Utah @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 8, 2018 ) Stanford 60, Utah 75

After moving into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Pac-12, Utah aims for its third straight win Thursday against host Stanford. The Utes had a week off before facing Colorado last Saturday and took advantage of the rest, posting a nine-point win after cruising to a 41-19 halftime lead.

Freshman forward Timmy Allen is averaging 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals for Utah in Pac-12 play and recorded his first career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds against Colorado. Senior guard Sedrick Barefield added 22 points for the Utes, who have won two straight since opening Pac-12 play with a 1-2 mark. Utah has lost six consecutive games when playing Stanford at Maples Pavilion and will need a complete effort to get past the Cardinal, which hopes to have leading scorer and rebounder KZ Okpala back in the lineup. The dynamic 6-9 sophomore missed last Saturday’s 78-66 win at Washington State due to back spasms but is expected to start Thursday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT UTAH (9-8, 3-2 Pac-12): Coach Larry Krystkowiak raves about the development of Allen, who has led the Utes in total rebounds over the previous three games and emerged as a top contender for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. The improving frontcourt includes centers Jayce Johnson and Novak Topalovic, who combined for four blocked shots and 12 boards against Colorado but scored a total of four points. Barefield averages a team-high 15.8 points while shooting 83.6 percent from the foul line and has scored in double figures in seven of his past eight contests.

ABOUT STANFORD (9-9, 2-4): Sophomore point guard Daejon Davis scored 15 points with six assists in the win over Washington State while Josh Sharma and Bryce Wills added 13 points and eight rebounds apiece. The Cardinal had five players in double figures to make up for the loss of Okpala, who is averaging 21.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in five conference games while shooting 8-of-19 from 3-point range. Freshman guard Cormac Ryan ranks third on the team in scoring with 10 points per contest but has missed the past two games with an ankle injury and is listed as day-to-day.

TIP-INS

1. Utah holds a 20-13 lead in the series but is 2-9 in Palo Alto.

2. Stanford is one of the top shot-blocking teams in the league, ranking third in the Pac-12 and 30th in the nation with 89 total blocks.

3. Barefield scored 17 points in Utah’s 75-60 win over Stanford last season.

PREDICTION: Stanford 77, Utah 74