Stanford Has A Jerod Haase Problem As Team Looks To Stay Afloat In Pac-12 Play

On Friday evening, the Stanford Cardinal fell to 10-9 on the year but the loss was far more painful for Stanford fans than any of the other losses this season.

As they had done a handful of times this year, the Cardinal blew a double-digit lead and ended up losing to their biggest rival Cal. A Cal team that they were projected to beat, and a Golden Bears squad that was coached by former Stanford star Mark Madsen. The loss has Stanford fans feeling lost, and also immensely disappointed in a way that can't even be put into words, as had they parted ways with Jerod Haase after last season, they could have hired Madsen who so far is doing a great job at Cal. Instead, they opted to give Haase an eighth year. At this rate, the Cardinal look like they may be flirting with what could be another below or barely above .500 season.

The aspect of people losing their jobs is one of the worst things imaginable in sports, but the writing on the wall in Palo Alto continues to get more visible for those around the program. Stanford has 11 games left this season, and while there is still time for them to make a run and finish strong, there is no time to waste for a team that still is finding it's footing.

The Cardinal are one of the most veteran-heavy teams in the country, with two young stars on the roster that have both shined right away. It is a lengthy team that can shoot well and can get hot at any time. However, they haven't shown any sort of consistency. We are far past the time frame of not knowing the right rotations or getting used to playing with one another, it is time to see results. Something that they haven't been able to manufacture consistently at any point this season, having not won three games in a row at any point in the year.

According to the NET rankings, Stanford is 2-1 against Quad 1 teams, having beat Arizona and Utah but losing to San Diego State. On the other hand, they are 4-8 against Quad 2 and 3 teams. Seven of their remaining 11 games are against teams from Quad 2 or 3, while the other four are Quad 1 teams.

If Stanford doesn't go on some sort of run and find themselves in the tournament come March, it will have marked the eighth straight year that they have missed the tournament under Haase. It will also mark the 15th time in the last 16 seasons that they have missed out, as they haven't appeared in the dance since the 2013-14 season under Johnny Dawkins, who was fired two seasons later.

With a move to the very basketball-prominent ACC on the horizon, there is a huge decision to make when it comes to this program and it starts with the coach. After this season, Stanford will likely lose seniors Max Murrell, Spencer Jones, Brandon Angel, Michael Jones, James Keefe, and Jared Bynum. This means at the very least Haase would need to rebuild a team that is losing three of its top five scorers, leader in assists, and two of it's top three rebounders. This doesn't even factor in players like Kanaan Carlyle, Andrej Stojakovic, or Maxime Raynaud who may test the NBA waters early.

Realistically if this team is unable to get things going, some tough decisions may need to be made, otherwise, this program will continue to fall on its face.