Stanford Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Cardinal

Rotational Pieces

Behind his talented starting lineup, Coach Haase has a balance of seasoned veterans and promising young freshmen who will look to make a name for themselves. There are six potential rotational pieces but with limited minutes to go around, one or two may find themselves playing deep bench minutes.

Isaac White – Junior Guard

2018-19 Stats: 8.6 mpg, 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists

Despite being the Cardinal’s best 3-point shooter, Isaac White currently appears to be the odd man out of the team’s backcourt. White’s strengths lie on the offensive end, where he can play point guard minutes or spot up off the ball. On the defensive end, however, White suffers from his lack of size and quickness, limiting his minutes in games against strong offensive backcourts. Expect Coach Haase to give White more minutes as a shooting specialist and potential second or third man off the bench.

Kodye Pugh – Junior Wing

2018-19 Stats: 6.3 mpg, 2.0 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists

Kodye Pugh has been one of the most disappointing players in the history of the Stanford basketball program. Despite redshirting as a freshman in order to improve his strength and skillset, Pugh hasn’t been the promising wing Stanford hoped he would become. A top-100 recruit in 2016, per 247Sports Composite, Pugh averaged a mere 1.6 points per contest in his first two seasons, playing fewer than 250 total minutes. He probably won’t be relied upon to play heavy minutes this season, unless he can take a big step forward.

Jaiden Delaire – Sophomore Wing

2018-19 Stats: 12.7 mpg, 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists

After experiencing a rough freshman season fueled by his late arrival to Palo Alto, Jaiden Delaire will need to improve his efficiency if he aims to secure a spot in the first three off the bench. The 6-foot-9 power forward had his issues last season, making just 34.7% of his shots, but also showed glimpses of his elite athleticism. While he was a liability on offense last season, his length and rebounding ability make him the perfect candidate to serve as a defensive specialist moving forward.

Keenan Fitzmorris – Freshman Forward

2018-19 Stats: N/A

The defacto backup center for the Cardinal, redshirt freshman Keenan Fitzmorris with finally have an opportunity to show the world why the Stanford coaching staff is so high on him. With the extra bulk that Fitzmorris added during his redshirt year, he should have an improved ability to man the paint and play a true post position. He has been positive through the entire process and now has the opportunity to put his improved skillset to work in real game action.

Spencer Jones – Freshman Wing

2018-19 Stats: N/A

Freshman wing Spencer Jones has been one of the most pleasant surprises during Stanford’s trip to Europe. After being recruited mainly at the mid-major level, Jones has come off the bench as a decent scoring option so far. With Stanford appearing to have a frontcourt by committee, Jones should get plenty of minutes. If he continues to hit his jumper and use his size to play an effective small-ball four or large wing, Jones will eventually see a big role in the rotation.

James Keefe – Freshman Forward

2018-19 Stats: N/A

Another potential diamond in the rough, freshman forward James Keefe enters this season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. By all accounts, he has shown incredible hustle in Italy and his size should give him the potential to earn more than garbage time minutes. Keefe’s best shot at breaking into the regular rotation is to develop as a reliable stretch big who can lead the break. However, he could also be a candidate to redshirt for a year in order to improve his quickness and strength in the paint.