Nov. 2, 2012

Game Notes

UNC Pembroke Braves vs.
Stanford Cardinal (exhibition)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 • 1 p.m.
Site: Maples Pavilion (7,329) • Stanford, CA

The Opening Tip
Stanford (26-11, 10-8 Pac-12) captured its third championship in school history, closing out last year as 2012 Postseason NIT champions. The Cardinal won a school-record seven games during the month of March and wrapped up the year as the Pac-12's winningest program. Meanwhile, Stanford has been picked to finish fourth in the 2012-13 Pac-12 men's basketball preseason media poll, as announced at the conference's Media Day earlier in the week. The fourth-place projection is the highest since the 2005-06 campaign, when the Cardinal was tabbed for second.

2012-13 Captains Named
Junior Aaron Bright and sophomore Chasson Randle have been named this year's captains.

Cardinal-White Scrimmage Opens Season
Stanford held its annual Cardinal-White scrimmage two weeks ago at Maples Pavilion, with the Cardinal squad posting a 52-44 victory over the White team. The teams combined to shoot 47.0 percent overall and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, with six different players knocking down at least one triple. The squads combined to shoot 82.1 percent (23-28) from the charity stripe while hauling down 32 rebounds. Among the notable stat lines for the Cardinal roster: Chasson Randle (16 pts. on 7-9 shooting), Josh Huestis (12 pts. on 3-5 shooting, 4 reb.) and John Gage (5 pts., 7 reb.). The White team was backed by standout efforts from Dwight Powell (19 pts. on 8-11 shooting, 4 reb., 3-3 three-pointers) and Anthony Brown (15 pts. on 4-6 shooting, 5-5 free throws).

Bay Area Rivals Collide In Season Opener
Stanford squares off against San Francisco in its season opener on Nov. 9, with the game to be played at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The neutral site contest represents the first meeting between the two Bay Area programs since Nov. 23, 2005, when the Cardinal defeated the Dons 71-56 at Maples Pavilion. Stanford leads the all-time series 44-21. Originally built in 1966, Oracle Arena has been home to the NBA's Golden State Warriors since 1971.

Simply Put, The Schedule Is Stacked
This year's schedule features 15 opponents who qualified for the postseason last year, an appearance in the loaded Battle 4 Atlantis and an unprecedented amount of television coverage. Arguably the most challenging schedule in recent memory, Stanford will have an opportunity to quickly establish a high RPI thanks to a rigorous non-conference slate that includes Belmont, Missouri, NC State, Northwestern and two more teams out of a group that includes Louisville, Northern Illinois, Duke, VCU, Memphis and Minnesota. As for this year's unbalanced conference schedule, Stanford will host the Washington schools and face the Arizona schools on the road while playing everyone else twice.

Pac-12 Networks Provide Increased Exposure
For the first time in school history, every Stanford game will be televised. The driving force is the launch of the Pac-12 Networks, which results in every conference home game being aired on television. The 2012-13 Pac-12 men's basketball television package features 221 contests telecast to national and regional audiences, including 150 games aired on the Pac-12 Networks, 47 on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, 22 on FSN and two nationally on CBS. Early rounds of the Pac-12 Tournament will be televised on Pac-12 Networks, with the championship game slated to be shown on ESPN.

Battle 4 Atlantis: The Best Fall Tournament
Widely billed as the nation's premier preseason tournament, the Battle 4 Atlantis will take place during Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 22-24) at the famed Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas. The stacked eight-team field includes six squads that have participated in the NCAA Final Four over the last 15 seasons. This year's participants have combined for more than 160 NCAA postseason appearances. Stanford opens against Missouri, with the winner squaring off against either preseason No. 2 pick Louisville or Northern Iowa, which has won 93 games over the past four seasons. In the third game of the tournament, Stanford faces either Duke, Memphis, Minnesota or VCU.