On Thursday at 8:00 PM PT on ESPNU, Stanford men’s basketball will resume Pac-12 play at home against Colorado. Stanford comes in at 5-7 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12 while Colorado comes in at 8-5 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Before Christmas, Stanford defeated Loyola Chicago 75-62 in Santa Cruz. Harrison Ingram (15 points, 5 rebounds, & 3 assists), James Keefe (14 points & 8 rebounds), and Michael Jones (12 points) led the way for the Cardinal.
RECAP: Stanford MBB runs roughshod over Ramblers
On Colorado: The Buffaloes are off to a solid start with a couple of wins over ranked opponents (Tennessee and Texas A&M). However, they are in the hole 0-2 in league play and are 2-4 in games away from Boulder (0-2 in true road games). Their one home loss being in league to Arizona State (60-59).
The Buffs are led by sophomore guard K.J. Simpson (17.2 points & 4.2 rebounds) and junior forward Tristan da Silva (14.9 points & 5.2 rebounds), forming a really nice guard/forward combo. da Silva as many of you remember is the younger brother of former Cardinal standout Oscar da Silva. The number three option on this Buffs team is junior guard J’Vonne Hadley, who is averaging 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Hadley leads the team in rebounding and is a very solid third option.
As a team, the Buffs average 76.4 points per game on 45.8% shooting from the field, 32.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 64.8% shooting from the foul line. They average 39.8 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 8.4 steals, 4.3 blocks, and 13.3 turnovers per game. They also average a +6.1 rebound margin and a +0.6 turnover margin per game. Their opponents average 69.2 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field, 33.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 68.9% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Simpson and da Silva. We’ve seen this strategy backfire for Stanford where they contain the top scorers and then someone else beats them, but if that happens, to some extent you just have to tip your cap to the opposing team. If Stanford can put the clamps on Simpson and da Silva tonight, I like their chances to win.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is win the battle on the glass. Stanford averages a +4.3 rebound margin per game, so they too are used to winning the rebounding battle. If Stanford can control the glass tonight, that should give them an edge.
Finally, Stanford needs to make their threes. Colorado is not a great 3-point shooting team and if Stanford can knock down their threes at a healthy clip, that should give them a real advantage in this game. Guys like Spencer Jones, Brandon Angel, Michael Jones, and even Harrison Ingram need to get rolling from deep in this one.
Prediction: Stanford is at home and Colorado is 0-2 on the road this year. Stanford has dropped a couple games at home this year, but they were to ranked teams and I do think they’re starting to trend in the right direction a bit. I have Stanford winning, but I think it’ll be a competitive/hard-fought game: 69-66.
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