SETTING THE SCENE
Stanford men’s basketball remains in Santa Cruz, California for a Saturday matinee with Washington State. The 2 p.m. tip off will be televised by Pac-12 Network.
THE OPENING TIP
• Stanford is off to a 7-3 start (3-1 Pac-12), with league wins over Arizona, Oregon State and Washington.
• Ziaire Williams tallied the second triple-double in program history against Washington, finishing with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 91-75 victory.
• The Cardinal outlasted Arizona, 78-75, in its conference opener, as four players scored in double figures. Oscar da Silva scored 20 or more for the third straight outing, as Stanford stopped a 20-game win streak in the series by the Wildcats. The team’s second Pac-12 win came Monday, Jan. 4 at Oregon State (81-71).
• Through 10 games, Stanford ranks eighth nationally in defensive efficiency (per KenPom, as of Jan. 8.)while posting the 16th-best field goal defense in the country (38.2%). Stanford ranked seventh nationally in defensive efficiency a year ago, while boasting the nation’s 16th-ranked scoring defense.
• Stanford is the only power conference program yet to play at its home facility this season. The Cardinal’s only three “home” games were played in Santa Cruz. The Cardinal is also one of two power conference teams to boast multiple road wins in non-conference play, joining Oklahoma State.
• Stanford swept both Washington programs a year ago, going 4-0 for the second time in three years. The Cardinal has been victorious in each of the last eight meetings with the Cougars.
TRIPLE DOUBLE
Ziaire Williams led a high octane offensive effort against Washington with the second triple-double in program history, and the first using assists as one of the categories. He finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the third freshman in Pac-12 history to tally a triple-double. The first Stanford triple-double came on Jan. 25, 2007, when Brook Lopez had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 12 blocks vs. USC. Williams’ triple-double is the first in any conference matchup since Lopez’s effort in 2007.