Despite an otherworldly performance by UC Davis' Corey Hawkins (who's the son of former NBA standout Hersey and is Johnny Dawkins' godson), Stanford pulled away in the second half and earned a rather comfortable first-round NIT victory over the Aggies, who were the regular season Big Sky champs and had a 25-6 record entering play.
While Hawkins' season-high 34 points (several of which came in really impressive, almost 1-on-5 type plays) might have been the headliner, Marcus Allen's career-high 22 weren't far behind. Allen was one of four Stanford players in double figures - Reid Travis: 10 points, 5-9 shooting (0-4 FT), 10 rebounds including 5 offensive, Anthony Brown 11 points (5-11 shooting) and Chasson Randle: 18 points, 5-11 shooting - were the others.
-Though he was 2-3 from three-point range, Allen scored most of his points in his custom style - by blowing past defenders and finishing at the rim. He was just faster and more athletic than the UC Davis defenders, and must have converted, gosh, six or seven layups. Allen finished the game 10-12 from the field. And he somehow does it despite only finishing with his right hand - he tried to convert once with the left (it rimmed out), but no matter what side of the rim he's on, Allen always goes up with his right. You wonder if that (along with shooting, of course), will be an offseason emphasis, though he seems to pretty well finishing at the rim as is.
-Aside from Allen, there weren't any other Stanford performances that were all that notable. Reid Travis was stronger than UC Davis' interior players, and capitalized on that and some solid positioning to convert several second-chance opportunities. Chasson had his second straight solid shooting outing (after 10 subpar ones), including 3-6 from three-point range. Stanford hit 47.1 percent of their threes as a team (8-17), which they'll take every time. Overall, though, the talent discrepancy outside of Corey Hawkins seemed pretty substantial, and to Stanford's credit, after Davis closed a sizable mid-first half deficit, the Cardinal pushed its lead to double digits rather early in the second and did not relinquish it. Stanford's hot shooting (56.4 percent overall) certainly helped their cause.
-The question about Dawkins' plans for utilization of the program's big-minute seniors was answered. Anthony Brown and Randle played 36 apiece. And, hey, it's their last go-around at Stanford, so you understand it, even if for developmental purposes getting the freshmen guards (Pickens and Cartwright) more minutes might be beneficial. Speaking of Cartwright, he looked a bit more confident/decisive to me than he has in some games recently. Thought it was a bit interesting that he was replaced by Christian Sanders in the first half after a nice hesitation drive to the basket that resulted in a goaltending violation on Davis.
-Stanford will host Rhode Island (the teams played for slightly higher stakes a few years back) in the second round of the tournament. Not sure, exactly, when that game will be held. But if Stanford wins (and St. Mary's wins its first two games), the Cardinal would face the Gaels at Maples.
-Here are postgame quotes, via GoStanford
Stanford Head coach Johnny Dawkins
“It was a great game for our area. UC Davis was having the best season they’ve had as a Division I program. I think Jim Les has done a great job with his team and it was just a big game for the area. I’m happy that we were able to prevail. I know it’s their first time in postseason play and I think they represented their program extremely well.”
“I’m just really happy the way our guys were able to respond against a team that’s been very, very hot. For our guys to bounce back from a tough loss and play the way we played — I’m just really proud of their character. I thought they really stepped up and showed how much they want to be in this tournament and how much they want to compete.”
“[Marcus Allen] is a very good driver of the ball. He’s finishing the ball very well now, which is something he’s gotten better and better as the years have progressed. Getting to a point where he gets to the basket — he’s very efficient around the basket. I’m happy to see his development. He’s a weapon; he’s a capable three-point shooter so you can’t just leave him out there. And that sets up his ability to drive and he’s a strong driver. So I just see a young man who’s gaining confidence, who works as hard as any player.”
“Marcus is the player who after the game is over, he’s going to the gym and getting up more shots and working on his game. He wants to be a really good players and he’s willing to pay the price by working at it. I’m just really proud of him, and he’s great for our culture of work. He’s great in the classroom and he’s great on the court. That’s what you want to have — guys in your program that aspire to be great at whatever they do. He definitely exemplifies that.”
“After a loss like that [to Utah], you can go two ways: you can be ready for the season to be over or still have something to play for. Our guys are excited that we still have a chance to play in the NIT. Our seniors are excited. The rest of our players are excited. And I think you can tell by how they played tonight. They had some really good stretches of playing that showed that our kids want to play — they want to win. They still want to compete. And I’m really proud of them for that because that takes some maturity.”
Stanford Sophomore Marcus Allen
“The key was defense and energy. Just playing harder than our opponent. On defense, just locking in. Guarding the three-point line was big for us against this team because they were shooting — I think — third or second in the country in three-point percentage. That was huge for us.”
“Towards the end of the first half we started playing a little sluggish. The main emphasis when we came out of the locker room in the second half was just to come out with more energy and to get out and run more in transition. That really helped us a lot in the second half. Those two things really helped us a lot in the second half to get the lead back up where we wanted it to be.”
“My teammates really spaced the floor more for me and I was able to find lanes. My teammates really got me in great positions to score tonight. I was ready to play from the start. I want to win this tournament, so it’s one game at a time. I’m going to come out like I do every night and just try to provide something, so I was pretty focused.”
UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les
“I'm disappointed but also very appreciative. This group put UC Davis basketball on the map. A lot of people said it couldn't be done, but this group, especially our seniors, brought hard work, great competitiveness and great character to this program and did a lot of things that people thought were impossible. We're very proud of that, and they've set a standard that we're going to try and live up to.”
“It's easy to get caught up in Corey’s production. He's a great player. You look at his numbers and they wow you. But what people don't know and what makes him special is his character, his leadership ability, his work ethic. He's been an unbelievable ambassador for this university and he's an unbelievable student-athlete. That, encompassed with being a great player, has been an unbelievable example for who we want to be going forward in terms of our basketball program and the people who make up our program.”
“For us to win the game, we didn't have to be perfect, but we had to be as close to perfect as possible. We had some opportunities, some missed shots that we normally make that we didn't make. We had some defensive miscues that we made that we can't afford to make against a good team that's going to take advantage of that. We weren't as efficient as we'd like, they took advantage of it, creating a lead and we just couldn't get back in the game. We wanted to be perfect, but because of them, we weren't as perfect as we'd have liked.”
UC Davis Senior Corey Hawkins
“I don't know if it's set in yet. I couldn't have imagined a more bittersweet way to go out, and I felt like I owed my teammates to play as absolutely as hard as I could. They deserve all the props, because without them, my performances and my awards wouldn't have been possible. All the awards are really team awards. It's sad, but hopefully we've raised the bar for this program. When I come back, I hope to see nothing but years like this.”
“I told myself I finally wanted to play well against my godfather (Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins). I've come here a couple times and haven't played that well, so I told myself to go and out be aggressive. I feel like I can compete with anybody. I wanted to try and lift my team to the next round. Unfortunately I fell short, but I think we battled all night.”
“He (Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins) just told me he was proud of me. He told me "great game"; he looks forward to being a part of my career and later on in life, and he's part of my family. He's been nothing but supportive of me. I have nothing but respect and love for him -- he's a great coach and a great person.”
Q: What did Johnny tell you after the game?
A: He just told me he was proud of me. He told me "Great game"; he looks forward to being a part of my career and later on in life, and he's part of my family. He's been nothing but supportive of me. I have nothing but respect and love for him -- he's a great coach and a great person.
This post was edited on 3/18 2:41 AM by Andy Drukarev
While Hawkins' season-high 34 points (several of which came in really impressive, almost 1-on-5 type plays) might have been the headliner, Marcus Allen's career-high 22 weren't far behind. Allen was one of four Stanford players in double figures - Reid Travis: 10 points, 5-9 shooting (0-4 FT), 10 rebounds including 5 offensive, Anthony Brown 11 points (5-11 shooting) and Chasson Randle: 18 points, 5-11 shooting - were the others.
-Though he was 2-3 from three-point range, Allen scored most of his points in his custom style - by blowing past defenders and finishing at the rim. He was just faster and more athletic than the UC Davis defenders, and must have converted, gosh, six or seven layups. Allen finished the game 10-12 from the field. And he somehow does it despite only finishing with his right hand - he tried to convert once with the left (it rimmed out), but no matter what side of the rim he's on, Allen always goes up with his right. You wonder if that (along with shooting, of course), will be an offseason emphasis, though he seems to pretty well finishing at the rim as is.
-Aside from Allen, there weren't any other Stanford performances that were all that notable. Reid Travis was stronger than UC Davis' interior players, and capitalized on that and some solid positioning to convert several second-chance opportunities. Chasson had his second straight solid shooting outing (after 10 subpar ones), including 3-6 from three-point range. Stanford hit 47.1 percent of their threes as a team (8-17), which they'll take every time. Overall, though, the talent discrepancy outside of Corey Hawkins seemed pretty substantial, and to Stanford's credit, after Davis closed a sizable mid-first half deficit, the Cardinal pushed its lead to double digits rather early in the second and did not relinquish it. Stanford's hot shooting (56.4 percent overall) certainly helped their cause.
-The question about Dawkins' plans for utilization of the program's big-minute seniors was answered. Anthony Brown and Randle played 36 apiece. And, hey, it's their last go-around at Stanford, so you understand it, even if for developmental purposes getting the freshmen guards (Pickens and Cartwright) more minutes might be beneficial. Speaking of Cartwright, he looked a bit more confident/decisive to me than he has in some games recently. Thought it was a bit interesting that he was replaced by Christian Sanders in the first half after a nice hesitation drive to the basket that resulted in a goaltending violation on Davis.
-Stanford will host Rhode Island (the teams played for slightly higher stakes a few years back) in the second round of the tournament. Not sure, exactly, when that game will be held. But if Stanford wins (and St. Mary's wins its first two games), the Cardinal would face the Gaels at Maples.
-Here are postgame quotes, via GoStanford
Stanford Head coach Johnny Dawkins
“It was a great game for our area. UC Davis was having the best season they’ve had as a Division I program. I think Jim Les has done a great job with his team and it was just a big game for the area. I’m happy that we were able to prevail. I know it’s their first time in postseason play and I think they represented their program extremely well.”
“I’m just really happy the way our guys were able to respond against a team that’s been very, very hot. For our guys to bounce back from a tough loss and play the way we played — I’m just really proud of their character. I thought they really stepped up and showed how much they want to be in this tournament and how much they want to compete.”
“[Marcus Allen] is a very good driver of the ball. He’s finishing the ball very well now, which is something he’s gotten better and better as the years have progressed. Getting to a point where he gets to the basket — he’s very efficient around the basket. I’m happy to see his development. He’s a weapon; he’s a capable three-point shooter so you can’t just leave him out there. And that sets up his ability to drive and he’s a strong driver. So I just see a young man who’s gaining confidence, who works as hard as any player.”
“Marcus is the player who after the game is over, he’s going to the gym and getting up more shots and working on his game. He wants to be a really good players and he’s willing to pay the price by working at it. I’m just really proud of him, and he’s great for our culture of work. He’s great in the classroom and he’s great on the court. That’s what you want to have — guys in your program that aspire to be great at whatever they do. He definitely exemplifies that.”
“After a loss like that [to Utah], you can go two ways: you can be ready for the season to be over or still have something to play for. Our guys are excited that we still have a chance to play in the NIT. Our seniors are excited. The rest of our players are excited. And I think you can tell by how they played tonight. They had some really good stretches of playing that showed that our kids want to play — they want to win. They still want to compete. And I’m really proud of them for that because that takes some maturity.”
Stanford Sophomore Marcus Allen
“The key was defense and energy. Just playing harder than our opponent. On defense, just locking in. Guarding the three-point line was big for us against this team because they were shooting — I think — third or second in the country in three-point percentage. That was huge for us.”
“Towards the end of the first half we started playing a little sluggish. The main emphasis when we came out of the locker room in the second half was just to come out with more energy and to get out and run more in transition. That really helped us a lot in the second half. Those two things really helped us a lot in the second half to get the lead back up where we wanted it to be.”
“My teammates really spaced the floor more for me and I was able to find lanes. My teammates really got me in great positions to score tonight. I was ready to play from the start. I want to win this tournament, so it’s one game at a time. I’m going to come out like I do every night and just try to provide something, so I was pretty focused.”
UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les
“I'm disappointed but also very appreciative. This group put UC Davis basketball on the map. A lot of people said it couldn't be done, but this group, especially our seniors, brought hard work, great competitiveness and great character to this program and did a lot of things that people thought were impossible. We're very proud of that, and they've set a standard that we're going to try and live up to.”
“It's easy to get caught up in Corey’s production. He's a great player. You look at his numbers and they wow you. But what people don't know and what makes him special is his character, his leadership ability, his work ethic. He's been an unbelievable ambassador for this university and he's an unbelievable student-athlete. That, encompassed with being a great player, has been an unbelievable example for who we want to be going forward in terms of our basketball program and the people who make up our program.”
“For us to win the game, we didn't have to be perfect, but we had to be as close to perfect as possible. We had some opportunities, some missed shots that we normally make that we didn't make. We had some defensive miscues that we made that we can't afford to make against a good team that's going to take advantage of that. We weren't as efficient as we'd like, they took advantage of it, creating a lead and we just couldn't get back in the game. We wanted to be perfect, but because of them, we weren't as perfect as we'd have liked.”
UC Davis Senior Corey Hawkins
“I don't know if it's set in yet. I couldn't have imagined a more bittersweet way to go out, and I felt like I owed my teammates to play as absolutely as hard as I could. They deserve all the props, because without them, my performances and my awards wouldn't have been possible. All the awards are really team awards. It's sad, but hopefully we've raised the bar for this program. When I come back, I hope to see nothing but years like this.”
“I told myself I finally wanted to play well against my godfather (Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins). I've come here a couple times and haven't played that well, so I told myself to go and out be aggressive. I feel like I can compete with anybody. I wanted to try and lift my team to the next round. Unfortunately I fell short, but I think we battled all night.”
“He (Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins) just told me he was proud of me. He told me "great game"; he looks forward to being a part of my career and later on in life, and he's part of my family. He's been nothing but supportive of me. I have nothing but respect and love for him -- he's a great coach and a great person.”
Q: What did Johnny tell you after the game?
A: He just told me he was proud of me. He told me "Great game"; he looks forward to being a part of my career and later on in life, and he's part of my family. He's been nothing but supportive of me. I have nothing but respect and love for him -- he's a great coach and a great person.
This post was edited on 3/18 2:41 AM by Andy Drukarev
