Stanford (12-10, 5-5 Pac-12) at Oregon (14-9, 5-5 Pac-12) | Sunday • 5:00 p.m.
Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Ore.
Television: ESPN2 | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
Game Notes: Stanford | Live Stats: GoDucks.com
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EUGENE, Ore. - Winners of three straight and five of its last seven, Stanford continues its trip in the Beaver State with a Sunday evening contest against Oregon in Eugene. The Cardinal, coming off a 23-point win at Oregon State Thursday, is looking for its first road sweep of the Oregon schools since 2010.
OKPALA NAMED FINALIST FOR JULIUS ERVING AWARD
Sophomore KZ Okpala has been named a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 10 finalists on Wednesday. The sophomore rank s third in the Pac-12 in scoring (17.7 ppg), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.410), and 14th in rebounding (6.0 rpg). In conference play, the forward is third in scoring, averaging 19.2 ppg. Okpala scored a career-high 30 points in the win at California.
BREAKING DOWN OKPALA'S PERFORMANCES
• 12 20-point games this season is the second-most in the Pac-12 and is eight more than last year
• Career-high 30 points at California is one of eight 30-point games in conference play this year
• Averaging 19.1 ppg in his last 12 games, after averaging 15.8 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 17 performances of 29+ points in the Pac-12, only Okpala and Robert Franks have achieved the feat three times
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala leads Stanford in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg) in 33.2 mpg through 21 games he has played in this season (missed Washington State game with an injury). In 23 games as a freshman, he averaged 10.0 ppg in 28.5 mpg.
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 22 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 82% of Stanford's scoring (1,326 of 1,620) and 80% of Stanford's rebounding (619 of 777).
Stanford's starting lineup in seven games has been made up of freshmen and sophomores. In five games, sophomores Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala and Oscar da Silva have started alongside freshmen Cormac Ryan and Bryce Wills. Three freshmen - Ryan, Wills, Delaire - started at UCLA. 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.
AGAINST OREGON
Stanford leads the all-time series, 93-52. The Cardinal and Ducks have split their last four meetings, with Stanford earning a 35-point win (96-61) at Maples Pavilion in the lone meeting last season. The Cardinal has not won in Eugene since Jan. 12, 2014, an 82-80 victory over the No. 17 ranked Ducks. Stanford did not play at Oregon during the 2015 or 2018 conference season.
CARDINAL PLAYERS AGAINST OREGON
Eight active Stanford players have faced Oregon previously. Only senior Josh Sharma and juniors Marcus Sheffield and Trevor Stanback have played in more than one game vs. the Ducks.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE DUCKS
Dorian Pickens scored 25 points, making five 3-pointers, and Stanford handed Oregon its worst loss of the Dana Altman era, beating the Ducks 96-61 Feb. 3, 2018 at Maples Pavilion. KZ Okpala added 20 and Reid Travis poured in 17 for the Cardinal. It was Stanford's largest victory over Oregon ever. Daejon Davis hit a 3-pointer that sparked a 13-0 run and Stanford was in the control the rest of way. Davis flirted with a triple-double, scoring nine points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out eight assists.
Troy Brown scored 15 points for Oregon. Victor Bailey, Jr. added 13 points and Elijah Brown and Paul White scored 10 each.
THURSDAY'S 23-POINT WIN OVER OREGON STATE
The 83-60 victory over Oregon State in Corvallis on Thursday was the largest margin of victory against the Beavers on the road in 19 years. On Jan. 13, 2000, No. 3 Stanford defeated Oregon State, 73-45.
WINNING ON THE ROAD IN THE PAC-12
Stanford has won seven conference road games over the last season and a half, winning seven of 15 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.
SHARMA ON TARGET
Senior Josh Sharma leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 67.5 percent from the field (79-of-117). In conference play, he leads the Pac-12 in FG percentage by 12 percent, shooting 76.5 percent (39-of-51).
JOSH JAMS
Of Josh Sharma's 78 field goals on the season, 37 have been dunks. He has 30 dunks in the last 17 games.
SHARMA SHINES IN LAST 11 GAMES
Over his last 11 games, Josh Sharma is averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and is shooting 74.2 percent from the field. He averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg in his first 11 contests of the season.
SENIOR SENDS IT AWAY
Josh Sharma owns 27 blocks on the year. He ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.2 bpg) overall and fifth in the conference in league action (1.4 bpg).
DAVIS DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Daejon Davis has averaged 14.6 pts., 4.2 asts. and 2.2 stls. in the last five games. The point guard has posted a season-best 19 points in three games, against Kansas, Eastern Washington and San Francisco.
Davis is fourth in the Pac-12 in steals (1.6 spg) and seventh in assists (4.2 apg). He is fourth in the conference with 4.9 apg during Pac-12 action.
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 DURING WINNING STREAK
Sophomore Oscar da Silva is averaging 17.0 ppg and 6.7 rpg during Stanford's three-game winning streak. 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 on Thursday.
DA SILVA'S SECOND-HALF PRODUCTION
Oscar da Silva has had several notable second-half performances. He posted all 12 of his points at San Francisco, all 11 of his points at North Carolina, all seven of his points vs. Wisconsin and 13 of his 16 points against Eastern Washington after halftime.
CORMAC BACK
Freshman Cormac Ryan returned two games ago at California, after missing the previous four games and seven of the previous 11 with ankle injuries. He has recorded at least four three-point field goals in a game in five contests (6 vs. USC, 5 vs. Seattle, 4 vs. North Carolina, 4 vs. Florida, 4 vs. Eastern Washington), and has multiple three-point field goals in eight games. The freshman is shooting 35.4 percent from three-point range (33-of-97). Ryan's 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 14 games overall, including nine of the last 11.
In Pac-12 play, Wills is averaging 7.9 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 28.4 mpg. He has played more than 25 minutes in each of Stanford's last five games. Wills averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 22.2 mpg in 11 nonconference games. The freshman recorded a career-best 16 points at California.