The NBA lockout may still be dragging on, but college basketball is here, and the men’s team takes to the hardwood for its season opener tonight at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal will take on Central Arkansas, looking to get off to a fast start this season after finishing last year at the bottom half of the conference.
Led by redshirt senior captain Josh Owens, who averaged a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game on top of 11.6 points per game last season, Stanford returns all but one player from last season’s squad that went 15-16. But that one player is Jeremy Green, who averaged a team-high 16.7 points per game along with 88 three-pointers — Green elected to declare for the NBA Draft and leave school after his junior season.
In Green’s place, however, is freshman guard Chasson Randle, who will get a chance to start from day one. One of the most highly touted combo guards in the country as a senior from Rock Island High School, Randle shined during Stanford’s six-game preseason trip through Spain in September, averaging 11 points per game and flashing good speed and aggression.
Head coach Johnny Dawkins is hopeful that Randle can gel in a starting lineup that could be in flux for the first several weeks of the season. While last season was often a struggle without any seniors on the roster, it allowed a very deep class of freshmen to see playing time early and often.
Forward Dwight Powell and guard Anthony Brown earned Pac-10 All-Freshman Team honors with each averaging over eight points and three rebounds a game. At 6-foot-9, Powell creates plenty of matchup problems for opposing defenses with his long frame and quick feet, while Brown shot 35 percent from behind the arc as a 6-foot-6 guard/forward. Both will have to take a more active role in the offense with Green’s departure, though Brown’s time playing on USA Basketball’s U19 World Championship team will perhaps give him an added shot of confidence.
It remains to be seen whether the Cardinal will be able to rebound from the past few disappointing seasons, and questions abound about Stanford’s interior defense and offense. The return of redshirt freshman center Stephan Nastic, who missed all but five games last year with a foot injury, ought to be a boost for the team, as it could allow Owens to play as a power forward instead of as an undersized center and bump Powell to the wing.
Against Central Arkansas, however, it will be important for the Cardinal to test the waters and see how it looks in game action. The Bears had a disastrous season last year, finishing 5-24 overall and 1-15 in conference play, but have revamped their roster with eight newcomers. Coached by former NBA player Corliss Williamson, the Bears probably won’t be the caliber of opponent Stanford will face day-in and day-out in the Pac-12, but cannot be overlooked.
Picked to finish sixth in the conference by the media, the Cardinal does have a little bit of history on its side for the game tonight — Stanford is 78-18 in season openers and has won 21 of its last 23.
The first-ever meeting between the two teams will tip off at 7 p.m. from Maples Pavilion.