I have watched the majority of Stanford's games this season with the sole interest in figuring out who will step into the leadership role Chasson Randle left wide open when he graduated last year. Before play began, it really appeared to be a toss-up.
Now that he has a few games under his belt, it's clear to me that Rosco Allen is steering the ship. Allen is a senior at Stanford (but was granted a medical hardship his sophomore season), and has embraced the role as a veteran on the team. He is averaging over 12 points per game and plays more minutes than any of his teammates. To me, he really claimed the role as leader when he helped seal the win over Arkansas in a 69-66 victory.
After trailing by 20 points, the Cardinal battled their way back into the game, and it was a late game layup from Marcus Allen that gave the Cardinal the final edge. Rosco Allen finished the game with 25 points and 9 rebounds, making it his best game so far of what is a very young season.
Stanford is off to as average a start as one could imagine. With a .500 winning percentage, it's hard to gauge this team. The one thing that seems to be apparent is that this team will rely heavily on the play of Rosco Allen and his leadership. Everyone watching this season will find out soon if Allen is up to the task.