SETTING THE SCENE
Opening its 2020-21 season at the Camping World Maui Invitational, in Asheville, North Carolina, Stanford will face Alabama (1-0) in the first round at 6:30 p.m. (PT) on ESPN2. Alabama took down Jacksonville State in its opener, 81-57, while the Cardinal’s season debut against Utah Valley was canceled.
THE OPENING TIP
• Stanford finished 20-12 overall and remained solidly in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth throughout a 2019-20 season shortened by the COVID-19 global outbreak.
• Boasting the nation’s No. 16-ranked scoring defense a year ago, and KenPom No. 7 defense, the Cardinal also shot its highest field goal percentage (.469) since 2003-04 and was led by Oscar da Silva (15.7 pts, 6.4 reb) and Tyrell Terry (14.6 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.2 ast), a 2020 draft selection by the Dallas Mavericks.
• Stanford returns four of five starters from a year ago, with Daejon Davis (8.8 pts, 3.7 ast), Bryce Wills (7.8 pts, 4.0 reb) and Spencer Jones (8.8 pts, 3.2 reb) joining da Silva among returners. da Silva (first team) and Wills (all-defense) take the floor as all-conference selections from last season.
• This is the fourth matchup in program history against Alabama, and the first in series history taking place outside of a postseason tournament. The last meeting came in the second round of the 2013 NIT.
• The Cardinal returns 74 percent of its scoring from a year ago, and adds to it with ESPN’s 10th-rated recruiting class in the country, led by five star small forward Ziaire Williams. All five of Stanford’s freshmen were rated four stars or higher by at least one recruiting service.
MAINLAND MAUI
This will be Stanford’s first appearance in the Maui Invitational since 2004, and the fourth time Stanford has competed in the event having also participated in 1987 and 1992. Traditionally played at the Lahaina Civic Center, the 2020 edition will be the first in its 37-year history to be played on the mainland, relocating to Asheville, North Carolina’s Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Stanford is 3-6 all-time, going 1-2 in 2004 (win vs. BYU), 0-3 in 1992, and 2-1 in 1987 (wins vs. Chaminade and Baylor).