No one is being shy on The Farm talking about the need to return to the NCAA Tournament. Once a powerhouse program in the West, Stanford has experienced March Madness once since 2008, which was the Sweet 16 run in 2014.

“Myself, the seniors, we haven’t tasted the postseason we want to play in,” said forward Reid Travis. “That’s why we came here and why we sweat hard in the offseason is to play in that tournament. We’re definitely disappointed but we have a big chip on our shoulder. Talking among each other in the offseason we can’t let this be the year we let it slip away and think back on what could have been.”

In the past week the Cardinal returned to the court for the first practices leading up to the season.

Head coach Jerod Haase said the primary focus of the first few practices is reinforcing the basics before they build on that with what could be a lot of schematic changes to the offense and defense.

“As a staff we know what the plan is and we have a really solid plan in place,” he said. “It’s almost like you are adding layer by layer. The end goal may look a little bit different than we have in our mind right now, but I think it’s going to be pretty darn similar.”

Stanford brings back a talented and experienced core of players from last season and added one of the best recruiting classes in the country. The potential boost the young players can give to this team has been noticed by visitors.

“We really did some nice things defensively,” Haase said after the team’s third practice. “Our increased length on the team is really starting to show. When we sit down and guard we can really fill the gaps and make it difficult to get into the paint.”

On offense it’s a process of “baby steps”, he said. “There hasn’t been a day yet when it looks polished or good. (But) it’s really encouraging because every day we’re moving forward.”

There are several returning players whose improvement will go a long way toward determining the team’s ceiling, and that includes the most productive player, Travis. The power forward looks slimmed down a few pounds and is doggedly working on expanding his game.

“It’s obvious I can score down low,” he said. “I feel like I’m one of the more dominant guys in the conference as far as putting my weight toward the basket and doing jump hooks and stuff like that in the paint. As far as stretching it out to the perimeter, I think that’s going to help our team more and help me be more effective.”

Haase doesn’t envision Travis suddenly becoming a jump shooter who lives in the area between 15-feet and three point line. The goal is balance.

“Reid is a tremendous person and player, and his work ethic is second to none,” Haase said. “His shot, he understands and he knows he needs to become more consistent. If he’s making 17-footers on a consistent basis that will help the rest of his game.”

Michael Humphrey and Josh Sharma have shown time and again that physically they are great athletes. But consistency has often eluded them. Now a senior and junior, respectively, Haase expects notable progress on the court.

“It doesn’t need to be really fancy for those guys,” he said. “They need to be awesome offensive rebounders, efficient around the goal -- we’re going to try to do a good job of getting them deep in the paint where it’s not eight or 10 foot plays -- and then have the ability to make open shoots when they’re facing the basket. I think they understand what we’re trying to get to and what is a good shot and is not a good shot. Our expectations are high for them.”

Humphrey has already had several good practices: “He really did a nice job of communicating. Defensively he was really, really good and offensively I think he is coming into his own.”

A returning player who has been repeatedly lauded by Haase is Dorian Pickens. The third captain of the team, along with Travis and Humphrey,

“Especially going into my last year there has to be a mindset change,” he said. “I took the downfalls of last season on my shoulders. Being an upperclassman and one of the leaders of this team, a lot of those things fall on my shoulders. In order to lead the rest of the guys I have to work on my game as well.”