Kansas basketball will travel this Sunday to take on Stanford. Here are five things to know about the Cardinal.
Kansas basketball is coming off of their first loss since their season opener against Duke. The Jayhawks dropped from first to fifth place in the AP Poll as a result of the one-point road loss to Villanova.
Kansas will try to rebound this Sunday against the formidable Stanford Cardinal, who received votes in the latest AP Poll. Here are five things to know about Stanford:
1. Stanford only has one loss
So far this season, Stanford is undefeated at home and their only loss came to #12 Butler on a neutral court by just one point. While their schedule hasn’t been particularly challenging, the Cardinal is for real this season, and their 11-1 record proves it. AP voters are starting to take notice as well, as Stanford is beginning to receive votes.
2. Kansas basketball can take advantage of turnovers
According to KenPom, Stanford is turning the ball over on 21.6% of their possessions which ranks 281st in the nation. If Kansas basketball can take advantage of the extra opportunities, it’ll give them a clear advantage over the Cardinal. The Jayhawks have to be careful not to give the ball right back though since Stanford is 30th in defensive turnover percentage.
3. Stanford is exceeding their preseason expectations
In the Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll, Stanford was picked to finish tenth out of twelve in the conference. However, the Cardinal currently has the best record in the league at 11-1, barely beating out Washington, USC, Oregon, and Colorado who are all 10-2. As mentioned, Stanford plays a relatively easy non-conference schedule, but their record is still impressive.
4. The Cardinal doesn’t rely on the three
Unlike Kansas basketball’s last opponent, Stanford doesn’t really rely on the three-pointer. KenPom says that only 33.7% of the Cardinal’s shot attempts are from behind the arc, which ranks 267th in the country. Stanford’s offense isn’t bad, but it’s far from the best the Jayhawks have faced, so Kansas shouldn’t have an issue this week holding the Cardinal to a relatively low score.
5. Oscar da Silva leads the Cardinal offense
Oscar da Silva is currently leading Stanford in points per game with 17.6 and rebounds per game with six. The six-foot-nine junior from Germany is coming off of a huge game too. Against San Diego, da Silva scored 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and recorded five steals in the 62-59 win. If Kansas basketball can stop da Silva, it’ll make it very hard for the Cardinal to get points on the board.
This is a game that Kansas basketball should have no problem winning. The Jayhawks need a road win before beginning conference play, which starts on January fourth against West Virginia.
You can watch Kansas take on Stanford this Sunday at 2:00 PM (CT) on ABC.