Nov. 7, 2012

Game Notes

Stanford Cardinal (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
vs.
San Francisco Dons (0-0, 0-0 WCC)

Date: Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 • 8 p.m.
Site: Oracle Arena (19,050) • Stanford, CA
Series History: Stanford leads 44-21
Last Meeting: Stanford 71, San Francisco 56 (Nov. 23, 2005)
Radio: KNBR 1050 AM (PBP: John Platz, Analyst: Drew Shiller)
KZSU 90.1 FM (PBP: Andrew Santana, Analysts: Austin Killin, Meghan Carley)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (PBP: Roxy Bernstein, Analyst: Ernie Kent)

The Opening Tip
The 98th season of Stanford basketball gets underway on Friday, Nov. 9, when the Cardinal (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12) squares off against San Francisco (0-0, 0-0 WCC) at Oracle Arena in the season opener for both teams. Looking to build off last year's NIT title run, Stanford has been projected to contend for a Pac-12 crown and NCAA Tournament berth.

Media Memo
Friday's game can be heard live on KNBR 1050 AM and Stanford's official athletics website, www.gostanford.com, featuring the chemistry-rich tandem of John Platz (play-by-play) and Drew Shiller (analyst). KZSU 90.1 FM provides coverage, led by Andrew Santana (play-by-play). The game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks, with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Ernie Kent (analyst) calling the action.

Scouting San Francisco
San Francisco (20-14, 8-8 WCC) is coming off its first 20-win campaign since a 25-6 finish in 1981-82. The Dons advanced to the postseason for the second straight year, falling to Washington State in the opening round of the CBI ... The Dons are a team in transition, looking to fill the void of seven players who accounted for 70 percent of the team's scoring and rebounding a year ago. Meanwhile, nine new players are represented on this year's roster ... Key returnees for the Dons include juniors Cody Doolin (9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.8 apg) and Cole Dickerson (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg. 28 blocks) ... San Francisco has improved its record every season under the direction of fifth-year head coach Rex Walters ... Friday's neutral-site contest will be played in Oakland. Originally built in 1966, Oracle Arena has been home to the NBA's Golden State Warriors since 1971.

Stanford All-Time vs. San Francisco
Stanford leads the all-time series 44-21. Friday's game 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 has won five of the last six matchups, with San Francisco's only victory during that stretch coming back on Nov. 28, 1995, in the form of a 59-58 win.

Stanford In Season Openers
In its 97-year history, the Cardinal sports a 79-18 record in season openers. Stanford has won 22 of its last 24 lid-lifters, with the only exceptions coming three years ago at San Diego and in 2005 against UC Irvine. Stanford is opening at a neutral site for the first time since 2004, when the Cardinal debuted with a 93-83 triumph over San Francisco at the Pete Newell Challenge in Oakland. Stanford is 3-1 in openers under head coach Johnny Dawkins.

Pac-12 Preseason Projection Highest Since 2005
Stanford has been picked to finish fourth in this year's Pac-12 preseason media poll, as announced last week at the conference's Media Day. The fourth-place projection is the highest since the 2005-06 campaign, when the Cardinal was tabbed for second.