Stanford @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 9, 2020 ) Washington 55, Stanford 61

Stanford is trending in the wrong direction with seven losses in its last eight games, but there’s still reason to believe the Cardinal could surprise in next month’s Pac-12 Tournament. Stanford looks to rediscover its early-season form, starting Thursday with a visit to struggling Washington, which is riding an eight-game losing streak.

Stanford owned a 15-2 record after opening conference play with four straight wins, but the team has failed to close out games in recent weeks. A closer look at Stanford’s recent skid – which includes a 10-point win over Oregon -- shows that two of the losses were in overtime, and all of them were by nine points or fewer. Coach Jerod Haase’s lineup includes a potent duo in 6-9 forward Oscar da Silva and freshman point guard Tyrell Terry, who is averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in Pac-12 play. The pair combined for 22 points and 16 rebounds in last month’s 61-55 home win over Washington, which has fallen into last place in the Pac-12 standings and struggled on both ends of the court without suspended point guard Quade Green (academically ineligible).

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: Pac-12 Network

ABOUT STANFORD (16-9, 5-7 Pac-12): Haase received a welcome boost in last Saturday’s 69-60 loss to Arizona from sophomore guard Bryce Wills, who scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting after entering the contest averaging 6.4 points per game. The Cardinal also saw the return of da Silva, who missed one game due to a head injury but appeared to be at full strength against the Wildcats, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds while being limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble. Terry is listed as day-to-day after being limited to a season-low three points in 25 minutes against Arizona and leaving early due to an undisclosed leg injury.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (12-14, 2-11): One bright spot for the Huskies has been the play of freshman forward Isaiah Stewart, who continued to impress in last Saturday’s 67-57 loss to UCLA with 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Fellow freshman Jaden McDaniels added 15 points for the Huskies, who committed a total of 18 turnovers and shot just 28.6 percent from the field in the second half. Coach Mike Hopkins needs more production from guard Nahziah Carter and forward Hameir Wright, who were a combined 7-for-27 shooting in back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles schools last week.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Stanford has won three of the last five meetings against the Huskies and owns a 78-73 lead in the series.

2. Washington ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring at 69.4 points per game.

3. Stanford is 12-4 at home but 4-5 away from Maples Pavilion.

PREDICTION: Stanford 74, Washington 70