Stanford Cardinal
Pac-12 (24-7, 14-4)
Stanford comes into the NCAA Tournament with a fair amount of positive momentum after securing the 1,000th win in program history on February 26 in a 76-54 rout of Oregon State. The win was not only significant because it was the 1000th, it was also significant because it was a complete domination of an outstanding Beavers team. The Cardinal will come into the 2016 NCAA Tournament as a team quietly flying under the radar and is still dangerous enough to beat a top seed if they play their absolute very best in all phases of the game.
Big Wins: 12/16 Tennessee (69-55), 1/29 Washington (69-53), 2/26 Oregon State (76-54)
Bad Losses: 11/23 Santa Clara (58-61), 1/24 at UCLA (36-56), 2/14 Arizona State (61-63)
Coach: Tara VanDerveer
Why They Can Surprise:
Defense has always been a staple of head coach Tara Vanderveer’s program and this season has been no different. Teams struggle to shoot the ball well against Stanford as even in losses the Cardinal held Arizona State and UCLA under 60 points and held both teams to just over 30 percent and 40 percent shooting respectively. This total team commitment to high quality defense will keep them in every game in the NCAA Tournament. The backcourt is also another reason to believe that Stanford could surprise in the postseason. Junior guards Lili Thompson and Karlie Samuelson can stretch defenses with their ability to make shots from the perimeter and get to the free throw line on a regular basis, which will test opposing defenses. Junior forward Erica McCall will need to be dominant down low at both ends of the court in order for the Cardinal to make a long run in the NCAA Tournament.
Why They Can Disappoint:
This Stanford team has to make shots if they are going to make a deep run in the postseason. In the losses to Arizona State, Oregon State, and UCLA the Cardinal were abysmal when it came to shooting the basketball as the team shot under 30 percent in two of those losses. Rebounding the basketball will also be important for Stanford in the NCAA Tournament. If they run into teams with a lot of size and athleticism in the post it is going to be important for the Cardinal to stay out of foul trouble and hold their own on the boards.
Probable Starters:
Lili Thompson, Junior, Guard, 14.4 ppg, 3.4 apg
Karlie Samuelson, Junior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 2.1 apg
Briana Roberson, Junior, Guard, 6.0 ppg, 2.7 apg
Erica McCall, Junior, Forward, 14.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Kaylee Johnson, Sophomore, Forward,5.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Brittany McPhee, Sophomore, Guard, 6.7 ppg
Kailee Johnson, Junior, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Marta Sniezek, Freshman, Guard, 2.4 ppg, 2.8 apg
Alanna Smith, Freshman, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.5 (112th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 53.1 (15, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.3 (74, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 32.1 (2, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.4 (85, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.8 (27, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.0 (191, 8)
Rebound Margin: 5.7 (45, 3)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (79, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.4 (67, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over Cal State Northridge
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Oklahoma
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to Notre Dame
2014 NCAA First Round win over South Dakota
2014 NCAA Second Round win over Florida State
2014 NCAA Third Round win over Penn State
2014 NCAA Quarterfinal win over North Carolina
2014 NCAA Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Tulsa
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Michigan
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Georgia
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Hampton
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over West Virginia
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over South Carolina
2012 NCAA Regional Final win over Duke
2012 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Baylor
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Davis
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over St. John's
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over North Carolina
2011 NCAA Regional Final win over Gonzaga
2011 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Texas A&M
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Riverside
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Iowa
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Georgia
2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Xavier
2010 NCAA National Semifinal win Oklahoma
2010 NCAA National Final loss to Connecticut
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC-Santa Barbara
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over San Diego State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Ohio State
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Iowa State
2009 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Cleveland State
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over UTEP
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Pittsburg
2008 NCAA Regional Final win over Maryland
2008 NCAA National Semifinal sin over Connecticut
2008 NCAA National Final loss to Tennessee
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Idaho State
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Florida State
*all team stats through 3/3
