rpg overall.
CORMAC CONNECTS
Freshman Cormac Ryan has recorded at least four three-point field goals in a game in six contests (6 vs. USC, 5 vs. UCLA and Seattle, 4 vs. North Carolina, 4 vs. Florida, 4 vs. Eastern Washington), and has multiple three-point field goals in nine games. He scored a career-high 19 points, thanks to five three-pointers against UCLA at home.
Ryan owns 39 threes on the season, the fifth-most by a freshman in program history. His career-best six threes at USC (all in the second half) were the most threes in a game by a Stanford freshman since Chasson Randle (6) vs. Arizona State on March 7, 2012.
WILLS ONE OF NATION'S YOUNGEST PLAYERS
With a birthdate of October 13, 2000, Bryce Wills is the youngest player in the Pac-12 and one of the youngest in Division I. Wills is the seventh-youngest player in the nation. He has started the last 10 games, and 18 overall.
In Pac-12 play, Wills is averaging 8.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg.. In Stanford's last nine games, he is averaging 10.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg. Wills recorded a career-best 16 points at Cal. The freshman averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 11 nonconference games.
SHEFFIELD PROVIDES SPARK
Redshirt junior Marcus Sheffield, who injured his leg in practice a couple days before the 2017-18 regular-season opener and missed the season, is averaging 5.2 ppg in 14.1 mpg off the bench in 22 games this year. He scored a season-best 16 points, shooting 4-of-5 from three-point range in the win over USC at home. Sheffield knocked down three of those threes in the final 7:27.
Sheffield has recorded nine threes in the last five games, after registering 12 in the first 21 contests.
The forward scored 11 points in 23 minutes in the win at Washington State and totaled eight points in eight minutes in the victory at Oregon State. Sheffield played a season-long 29 minutes at Oregon. He averaged 6.7 ppg during his true sophomore campaign in 2016-17.