Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies
Alaska Airlines Center – Seattle, Washington
Saturday, January 21, 2012, 6:00 pm Eastern, TV: Root Northwest
Opening Line: Washington -4
Current Line: Washington -4 1/2
Opening Total: 143
Current Total: 142 1/2
Opening Money Line: Washington -190 / Stanford +160
Current Money Line: Washington -200 / Stanford +170
Like the Big Ten, parity rules in the Pac 12 this year. There are 6 teams within a game and a half of first. Cal leads the conference with a 6-1 record but Oregon and Stanford are only a game back at 5-2. Arizona, Colorado, and Washington are tied for third at 4-2. Stanford and Washington meet Saturday in a crucial game in Seattle. The Cardinal were upset Thursday night at Washington St 81-69 to fall out of a first place tie with Cal. Washington could have been in first place, but the Huskies lost 69-66 at home against Cal Thursday night. Stanford leads series 70-66 against Washington, but the Huskies have won 7 of the last 10 meetings against the Cardinal. The two teams split the series last year with each winning on their own home court.
Stanford is coached by Johnny Dawkins and is 15-4 this season. The Cardinal have losses to Syracuse, Butler, and Oregon in addition to the Washington St loss. Stanford has wins over Fresno St, Colorado St, UC-Davis, Oklahoma St, Pacific, NC State, San Diego, UCLA, USC, Oregon St, Utah, and Colorado. The WSU loss snapped a 3 game winning streak for the Cardinal.
Washington is coached by Lorenzo Romar and are 11-7 overall. Washington has losses to Saint Louis, Nevada, Marquette, Duke, South Dakota St, and Colorado in addition to the Cal loss. The Huskies have wins over Portland, UC-Santa Barbara, Cal St-Northridge, Oregon St, Oregon, Utah, and Washington St. Like Stanford, Washington had won 3 straight games before Thursday.
Stanford is outscoring opponents 73-62 this season. The Cardinal are shooting 45.7% from the field, and 35.4% from 3 point range. Stanford makes 66% from the free throw line. The Cardinal average 37.5 rebounds a game with a rebounding margin of +6.9. Stanford averages 13.4 assists, 14.4 turnovers, 6.4 steals and 2.7 blocks a game. Cardinal opponents are shooting 41.6% from the field and 33.5% from 3 point range. Stanford forces 15.6 turnovers a game.
Stanford forward-center Josh Owens averages 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a game to lead the team in both categories. Chasson Randle averages 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game to lead the team. He is shooting 41.1% from 3 point range. Aaron Bright averages 12.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists to lead the team. He makes 43.2% of his 3 point attempts. Anthony Brown averages 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists a game. Josh Huestis leads the team in blocks with 0.9 a game. Reserve guard Gabriel Harris is out for the season with a knee injury.
Washington is outscoring opponents 78-73 this season. The Huskies are 25th in the country in points per game. Washington shoots 45.3% from the field and 36.7% from 3 point range. The Huskies make 62.7% from the free throw line. Washington is 9th nationally in rebounding with 40.3 a game, and have a rebounding margin of +5.1. The Huskies average 13.6 assists, 13.6 turnovers, 6.9 steals, and 4.6 blocks a game. Husky opponents are shooting 42.2% from the field and 36.1% from 3 point range. Washington forces 14.4 turnovers a game.
Washington guard Tony Wroten is averaging 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals a game. Wroten leads the Huskies in scoring and assists. Guard C.J. Wilcox averages 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals a game. Wilcox is questionable for the Stanford game with a hip injury and has missed the last 2 two games. Wilcox makes 44% from 3 point range. Terrence Ross averages 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1 block a game. Ross makes 40.7% of his 3 point attempts. Abdul Gaddy averages 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists to lead the team. Aziz N’Diaye averages 8.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks a game to lead the team in the latter two categories. Darnell Gant averages 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Guard Scott Suggs is out for the season with turf toe.
Washington is 8-8 against the spread and the total is 10-6 this season. Stanford is 9-7 ATS and the total is 10-6 this season. Washington is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 against Stanford. The under is 13-6 in the last 19 games, but 4 of the last 5 played in Seattle have gone over the total. The Cardinal are 7-3 ATS in Saturday games, 4-9 in Pac 10/12 games, 3-7 overall, and 2-6 as an underdog of 6.5 points or less. The Huskies are 4-0 ATS as a home favorite, 4-1 at home, 15-6-1 in Saturday games, and 1-6 as a home favorite of 6.5 points or less.
Neither of these teams can really afford a third conference loss, though no team has really established themselves as the dominant team in the newly expanded Pac 12 conference. Parity has turned the conference into an unpredictable mess where any team could beat any other team on any given day. I think Stanford has more talent than Washington but I like the Huskies to win at home.
