Pressure Continues To Build For Stanford To Fire Jerod Haase
The skid that Stanford has been on in February has essentially dashed all hopes of Cardinal fans.
On Saturday, Stanford dropped their fourth game in a row and now has six losses in the month alone. The latest 85-73 loss came at the hands of an Oregon State team that is in last place in the Pac-12, as they allowed Jordan Pope to drop 30 points while also allowing the Beavers to end their seven-game losing streak and secure their first road win of the year.
Maxime Raynaud and Spencer Jones were the lone bright spots on the day for Stanford, who was outrebounded by 17 boards, and shot 29% from three on 24 attempts. Raynaud scored 29 points, while Jones broke the record for most threes in program history.
Stanford inbounds the ball against Oregon State
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
In terms of the season as a whole, Stanford has now fallen to 12-15 on the year and need to win out in their last three games all of which are on the road, just to reach the .500 mark. A feat the team hasn't achieved at all this season. According to ESPN, they are projected to lose in each of them. In order to make the NCAA Tournament, Stanford would have to win the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas, which is a major long shot.
Following the loss, fans and college basketball insiders alike have taken to social media to question just how long Jerod Haase has left in Palo Alto. The head coach looks like he's well on his way to leading the program to what would be their fourth season at below.500 during his tenure, and their eighth straight season without a tournament appearance.
It isn't for a lack of recruiting or talent either, as this roster is one of the most experienced in the country with six key players who are seniors or older, and a junior in Raynaud. Not to mention, Andrej Stojakovic is a five-star freshman, and Kanaan Carlyle was at one point a five-star, and has showcased the ability to score with the best of them in college basketball.
Haase has always been an elite recruiter, bringing in six of Stanford's 10 highest-ranked players of all time with three five-stars in that mix. The program just has nothing to show for it, and the writing seems to be getting written very clearly on the wall.
To make matters worse, across the Bay is Cal, led by former Stanford star Mark Madsen who has taken a major step in turning around the program in just year one. The Golden Bears currently have a 12-15 record just one year after being 3-29 in Mark Fox's final season. Madsen has even rejuvenated the buy-in from the fan base.
Madsen was someone who many viewed as the perfect option for Stanford after last season, but athletic director Bernard Muir rode with Haase. Barring a tremendous Pac-12 tournament run, which may not even be enough to save Haase anyway, this program has a decision to make.
