Attention: We interrupt the Stanford football season, which has been grabbing all the headlines this fall in its quest for a BCS bowl berth, for this special announcement.
The Cardinal men’s basketball team, coming off two straight losing seasons for the first time in nearly 25 years, is becoming relevant again. This after its resounding 82-67 victory over Oklahoma State in the NIT semifinals Wednesday at MSG.
Coach Johnny Dawkins’ team scored 18 unanswered points to blow the game wide open and coasted to victory after leading by as many as 28 in the second half. The Cowboys did manage in garbage time to score over 60 points, the first Stanford opponent to do so this season.
The 5-0 Cardinal will now face fifth-ranked, perennial Big East power Syracuse in the preseason NIT finals on Friday evening at the Garden, in its biggest game since 2008 when Stanford last participated in March Madness.
Senior F Josh Owens has double-double talent and athleticism, which has made his inconsistency during his career all the more maddening. Owens, 6'8" and 240 lbs, has gotten off to a strong start this season and dominated the interior against the undersized Cowboys, scoring 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
Cardinal fans have been waiting for Owens to play to his immense potential. The wait may finally be over.
Coach Johnny Dawkins’ recent prize recruits have also been impressive. Sophomore SG Aaron Bright has been a revelation with his new and improved three-point shooting and commitment to penetration, averaging nearly 14 PPG and 4 APG.
Sophomore forwards Josh Huestis (6'7") and Dwight Powell (6'9") join Owens in the frontcourt. Both are kinetic and aggressive scorers and rebounders.
Meanwhile, heralded freshman combo G Chasson Randle, who chose Stanford over Purdue and Illinois, has lived up to the hype. He took over the NIT semifinal in the second half, scoring 17 points and controlling the flow of the game as the Cardinal left Oklahoma State in the dust.
Stanford also has deadeye outside shooters in 6'6" sophomore SG Anthony Brown, who spent the summer with the U.S. under-19 team, and 6'9" sophomore F John Gage, who may be the team’s best pure shooter.
Senior 6'4" G Jarrett Mann lends experience and defensive length and has been a force on the boards, with 5.3 rebounds per game thus far. There’s more experience, defense and rebounding up front with seniors Jack Trotter (6'9") and Andrew Zimmerman (6'8") and RS freshman, 6'11" C Stefan Nastic.
Will all of this be enough for Stanford to be competitive with Jim Boeheim’s Orange in Friday night’s NIT final? A win will catapult the Cardinal into the national spotlight. Which, as the Stanford football team knows, is a fun place to be.
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