ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 15 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
T-11: Stanford Cardinal (12-11, 5-6 Pac-12) LW: 9
At 12-11 overall and 5-6 in Pac-12 play, Stanford has been about as predictable as the rest of the ‘Conference of Champions.’ Split series have become a norm for the unranked Cardinal, and that didn’t change against the Oregon schools.
Against Oregon State, everything clicked for Stanford. The Cardinal cruised to an 83-60 victory on the road.
From an offensive standpoint, the Cardinal was excellent, shooting above 50 percent from the field. The three-headed attack of Oscar da Silva, KZ Okpala and Josh Sharma combined for 53 points, with da Silva scoring a team-high 23.
Defensively, Stanford forced the Beavers to shoot sub-40 percent, scoring just 60 points over the game’s entirety. Forward Tres Tinkle, Oregon State’s leading scorer, finished with just 16 points, his lowest mark since Jan. 13.
Rebounding was a pivotal aspect in Stanford’s rout. The Cardinal picked up 41 boards, opposed to the Beavers, which finished with just 26.
But after such a prolific outing Thursday, the Cardinal were a totally different team on Saturday. That game, they were drubbed 69-46 by an up-and-down Oregon squad.
After an offensive explosion against the Beavers, nothing fell against the Ducks. Stanford shot just below 30 percent from the field while hitting a 16.7 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Defensively, Stanford held its own for the most part, but Payton Pritchard was once again a catalyst. The junior guard notched 20 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting, carrying the Ducks to their 23-point win.
Next weekend, Stanford has a chance to rebound and once again sit above .500 in league play. The Cardinal play host to UCLA and USC, two teams with similar seasons to Stanford thus far.
– Field