Stanford (14-13, 7-8 Pac-12) vs. Washington State (11-16, 4-10 Pac-12)
Thursday • 6:00 p.m. • Maples Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
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CLASH WITH THE COUGARS
Stanford will play its first of three consecutive home games, when the Cardinal welcomes Washington State to Maples Pavilion Thursday night. Stanford has won its last five against the Cougars overall and has captured the last five meetings between the teams at Maples Pavilion.
FINAL THREE AT HOME
Thursday's game begins a stretch of three consecutive home games to end the regular season. Stanford ends the regular season at home for the first time in five seasons. The Cardinal last finished its regular-season slate at home in 2014, against Utah. Since then, Stanford has concluded the regular season three times in the state of Arizona and once in Utah.
SHARMA SINGLE-SEASON FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE LEADER
Senior Josh Sharma's 70.1% 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 five percent (Oregon State's Kyler Kelley ranks second at 65.4%). 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 4.1 field goals per game. Sharma's 70.1% is currently fifth-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 29-of-35 (82.9%) from the field over his last four games, highlighted by a 10-of-11 performance vs. UCLA and 7-of-7 performance at ASU.
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 9.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg. He has 264 points this season, after combining for 268 points over his first three seasons.
SENIOR AMONG SELECT COMPANY WITH MULTIPLE CONFERENCE HONORS
Josh Sharma, who was also named the Pac-12 Player of the Week on Dec. 31 and Feb. 18, is the first Stanford player to be recognized with the conference's weekly award multiple times in the same season since Landry Fields during the 2009-10 season. He is the sixth Cardinal to accomplish the feat all-time, joining Fields (2009-10), Matt Haryasz (2005-06), Matt Lottich (2003-04), Adam Keefe (1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92) and Todd Lichti (1988-89).
He earned his second conference weekly honor earlier this month after he averaged a double-double (18.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg) in wins over USC and UCLA. Sharma recorded his second career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the 24-point win over UCLA on Feb. 16.
SHARMA FROM THE FIELD IN THE LAST FOUR GAMES
Josh Sharma has made 29 of his last 35 field goal attempts over the last four games. He was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field against Arizona State last week and shot 10-of-11 from the floor in the win over UCLA on Feb. 16. The center became the 10th player in program history with at least 10 field goal attempts and just one miss or zero misses with his performance against the Bruins.
EIGHTH ON THE CAREER LIST
Sharma owns a career field goal percentage of 56.2%, 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.
SHARMA'S LAST 11 COMPARED TO HIS FIRST 16
Over his last 11 games, Josh Sharma is averaging 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds, and is shooting 76.3 percent from the field. He averaged 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds with a 64.2 field goal percentage 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 (17.2 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (5.7 rpg). In conference play, the forward is sixth in scoring, averaging 17.8 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
• Has increased scoring average by 7.2 ppg from last season
• 13 20-point games is second-most in Pac-12 and is nine more than last year
• 30 points at Cal is one of 11 30-point games in conference play this year
• Stanford is 4-1 when Okpala scores 23 points or more
• Of the 22 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
KZ Okpala leads Stanford in scoring (17.2 ppg) in 33.6 mpg in 25 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 WASHINGTON STATE
Stanford owns a 79-60 lead in the all-time series with Washington State. The Cardinal has won five straight and 10 of its last 11 against the Cougars. Stanford has totaled 53 three-point field goals (nearly nine per game) over the last five games against Washington State.
CARDINAL PLAYERS AGAINST WASHINGTON STATE
Twelve active Stanford players have faced Washington State previously. KZ Okpala has averaged 21.5 ppg in two games, and Daejon Davis has averaged 12.7 ppg and 5.3 apg in three games against the Cougars.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE COUGARS
Daejon Davis led five members of the Cardinal in double figures, as Stanford beat Washington State 78-66 on Jan. 19 at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Oscar da Silva scored 12 points with five rebounds and Josh Sharma added 11 points and eight rebounds.
CJ Elleby scored 18 points and eight rebounds for Washington State and Ahmed Ali finished with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
WSU cut Stanford's lead to 69-64 with 2:30 remaining, but, after WSU knocked a potential defensive rebound out of bounds, Wills made an easy dunk and Stanford scored six unanswered points in the final 55 seconds.
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 27 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 82% of Stanford's minutes (4,435 of 5,427), 80% of Stanford's scoring (1,570 of 1,965) and 78% of Stanford's rebounding (760 of 966).
Stanford's starting lineup in seven games has been made up of freshmen and sophomores. Freshmen and sophomores have combined for 115 out of a possible 135 starts through 27 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.
DAVIS DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Daejon Davis is fifth in the Pac-12 in assists (4.6 apg) and steals (1.6 spg), and 21st in scoring (12.3 ppg). He is third in the conference with 5.4 apg during Pac-12 action. The point guard is averaging 13.1 pts., 5.3 asts. and 1.9 stls. in his last eight 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 6.8 rebounds in the last eight games. He is averaging 9.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg overall.
13 FOR NUMBER 13
Stanford is 5-1 on the season when sophomore Oscar da Silva scores at least 13 points. He matched his career-high with 23 points (17 in the first half) to go along with nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists at Oregon State. Stanford suffered its lone defeat when da Silva met the 13-point threshold last week at Arizona State. He had 15 points against the Sun Devils.
CORMAC CONNECTS
Freshman Cormac Ryan has recorded at least four three-pointers 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 40 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 11 games, and 19 overall.
In Pac-12 play, Wills is averaging 8.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg.. In Stanford's last 10 games, he is averaging 9.6 ppg. 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 5.0 ppg in 14.0 mpg off the bench in 23 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 six games, after registering 12 in the first 21 contests.