Pac-12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

A clock is right twice is a saying that can apply to a few of the bottom half teams in the Pac-12. If you have the talent to be competitive year in and year out, eventually something’s got to go your way, right? In year six of Jerod Haase’s tenure as head coach Stanford is still looking for their first NCAA tournament appearance. In that time, the Cardinal have finished in the top half of the conference twice–if you count last season’s 6th place tie.

Stanford, however, does have the roster to turn the corner this year. They’re bringing back Pac-12 Most-Improved-Player Jaiden Delaire who is coming off of 12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds average in his truncated season. Delaire is a tough matchup for bigs, with his length and range he is a multi-level scorer that can play in the post or the midrange. Delaire will be the focal point of an offense that has multiple lengthy wings that can cause problems.

6-foot-7 Spencer Jones will likely play the wing position and play interchangeably as a forward in the defense. Jones opens a lot up for his offense with his ability as an elite shooter outside. He shot 40.7% from three his first two seasons at Stanford and will be able to mix it up inside if necessary. That range will help with spacing for Delaire and the other bigs that will make this Cardinal offense hum. How Haase utilizes top 15 freshman Hunter Ingram will also be interesting. He’s a dynamic wing with great size and coordination who can further space out the offense with a unique level of ball handling.

The Cardinal will rely on a bevy of young guards to try and steady the loss of Daejon Davis in the transfer portal. Sophomores Michael O’Connell and Noah Taitz played significant minutes last year due to injuries. O’Connell showed plenty of potential as a lead ball-handler and will improve with a full season under his belt. Haase also is bringing in 4-star point guard Isael Silva whose main compliments on the recruiting trail were based on his court vision and passing.

If the Cardinal can find consistency and cohesion this season, they will exceed this ninth place ranking and be a likely tournament bid for the conference. They just need to prove it at this point.