This was a golden opportunity for Stanford to pick up a statement win and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament. It just didn’t happen.
They haven’t knocked off a ranked team on the road since 2014. Oregon seemed vulnerable, being that they lost by 10 to Stanford in Maples and were without Chris Duarte. It turns out Dana Altman doesn’t need health to win in March (see: Bol Bol, Chris Boucher, etc).
In February, the Cardinal made hay by getting the ball inside to Oscar da Silva, but the Ducks sagged their defense in a bit more today. Daejon Davis turned that into 3 first half threes, but Oregon bet that they wouldn’t be punished for it in the long run. They bet right.
Oregon’s full court pressure didn’t translate into turnovers, but they made Stanford burn nearly ten seconds of clock just getting it over half court. The hurried Cardinal offense then committed a number of giveaways in the half court, and Oregon turned those into fast break hoops. Between the easy baskets and Payton Pritchard’s Lillard impression, the Ducks had a superb day offensively.
This was Stanford’s second double-figure loss of the season. It was also the second most points they’ve conceded in regulation, and the second time they’ve allowed an opponent to shoot over 50% from three.
The bracket is set for Las Vegas. Stanford’s 9-9 record is good for the 7 seed, which has them facing off against 10 seed Cal in the first round. A red-hot UCLA team awaits the winner of that game. There’s a non-trivial chance Stanford can make the tournament field with only one win in Vegas, but realistically they’ll need at least two to have favorable odds.
For Stanford to have success in the tournament, they’ll need to limit turnovers and fast break opportunities. Those two areas were killers today against a good Oregon team. They’ve proven they can beat any team in this conference, but they’ve also proven they can lose to anyone.
Comments
No surprise
Oregon wasn’t going to sleep on Stanford. A combination of payback and senior night meant that the Ducks weren’t going to play pattycake with the Cardinal, especially not Payton Pritchard, whose 13-point improvement alone, over his output at Maples, accounts for Oregon’s winning margin.
The lack of Chris Duarte wasn’t as vital as some expected, especially since his offense had sagged and Will Richardson and Anthony Mathis had become more reliable scorers. Also, the return of 6’11" frosh center N’Faly Dante added rim protection for Oregon; he’d missed the Maples trip.
Stanford was outplayed by a more veteran, skilled team. Ducks’ senior Payton wasn’t going to lose tonight; grad transfer Anthony Mathis was going to get his points; redshirt senior Shakur Juiston was going to make his presence felt.
Although Stanford got 4 players in double figures, Ty Terry was not one of those. Der wunderkind has had a tough road trip to Oregon; sometimes he still plays like he’s still in high school. Terry’s offseason will be a big step in his development. He’s a really good player at times and his heart is bigger than his body can show. Frosh Spencer Jones is a real find, he did his part tonight, but he’ll also benefit from an offseason in the weight room.
Stanford’s youth isn’t an excuse, it’s their promise. Without key injuries to Davis, Wills, and da Silva, the veteran core, Stanford could’ve won at least 3 more games. They play really hard, even when some are having an off game. They’d previously shown that to Oregon and the Ducks didn’t forget.
By Candid One on 03.08.20 1:43am