Stanford won its first 7 games before succumbing to a game-winning shot in the final seconds against a good Butler team. It’s been an impressive and surprising start to the year for Stanford. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
1 - This defense is for real
Five of their eight opponents have been held under 25 in the first half, and it’s not like they’re taking the air out of the ball a la Virginia. If you like watching a team play defense as a unit, this team is for you. They mix up the ball screen coverages based on the scouting report, icing a lot of the action on the wings and forcing high ball screens to take place farther out.