SETTING THE SCENE
Finishing its road swing to Washington, Stanford men’s basketball is set to take on Washington State on Saturday, Feb. 20. The 1 p.m. contest will air on ESPN2.
THE OPENING TIP
• Stanford is 14-8 (10-6 Pac-12) on the season, with league wins vs. Arizona (twice), Oregon State, Washington (twice), Washington State, UCLA, California (twice) and Utah.
• Senior captain Oscar da Silva is stating his case as the Pac-12’s top player through 16 games, averaging 19.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night in conference play.
• Through 22 games, Stanford ranks 21st nationally in defensive efficiency (per KenPom, as of Feb. 19) while limiting opponents to 40.7 percent shooting from the field this season. Stanford ranked seventh nationally in defensive efficiency a year ago, while boasting the nation’s 16th-ranked scoring defense.
• The Cardinal swept the Washington schools in Santa Cruz, and is looking for its second-straight sweep in the Evergreen State. da Silva averaged 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds on this trip a year ago.
• Stanford was the final power conference program to play at its home facility this season. The Cardinal is also one of two power conference teams to boast multiple road wins in non-conference play, joining Oklahoma State.
• Jaiden Delaire has emerged as one of the most improved players in the Pac-12, averaging 13.9 points per game in conference action. He has reached double-figure scoring in 12 of the last 14 games, including three-straight with 20 or more points from Jan. 28-Feb. 2.
LAST TIME OUT
Eight players scored multiple field goals as Stanford rolled to a 79-61 win at Washington on Feb. 18. Oscar da Silva led the way with 18, while Jaiden Delaire and Daejon Davis also finished in double figures with 15 and 12, respectively. Stanford forced 20 turnovers, and collected 10 steals as a team, led by four from Michael O’Connell, who dished a game-high five assists. The win was Stanford’s fourth in a row over the Huskies.
ELITE COMPANY
Senior captain Oscar da Silva is posting numbers that rival the best in all of college basketball this season. He is one of four players nationally averaging at least 19 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting better than 55% from the field, along with Iowa’s Luka Garza, Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Vermont’s Ryan Davis. da Silva is the only one in the select group to average multiple assists per game.