Stanford Cardinal (23-13, 9-9 Pac-12)
vs.
Miami Hurricanes (25-12, 10-8 ACC)
Postseason NIT Championship Game • Thursday, April 2, 2015
6 p.m. PT • New York, N.Y. • Madison Square Garden (19,763)
Tournament Seeds: Stanford (2), Miami (2)
Series History: Tied at 1-1
Last Meeting: Stanford 93, Miami 59 (Jan. 16, 1989 at Stanford, Calif.)
Radio: KSFO 560 AM (PxP: Scott Reiss, Analyst: John Platz)
Westwood One (PxP: Dave Ryan, Analyst: Kelly Tripuka)
TV: ESPN (PxP: Bob Wischusen, Analysts: Fran Fraschilla, Bob Knight)
Stanford All-Time vs. Miami
The most recent game was a 93-59 Stanford home win on Jan. 16, 1989. Miami prevailed 71-58 on Dec. 30, 1986, at the West Palm Hurricane Classic in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Stanford Head Coach Johnny Dawkins on facing Miami
“Whenever a team is down a player or two and they are having to make adjustments, and of course, when you're trying to scout them, it becomes somewhat difficult to piece it all together. Coach Larranaga, he's done a great job and he'll do a great job with the players that can go out there and compete. For us, we have to keep on studying them and trying to find something that they may try to do out there. But it's difficult for everyone in the situation and unfortunately it happens in our sport.”
“They have some really, really good players. Looking at their roster, they are a younger team but a team that has played really, really good in a lot of different moments. They play in a terrific conference, and like you said, the style of play is one in which they can sub and play guys, so they have a lot of versatility in their lineup. They have good length and size. They have guys that can play multiple positions. They play well together and are well coached.
Miami Head Coach Jim Larranaga on facing Stanford
“Well, Stanford has got one of the most dynamic point guards in the country in Chasson Randle. The closest things I can come to is the guards who play for Notre Dame, Demetrius Jackson and Jerian Grant are both like that. You could look at the Duke guards of Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook. He's at that level. And he's the leading scorer in Stanford history. He's a big shot maker. He's also a big shot creator for his teammates.”
“Inside, Stefan Nastic is a horse. He can rebound; he can defend. He's very, very physical, and he's a real force inside offensively. They have got very good balance up and down their lineup. I think we match up pretty well with them when we are healthy. I don't know how we'll be matched up with them now. If we had Tonye, he would be a great matchup for Nastic. If Angel were there and Manu Lecomte were healthy, I think we would be a great match up at that point guard position. We are going to have to kind of figure some things out once the game gets started. But we've been making a ton of adjustments throughout these NIT games. In just about every game, we've been faced with circumstances far different than we saw during the ACC regular season.”
Stanford’s Path To The Championship Game
Seeded No. 2 in its region, Stanford defeated UC Davis 77-64 to open tournament play. After top-seeded Colorado State was upset in the first round, the Cardinal was assured of home-court advantage for its remaining games. Stanford then knocked off Rhode Island (74-65) and Vanderbilt (78-75) over a span of three days at Maples Pavilion. On Tuesday night, Stanford defeated Old Dominion 67-60 to reach Thursday’s championship game.
Stanford 67, Old Dominion 60 (March 31 at New York, N.Y.)
Chasson Randle scored 24 points to become Stanford’s all-time leading scorer while fellow seniors Stefan Nastic (17) and Anthony Brown (14) also reached double figures … Stanford led 15-0 and 25-4 before Old Dominion crept to within 33-27 at halftime. The Monarchs eventually took the lead in the second half before the Cardinal iced the win … Stanford shot 48.7 percent and made 22-28 from the foul line. Old Dominion hung around thanks to a 40-3 edge in bench scoring while forcing 14 turnovers.
Stanford 78, Vanderbilt 75 (March 24 at Stanford, Calif.)
Anthony Brown scored a season-high 26 points. Brown had 17 points at halftime, a total he had not reached overall in 12 consecutive games … Chasson Randle moved past Adam Keefe into second on the school’s all-time scoring list … Stanford shot 47.3 percent, made 20-27 from the foul line and held a 36-29 advantage on the boards. The Cardinal’s biggest lead was 52-41 with 12:40 left in the second half.
Stanford 74, Rhode Island 65 (March 22 at Stanford, Calif.)
Chasson Randle scored a career-high 35 points, his fourth 30-point game of the season … Stanford finished 36-49 from the foul line as Rhode Island was whistled for 35 fouls. It was the most free throw attempts since also totaling 49 against UCLA on Jan. 16, 1999 … Anthony Brown entered the game 2-2 from the foul line over the last six games combined … But Brown finished 10-10 from the stripe, one of three players to attempt 10+ free throws … The Cardinal never trailed in the game despite shooting 34.0 percent overall.
Stanford 77, UC Davis 64 (March 17 at Stanford, Calif.)
Marcus Allen scored a career-high 22 points and Chasson Randle added 18 … Reid Travis totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double as the Cardinal owned a commanding 38-25 edge on the glass … Leading 37-36 at halftime, Stanford opened the second half on a 20-6 scoring run. The Cardinal shot 58.6 percent over the final 20 minutes … Stanford’s 17 assists were its most since dishing out 21 against Arizona State on Jan. 24.
Randle’s Historic Season Continues
Against Old Dominion on March 31, became Stanford’s all-time leading scorer, passing Todd Lichti (2,336). Randle now has 2,350 career points heading into his final game … Ranks third all-time in con-ference history (including the Pac-8, Pac-10, Pac-12) behind UCLA’s Don MacLean (2,608) and Arizona’s Sean Elliott (2,555) … Stanford’s first Academic All-America First Team selection since Dan Grunfeld in 2006 … Named the 2015 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming Stanford’s second honoree in as many seasons following Dwight Powell in 2014. Also, tabbed a Pac-12 All-Academic First Team selection after earning second-team accolades the two previous seasons … Associated Press Honorable Men-tion All-American, Wooden Award finalist (final 20), Naismith Trophy (final 30), Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year, Senior CLASS Award.
Unchartered Territory
Tuesday’s game against Old Dominion signaled the first time in school history Stanford had played a game on March 31. Stanford’s 37 games played this season matches the school record established in 2012, when the Cardinal (26-11) captured the NIT crown.
Been There, Done That
Stanford is making its third trip to Madison Square Garden in four seasons, having also participated in the 2011 Preseason NIT and 2012 Postseason NIT. In fact, the Cardinal is visiting New York for the sixth time overall in four seasons after competing at Barclays Center in Brooklyn back in November and twice in 2013. Meanwhile, Stanford has posted a 14-4 record in 10 visits to Madison Square Garden.
Stanford All-Time In The Postseason
Stanford is 42-22 all-time in 26 postseason appearances overall, including a 17-5 record in eight NIT appearances. The Cardinal won the NIT championship in 1991 and 2012.
Four Straight Postseasons
Stanford is one of four Pac-12 teams to have appeared in four consecutive postseasons. Arizona has earned three straight NCAA berths after reaching the 2012 NIT. Colorado played in the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons before taking part in the 2015 CBI. Oregon has reached the NCAA Tournament three years in a row after playing in the 2012 NIT.
It’s Another 20-Win Campaign
Stanford has reached the 20-win plateau for the 23rd time in school history and fourth during head coach Johnny Dawkins’ seven-year tenure. The only other coach in the 100-year history of the program to record at least four 20-win seasons was Mike Montgomery, who accomplished the feat 13 times over an 18-year career.
