William & Mary @ Stanford preview

Off to its best start in eight years, Stanford looks to remain unbeaten Thursday against visiting William & Mary. Junior forward Oscar da Silva is averaging 16.2 points and 5.6 rebounds to lead the Cardinal, who have won their first five games for the first time since 2011.

Sophomore forward Jaiden Delaire scored a career-high 21 points in Tuesday’s 76-55 win over Maryland Eastern Shore while da Silva continued his strong start with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in just 17 minutes. Coach Jerod Haase was concerned about his team’s lack of depth at the start of the season, but players such as Delaire have helped ease those fears. The 6-9 native of Connecticut is proving to be a reliable sixth man for the Cardinal, scoring 10.8 points per game while shooting 67.7 percent from the field after averaging 3.8 points in a limited role as a freshman last season. “I don't want to give myself a ceiling,” Delaire told reporters. “My goal is to continue to keep playing better.”

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT WILLIAM & MARY (4-1): The senior frontcourt of Nathan Knight and Andy Van Vliet combined for 46 points and 20 rebounds in Monday’s 75-70 loss to Oklahoma, which needed a 10-2 run in the final minutes to secure the victory. The 6-10 Knight, who averages 20.8 points and 11 rebounds, scored 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds against the Sooners. Tyler Hamilton started in place of injured guard Thornton Scott and finished with five points and six rebounds in 27 minutes.

ABOUT STANFORD (5-0): Haase has been encouraged by the play of freshmen Tyrell Terry and Spencer Jones, who have settled into the starting lineup and combined for 22 points in the win over Maryland Eastern Shore. Terry is averaging 14 points and leads the team with 17 assists while Jones is 16-of-30 from 3-point range. Nine players are averaging at least 11 minutes per game for the Cardinal – including junior guard Daejon Davis, who was expected to lead the team in scoring but was held to five points in Tuesday’s victory and currently ranks fifth on the team at 8.8 points per game.

TIP-INS

1. After concluding its six-game, season-opening homestand on Thursday, Stanford begins play in the Hall of Fame Classic on Monday in Kansas City against Oklahoma.

2. Knight was one of five finalists last spring for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top center.

3. Stanford has not allowed more than 64 points in its first five games.

PREDICTION: Stanford 76, William & Mary 72