Washington St. @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 28, 2019 ) Washington St. 50, Stanford 98

Picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 preseason poll, Stanford has emerged as one of the nation’s most surprising teams. After winning their first two conference games against California and Washington in impressive fashion, the Cardinal look to maintain their momentum Saturday against visiting Washington State.

Spencer Jones scored 14 points while Oscar da Silva and Tyrell Terry added 11 apiece in Thursday’s 61-55 win over Washington, which was outscored 26-8 over the final 11 minutes. The 6-9 da Silva averages 16.6 points and 5.7 rebounds to lead Stanford, which is off to its best start since the 2007-08 season at 13-2. “We have a long way to go still,” coach Jerod Haase told reporters. “This is a journey, and we’re certainly not at the top of any mountain. But it’s been a fun path so far and we’re going to keep fighting.” Stanford will need to be careful not to overlook Washington State, which bounced back from a nine-point loss to USC in its Pac-12 opener with a 79-71 overtime win over UCLA before falling 73-66 at Cal on Thursday.

TV: 6 p.m. ET. TV: Pac-12 Network

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (10-6, 1-2 Pac-12): The Cougars took a step back with the loss to Cal despite the play of freshman guard Noah Williams, who scored 16 points off the bench while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. “He’s good, he’s just getting more comfortable out there,” coach Kyle Smith told reporters. “He’s kind of a playmaker generally, pretty fearless guy and he’s just been coming on.” Forward CJ Elleby averages 19.2 points to lead the Cougars, but the talented sophomore is shooting 25 percent from the field over the last three games.

ABOUT STANFORD (13-2, 2-0): The balanced Cardinal lineup includes captain Daejon Davis, who scored 12 points against Washington and averages 9.3 points while shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. The undersized squad held Huskies star Isaiah Stewart to a season-low four points and received a spark from junior guard Isaac White, who played a season-high 27 minutes off the bench and scored six points on two 3-pointers. Stanford has won six of its last seven contests and leads the conference in scoring defense at 58.1 points per game.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Stanford owns a 35-8 lead in the all-time series – including 21-2 at Maples Pavilion.

2. Washington State last won at Stanford on Jan. 15, 2011.

3. Stanford’s only losses have been to Butler and Kansas.

PREDICTION: Stanford 71, Washington State 56