An intriguing nonconference matchup sees San Diego State head to Stanford; can the Cardinal get back on track or will the Aztecs get the road win?
TV schedule: Tuesday, November 15, 9:00 pm ET. PAC12
Arena: Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California
San Diego State (2-0) has taken care of business early in the season; a season with high expectations and a very talented roster. The Aztecs won their first two games at home, including an impressive win last Friday over BYU in a comeback effort. How will the Aztecs fare away from Viejas Arena for the first time this year?
Among those players to keep an eye on are the exciting new transfers, with Darrion Trammell (19.5 ppg) and Jaedon Ledee (17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) putting together a pair of excellent games to start their Aztec careers. Forward Nathan Mensah (12.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg) continues to be a defensive stalwart and important piece in the frontcourt, while the potential for Matt Bradley (7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) remains extremely high.
San Diego State began the season ranked in the AP Top 25 and sit 17th in the latest KenPom rankings. They pose one of the best defenses in the nation, ranking 9th in defensive efficiency at the moment. Their performance against BYU last week wasn’t exactly the defensive dominance we’re used to seeing, but they did enough to win that game, scoring at least 80 points in both victories.
Defending their home court, Stanford (1-1) is hoping to get back on track. They won on opening night over Pacific, but suffered their first loss of the season on Friday, falling to Wisconsin in a unique neutral-site game at American Family Field, a baseball stadium in Milwaukee. Can the Cardinal get back on track after offensive woes against the Badgers?
Among the scorers for the Cardinal, Michael Jones (20.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) had a 31-point outing on opening night, while former top recruit Harrison Ingram (6.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) is still looking for that breakout performance to start the year. The Cardinal have talent and size down low, with 7’1 forward Maxime Raynaud (12.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg) clogging up the paint and Brandon Angel (12.0 ppg) who had 14 points in that loss to Wisconsin.
Stanford sits 64th in KenPom, with their defense sitting just outside the Top 50 in the efficiency rankings. The offense mightily struggled in Milwaukee, shooting just 1 of 19 from long range. They’ll be glad to be back in familiar surroundings and on a legitimate basketball court, though at least their defense was decent against the Badgers.
This would be quite the opportunity for the Aztecs to not only have a shutdown defensive game but to make a statement. It’s possible that Stanford shakes off the cobwebs and takes care of business, but they’ll be facing an even tougher defense than they’ve seen this season. There’s balance on this Cardinal roster and this is a perfect opportunity against a ranked team to put it all together.
The Aztecs have beaten a Pac-12 team in each of the last three seasons and this looks like a night where they could make it four straight years. They’ll get their first test in a hostile road environment, but San Diego State is clearly the better team on the court for this game. If the defense can contain Ingram and the frontcourt, San Diego State will be 3-0. However, we cannot disregard Stanford at home after a rough loss; we’ve already seen a few impressive bounce-backs from other teams in the nation.