SETTING THE SCENE
Stanford men’s basketball finishes its mountain swing on Saturday afternoon, facing Colorado in a matchup of 4-2 teams in conference play. The noon PT tip off will air on Pac-12 Networks.
THE OPENING TIP
• Stanford is off to an 8-4 start (4-2 Pac-12), with league wins over Arizona, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State. Ziaire Williams tallied the second triple-double in program history against the Huskies a week ago, 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. Stanford sits tied for fourth with the Buffaloes in the Pac-12 standings.
• Through 12 games, Stanford ranks 14th nationally in defensive efficiency (per KenPom, as of Jan. 15) while posting the 24th-best field goal defense in the country (38.9%). 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 “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.
• Oscar da Silva is stating his case as the Pac-12’s top player through six games, averaging 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night in conference play.
THE LAST MEETING
Bryce Wills scored 19 points, including 17 second-half points and a key layup in the final minute, and Oscar da Silva added 16 as Stanford beat No. 21 Colorado, 72-64, in its final home game last season. With the triumph, Stanford secured its first 20-win season since the 2014-15 campaign, while the win was the program’s second of the 2019-20 season over a ranked opponent, joining No. 11 Oregon (Feb. 1, 2020).