In Search of a Win, Stanford Hosts No. 20 Clemson

It’s one of the biggest weeks of the season for Stanford, but not in the way you might expect. Stanford is entering this week at 14-8 on the season, but coming off of four straight losses that have completely derailed their season.

It's not over just yet, but it will take some tough wins to make a trip to the NCAA tournament happen. That all begins this Wednesday, when Stanford hosts No. 20 Clemson.

It’s clear that despite an incredible start to the year, the Cardinal’s season has not gone their way. In the last four games, Stanford has lost all four, with two of the losses coming to Cal at home and Florida State on the road.

Both of those games were significant bubble opportunities that just simply didn’t go their way. A win against Clemson would solidify a case for the March Madness, and put the Cardinal on the right foot moving forward. Only 23 programs have as many as four Quad 1 wins in the NET rankings, and Stanford is one of those programs at 4-3. Only 15 programs have at least five Quad 1 wins.

As win on Wednesday night at Maples would put Stanford in rare air, even with their somewhat disappointing run of late.

Clemson, on the other hand, has been successful the whole season. The Tigers are 18-4, 8-1 in ACC play, and have won 11 of their last 12 games. They are likely a 4 to 6 seed in this year’s tournament if their pace is maintained.

Clemson’s roster doesn’t showcase a huge star, but a mix of talent spun together like a smoothie. RJ Godfrey leads the charge with 12 points per game, yet his proven talent excels his numbers. Jestin Porter and Carter Welling are both in double digits as well, while Dillon Hunter provides veteran leadership in the locker room.

Their guard play matches up well with Stanford, who’s stars sit on the perimeter. The Cardinal are led by Ebuka Okorie’s 21.8 points per game, as well as getting recent spurts from both Benny Gealer and Jeremy Dent-Smith.

Their big man play could use work after Chisom Okpara went down for the rest of the season, although AJ Rohosy has been consistent in his recent games. However, Clemson might dominate Stanford on the glass.

It’s abundantly clear that the Tigers have more talent than the Cardinal and also match up well, especially from a guards perspective. But we have seen a shockingly similar matchup twice before this season, with both happening at Maples Pavilion a few weeks prior.

Remember when Stanford hosted two opponents ranked in the AP poll from the 11-20 range? They also happened to be a good match up for the opposing team from a roster perspective, but the troubles of traveling across the country proved to hurt. This Clemson game feels awfully similar to both Louisville and North Carolina in early January.

Regardless, we are going to pick Clemson to win in a close one, 78-74. The Tigers have been great recently, and it’s too tough to trust Stanford at home or on the road given their recent results. For that reason alone, we are giving to the Tigers.

Tune in for what could the definition of a make-or-break game for Stanford this week, where all hope could be found again, or lost and into a deep hole that the Cardinal may not be able to climb out of. Tip-off for this one will be at 7 p.m. (PT) and the game will air on ACC Network.

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