Stanford drops third in a row, get blown out by Oregon in lone matchup on the year
The Stanford Cardinal welcomed the Oregon Ducks to Palo Alto for their lone meeting of the season, and were absolutely bullied by the Ducks.
Oregon handed their third loss in a row, winning by a score of 78-65. While usually, the Cardinal are the ones who get hot from beyond the arc, it was Oregon who had a big night from deep. They made 12 threes (48%) compared to Stanford's eight (29.6%), and the Ducks also shot 50% from the field, while Stanford made just 40% of their shots. Their freshman sensation Jackson Shelstad had a big night scoring 19 points and adding seven assists, while Jadrian Tracey drilled four threes and added 20 points of his own.
Feb 22, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; The Stanford Cardinal starting five forward Spencer Jones (14), forward Maxime Raynaud (42), guard Kanaan Carlyle (3), guard Michael Jones (13) and forward Brandon Angel (23) walk back onto the court follow a timeout during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
The loss drops Stanford's record to 12-14, and the team that was once in the mix for the top spot in the Pac-12 has now fallen all the way to No. 10 in the Pac-12 ahead of just USC and Oregon State. They take on Oregon State on Saturday, before heading to Utah next week.
Of their last four games, ESPN's Matchup Predictor has them projected to lose three of them. In all likelihood, they are looking at finishing at or below .500 as they would need to win out to stay above that mark. This would require winning more than two games in a row, which is something that they haven't done yet this season.
While they still have a chance to make a run in the Pac-12 tournament if they get hot, this season has to be considered a disappointment for Stanford. They returned a ton of experience, added some elite freshmen, and are one of the best shooting teams in the country. The fact that these three things can only equate to a season at or below .500 isn't ideal.
