Stanford Cardinal
2017-2018 Overall Rank: #47
Conference Rank: #5 Pac-12
Conference Rank: #5 Pac-12
Stanford struggled in head coach Jerod Haase’s first year at the helm. The Cardinal won just 14 games, the program’s lowest total since the 2009-10 season. There is optimism this season though, as Stanford returns five of their top six scorers from a year ago. Haase has an experienced team that has established chemistry which should lead to more wins. Stanford also added several impressive freshmen over the offseason. The Cardinal have only been to the NCAA Tournament once in the last nine seasons, and the fanbase will have higher expectations in Haase’s second season.
2016-17 Record: 14-17, 6-12
2016-17 Postseason: None
Coach: Jerod Haase
Coach Record: 14-17 at Stanford, 94-70 overall
2016-17 Postseason: None
Coach: Jerod Haase
Coach Record: 14-17 at Stanford, 94-70 overall
Who’s Out:
The Cardinal lose just one player who scored above five points per game last season. Marcus Allen will be a tough loss though, after he played 128 career games for Stanford. Allen averaged 8.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals as a senior. Allen was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, and his sound all-around game won’t be easy to replace. Christian Sanders and Grant Verhoeven have both graduated from the program. Sanders started 17 games at point guard last season, averaging 3.0 points and 3.3 assists per game. Verhoeven started 10 games as a senior, averaging 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Reserve guard Malcolm Allen elected to become a grad transfer elsewhere for his final collegiate season. Allen didn’t see much playing time a year ago and with his twin brother Marcus graduating, he decided to leave Stanford as well.
Who’s In:
Jerod Haase will add five freshmen onto his roster this season. Kodye Pugh redshirted last year, but he will join the team this season. Pugh was a four-star recruit out of high school and was one of the top small forwards in the nation. Kezie Okpala and Daejon Davis are the top recruits for Stanford in this year’s class as top-50 players nationally. Okpala averaged 30 points per game as a high school senior and should add instant scoring production to an offense that lacked that last season. Davis was ranked as one of the top combo guards in the nation. Two foreign prospects will also come to Stanford this season. Oscar Da Silva is a 6-10 three-star forward out of Germany who competed on the German U19 team at the FIBA World Cup. Isaac White is a three-star point guard from Australia who was a talented shooter and passer for his national team.
Who to Watch:
Stanford will have plenty of production back from last season’s squad. The star of the team is First Team All-Pac-12 Selection Reid Travis. Travis averaged 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, both top-five marks in the conference. Travis was a machine last season, dominating the offensive glass and living at the free-throw line. Travis will need to have another monster season for Stanford to compete in the Pac-12. Starters Dorian Pickens and Michael Humphrey are also both back this season. Pickens started every game and finished second on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game. Pickens is a sharpshooter, hitting 2.2 threes per game on 39.6% shooting from deep. Humphrey started 25 games at center, averaging 9.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Players like Robert Cartwright, Marcus Sheffield and Josh Sharma should all see bigger roles this year. Cartwright led the team with 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore, and will get more time at point guard with Christian Sanders graduated. Sheffield averaged 6.7 points per game, but he flashed as a big-time scorer at times, including a 35-point game in the Pac-12 opener. Sharma is a seven-footer who led the team with 1.1 blocks per game in just 13.4 minutes. Seldom-used reserves Cameron Walker and Trevor Stanback also return this season.
Final Projection:
Stanford will head into the 2017-18 season with their highest expectations in several years. The Cardinal get all-conference player Reid Travis back along with two top-50 recruits. Stanford struggled to produce on offense last year, but Jerod Haase made a point to add scoring potential to his roster this offseason. Stanford will have a balanced mix of experience and youth on the team, which should lead to more wins. The Pac-12 has been a top-heavy conference as of late, but Stanford is hoping to join the top teams in NCAA Tournament contention this season.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Robert Cartwright, Junior, Guard, 6.7 points per game
Dorian Pickens, Senior, Guard, 12.6 points per game
Marcus Sheffield, Junior, Forward, 6.7 points per game
Reid Travis, Junior, Forward, 17.4 points per game
Michael Humphrey, Senior, Center, 9.4 points per game
Robert Cartwright, Junior, Guard, 6.7 points per game
Dorian Pickens, Senior, Guard, 12.6 points per game
Marcus Sheffield, Junior, Forward, 6.7 points per game
Reid Travis, Junior, Forward, 17.4 points per game
Michael Humphrey, Senior, Center, 9.4 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.7 (255th in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.1 (142, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.0 (194, 9)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.4 (205, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (333, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.0 (296, 12)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.2 (251, 8)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (143, 8)
Assists Per Game: 13.6 (162, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (153, 9)
Scoring Offense: 69.7 (255th in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.1 (142, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.0 (194, 9)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.4 (205, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (333, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.0 (296, 12)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.2 (251, 8)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (143, 8)
Assists Per Game: 13.6 (162, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (153, 9)
Madness 2017 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#34 Kenzie Okpala
#49 Daejon Davis
