The Stanford men’s basketball team (16-7, 7-4 Pac-12) will be looking to build some momentum following its victory over USC this past Sunday. They hit the road for an important Pac-12 matchup against Utah (18-4, 8-2 Pac-12), who currently sits second in the conference.
Stanford endured a tough stretch last week, including back-to-back losses by two or fewer points, but they managed a strong bounce-back win against USC, with positive signals for the last month leading up to the NCAA tournament. It will be difficult to secure a road victory against Utah, who has been consistent throughout this season with only a few minor hiccups against tough competition.
The Cardinal defense will need to be sharp to come away with a win over the Utes, who are coming off of back-to-back away wins themselves. The team’s goal is always to limit its opposition to 50 points. Utah, on the other hand, has only scored fewer than 60 points once this season.
Dawkins will need his team to stifle guards Delon Wright and Brandon Taylor, Utah’s highest scorers, especially from behind the arc. In their last game against Colorado, all 18 of Taylor’s points came from the career high of six 3-pointers he hit.
Big men Stefan Nastic, Reid Travis and Michael Humphrey will have their hands full with Utah forward Jordan Loveridge, a powerful big man who can rebound and score. Loveridge grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 11 points last week against Colorado, including back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half. In their game against Colorado, the Utes shot an incredible 59 percent from behind the arc, hitting 13 of 22. If they can once again get hot from behind the line, their shooting could be a big threat to Stanford.
Stanford will be looking for the same offensive output they’ve seen all season from the team’s key players. Chasson Randle has been averaging 20.3 points per game this season, including a few standout performances. Although Randle and Anthony Brown were not their usual selves against USC, a return to form is expected, given how consistent both have been this season.
Following the game against USC, Randle expressed his belief that Stanford’s mentality could play an important role in the game against Utah.
“Going into our next game, it’s going to be the same thing where we have to keep fighting,” Randle said. “No matter what the outcome — shots falling, shots not falling — we have to get maximum effort. And if we do that, I like our chances.”
Travis was used sparingly against USC, only playing nine minutes, but he still managed 4 points and 4 rebounds in the minutes he had. He should be even more fit for this game, and the team will be looking to him to play a key role in holding down the frontcourt.
Guard Marcus Allen has seen his importance to this Stanford team continue to increase in recent weeks. He tallied his first career double-double on Sunday against USC, recording 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. His development into the “sparkplug of the team,” in the words of Chasson Randle, has provided the energy that the Cardinal need to push through tough stretches of games. This energy will be necessary if Stanford hopes to make a strong run in the NCAA tournament.
Dawkins attributed the strong second half from Stanford in the USC game to the team’s defense, and the defense’s performance will surely be a deciding factor against Utah. The defense has been a missing piece in the Stanford puzzle for some recent games, so the second half against USC was a good sign for Dawkins’ squad.
Stanford is up for a tough game against Utah, and it’ll take an inspired performance similar to the Cardinal’s road takedown of then-No. 9 Texas earlier this year to leave Salt Lake City with a victory. The Cardinal tip off in Utah at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and the match will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Contact Jack Seaton at jrseaton ‘at’ stanford.edu.