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Photo by Eric Taylor |
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The defending national champions (Villinova) did not make it out of the first week.
The Cats fell to Wisconsin but don't call it an upset. Wisconsin has won more NCAA Tourney games then any other team the past few years.
So Far Villinova is the only #1 seed to lose in this years Dance. North Carolina, Kansas and Gonzaga all made it thru the first week.
Oregon, UCLA and Arizona are still repping the PAC 12 while a 4th team, USC did win a game in the tournament this year.
The Ducks needed a game breaking three by Tyler Dorsey for a comeback 75-72 win over Rhode Island in the second round. That capped off a 9 of 10 shooting night for Dorsey and it was his 4th 3-of the game.
Arizona had their hands full with St. Mary's, grinding out a 66-60 win and UCLA ran away from Cincinnati, blowing open a 33-30 game at the half to win 79-67. Freshman Lonzo Ball led the way with 18pts, 9-assists and 7-rebounds.
The Mighty ACC, on the other hand, is a dismal 1-9 threw the first weekend of this years dance. Only #1 seeded North Carolina is left from that once powerful conference.
There are 15-other teams that do not care about the ACC's problems right now. All they can think of is winning two more games this week.
Complete NCAA D1 Men's bracket click here
Photo by Eric Taylor |
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They are a robust 26-3 after beating Santa Clara 70-56 in Moraga to close out the regular season.
Up next is the WCC Tourney in Las Vegas this weekend.
The Gaels broke the team record set by the 1988-89 Gales that lost to Clemson in the NCAA Tourney.
The Gaels know they can't take anything for granted.
Last season St. Mary's beat Gonzaga twice during the regular season but lost to them in the WCC finals and just like that they were out of the big dance with a 25-4 record.
St. Mary's came back harder this year but they got swept by the Zags so we will have to see how the WCC goes for St. Mary's and if there body of work over the regular season is good enough for the selection committee if they do not get the automatic bid.
The Gaels take on the Zags in the 2017 WCC conference tourney final tonite in Las Vegas.
More click here
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The Golden Bears got 25pts and 13-rebounds from forward Ivan Rabb and 17pts from Jabari Bird getting past Stanford 66-55 at Haas Pavilion Sunday in front of a packed house.
It was a slow start to a game that meant a lot in the PAC 12 for both teams. It is getting down to money time in college basketball.
Each loss at this point of the season seem to count as double.
Cal, 15-6, 8-3 in the PAC 12 is tied for 3rd with UCLA and they are both looking up at #5 Arizona (20-2, 9-0) and #13 Oregon (19-3, 8-1). Stanford fell to 11-10, 3-6 in the PAC 12 and are in 8th place.
The loss put Stanford's chances at making the NCAA Tourney dependant on winning the PAC 12 Tourney next month in Vegas.
Forward Reid Travis returned to the court after missing four of the last six games with a shoulder injury
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The Cardinal got double digits from three players as they followed up a 73-46 win over Arizona with a 66-56 victory against #18 Arizona St.
Stanford jumped out to a 14-7 first quarter lead and never looked back.
The Cardinal, 17-3, improved to 7-1 in the PAC 12. Erica McCall led the way with 18pts for Stanford.
Karlie Samuelson scored 15pts and Brittany McPhee chipped in with 13pts.
Stanford remains in a three way tie atop the PAC 12 standings with Washington and Oregon St. Stanford travels to Washington this week for games against Washington St before taking on the 7th ranked Huskies Jan 29th.
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They were rolling right along. The LAdy Bears headed into the PAC 12 season with a 12-0 record and a national ranking.
Fast forward eight games into PAC 12 play and Cal sits in the middle of the pack (7th place in the PAC 12) with a 3-5 record after beating Arizona over the weekend.
The Bears have lost in a variety of ways. The most heartbreaking loss was at home to Oregon when super freshmen Sabrina Ionescu hit a game winning three at the buzzer in Berkeley.
The ending was extra ruff since Ionescu prepped at nearby Miramonte High in Orinda and was that close to playing at Cal after an All America career in high school. The player got away from Cal as well as the game.
One bright spot in the loss to the Ducks. Cal center Kristine Anigwe, just a sophomore, became the fastest player in Cal women's basketball to score a 1,000pts.
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The Cardinal seem to be fully recovered from their mid season gut check when they got hammered by the Washington schools.
Two of Stanford's three losses play each other in the PAC 12 Championship game so the Cardinal can't be mad at who they lost two.
How they lost is another matter. Stanford had no chance against UDUBB by they had their chances against Colorado in a 10-5 loss at home.
Stanford is ranked 18th in the country ahead of a Washington St. team that beat them 42-16 this season but behind 11th ranked USC who Stanford got past 27-10.
Go figure.
Starting quarterback Keller Chryst has played better each game he has started. He has not thrown for a lot of yards but he is not making bad mistakes and turning the ball over which is about all you can ask from a young QB getting his feet wet in college football.
After losing three of four Stanford has won five games in a row. The Cardinal will take on North Carolina in the Sun Bowl Dec 31st. More click here
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Stanford's defense has settled down since getting manhandled against Washington (44-6) and Washington St. (42-16) in back to back weeks a month ago.
In the three games since Stanford has only given up 30pts total.
That's ten in each game and they are 2-1 in those contests.
The loss was to a good Colorado team, but Stanford had a chance to win at the end of the game. A fumbled snap late in the 4th inside Colorado's 5-yard line doomed the Cardinal and they lost 10-5.
Stanford has not given up more the 13pts to anybody but the Washington schools this season. The Cardinal have the Oregon schools up next. First Oregon St. plays at Stanford Nov. 5th at 12:30 before the Cardinal head up to Eugene to play the Ducks Nov. 12th.
With the offense showing signs of life Stanford can still make something of this season. McCaffrey getting back up to speed with not doubt help Chryst adjust to life as a starting QB in the PAC 12.
Head coach David Shaw hopes Chryst can hold down the job. No coach wants to have a two QB system. Ryan Burns was not putting points on the board after a promising start to the season. More click here
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It was not a pretty sight. Washington did just about whatever they wanted to do in their 44-6 pasting of a good Stanford team.
Washington's Jake Browning was the star of this one. The sophomore out of Folsom High finished with 210-yards passing and three touchdowns
Not even 223 all purpose yards from tailback Christian McCaffrey could bail the Cardinal out.
Many of those yards were from kickoff returns. McCaffrey had just 49-rushing yards and 30-more threw the air.
Stanford was coming off a hard hitting affair against UCLA and playing what looks like the best two teams in the PAC 12 north or south in back to back weeks on the road is a tough task.
Losing is one thing, but getting blown out in another. Stanford had a chance to get back in the game. Down 13-0 in the 2nd quarter they had a nice drive stall when a bad snap sank a 4th and 2 play from the UDUBB 35.
A key stat in the game. Washington had 214-yards rushing to Stanford's 29. McCaffrey accounted for more yards himself then the Cardinal offense (213).
Stanford is going thru growing pains right now. A good team exposed the Cardinal lack of much versatility on offense. Coach Shaw has the plays, but he needs young players to step up and make them.
They have been this year up until the Washington game so look for Stanford to come out Saturday night against Washington St. ready to play from the opening kick off.
Ryan Burns has done a decent job at quarterback this year. Coach Shaw insists on giving back up Keller Chryst some playing time, but it is only a series at a time. Maybe Chryst should stay in and play out the rest of the first half.
He was in the game during that ill fated 2nd quarter drive that ended in the botched 4&2 play. It was the best looking drive Stanford had all game.
I know one drive does not make a QB competition but Keller was settling into somewhat of a rhythm in as hostile environment as Stanford will see this season.
It might be time to let Chryst play at least one quarter and see if something from that Washington drive stayed with him.
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It was the PAC 12 opener Stanford football fans were looking for.
Not so tough USC came into town looking to shake off their blowout loss to Alabama two weeks ago while Stanford was playing for the first time in two weeks.
Christian McCaffrey got Stanford out in front when he got himself wide open down field and caught an easy pass from Stanford QB Ryan Burns for a 56-yard pitch and catch off a play action pass.
Michael Rector took advantage of USC overplaying McCaffrey when he iced the game finishing off a double reverse 56-yards later in the end zone to give Stanford a 27-10 lead in the 3rd quarter.
The Cardinal Defense was solid all game. USC was able to move the ball a little in the middle of the field, but they could never get any sustained drives going.
Stanford gave up 353-yards of total offense to USC but the Trojans converted just 4 of the 12 third down plays they were faced with in the game.
The Cardinal pounded away at USC with a run game that produced 295-yards rushing helping Stanford hold the ball for 34-minutes of the game. USC has play makers on offense but if they do not have the ball they can't score.
McCaffrey rushed for 165-yards (30-carries) and a touchdown. He also led Stanford in receiving (4-73-yards and a TD). Christian had over 200-yards of total offense for the 8th game in a row.
Next up is the money part of Stanford's PAC 12 schedule. Games away at UCLA and #9 Washington will test the Cardinal.
Last year when the Bruins traveled up to Palo Alto, McCaffrey rushed 243 yards for four touchdowns, returned a kickoff 96 yards, and notched a total of 369 all-purpose yards.
Ryan Burns has played well since becoming the starting QB. Burns passed for just 109-yards against USC with a touchdown and a pick, but he was in control of Stanford's offense the whole game and he has not looked out of place at all under center.
The next two will be Burns first games on the road as the starter. More click here
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It was not pretty at times, but when you have perhaps the best running back in the country and a pretty good defense to back him up it gives you a good chance to win any you game you play in.
An added bonus for the #8 Stanford Cardinal was the play of starting QB Ryan Burns.
The redshirt Jr. completed 14 of 18 passes for 156 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions in his first career start at Stanford.
That was just what head coach David Shaw was looking for. Despite Burns play Keller Chryst got some time but he completed just one pass in the game.
Keller did deliver a a late block on the first of Christian McCaffrey's two touchdown runs, a 35-yarder that put the Cardinal up 17-0 midway thru the second quarter.
Stanford would see their lead dwindle down to 19-13 with 2:20 left in the 4th quarter before McCaffrey busted loose for a game clinching 41-yard touchdown jaunt. It was a welcome sight in the second half.
That run accounted for half of the 70-total yards Stanford gained in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Yes there is work that needs to be done.
USC is up next and the way the Trojans were ran off the field in Alabama they should be focused when they hit the Farm Sept 17th.
Or they could be as bad as Bama made them look. Either way Coach Shaw knows it will be a hard PAC 12 opener for his Cardinal.
Stanford's D was as good as advertised. They recorded 8-sacks, two interceptions and a safety. Both of the pick's and the safety came at a time when the offense was sputtering during a second half drought that saw K-State get back into the game.
Stanford did suffer some bad news when defensive lineman Harrison Phillips sustained a knee injury and he could miss a couple of games.
BAY AREA UNIVERSITIES ATHLETIC WEB SITES |
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Stanford sweeps Cal in 2016-17
St. Mary's 66 USF 46
Sports photo's from the 2015-16 school year
PAC 12 Championship Game Stanford v USC
118th Big Game - Stanford 35 Cal 21
Cal v Wichita St.
Stanford v UCLA
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