2019-20 Pac-12 preview: Oregon atop a deep conference
By Kim Doss
The Stanford Cardinal snag the No. 2 class and No. 1 recruit in the nation
What happened last year?
The Stanford Cardinal finished second in the Pac-12 regular season at 15-3, part of a 31-5 overall record. While they lost to Oregon on their home court in the teams’ only regular-season match-up, the Cardinal took the Ducks out in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game to secure the automatic berth.
Their season concluded with an Elite Eight loss to eventual national runner-up Notre Dame.
Key losses
The Cardinal probably had the biggest single loss of any team in the conference that’s not named the California Golden Bears. Alanna Smith was the team’s top scorer and top rebounder last season with 19.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg. She was taken in the first round by the Phoenix Mercury in this year’s draft.
They also lost guard Marta Sniezek, who joined national runner-up Notre Dame as a graduate transfer. Sniezek redshirted due to injury last season. She averaged 4.3 ppg and started 50 games in her three years on the court for the Cardinal.
Key returners
The loss of Smith may be a big deal, but that’s not to say that the cupboards are bare in Palo Alto. Coach Tara VanDerveer has spent years reloading with top players in each class, so there’s not much variation from year to year.
The Cardinal return two key seniors, two key juniors and two key sophomores from last year’s team. Then, there are all those amazing freshmen.
The seniors are led by DiJonai Carrington, who was third on the team with 14.0 ppg last year. She also grabbed 7.5 rpg, good for second on the team behind Smith.
Carrington is joined by a fellow former McDonald’s All-American, Nadia Fingall. Fingall was injured in the 12th game of the season last year when she tore her ACL. Before she went down with the injury, she was averaging 8.0 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
The juniors are led by Kiana Williams and Maya Dodson, while the sophomores feature sisters Lexie and Lacie Hull. Williams is the top returning scorer after averaging 14.3 ppg last year.
Lest we forget, there’s a monster class of freshmen.
Key additions
Stanford added the No. 1 recruit in the nation, and she was just the cherry on top of the No. 2 class. The group features four players, three of whom are McDonald’s All-Americans. With the lowest-rated member of the group being ranked at No. 50, the Cardinal is expecting special things from the 2019 class.
Haley Jones, who hails from nearby Santa Cruz and attended school in San Jose, comes in as the nation’s top recruit. Her accolades from her senior year in high school include three All-American honors and three national player of the year nods. She became the first No. 1 recruit to join the Cardinal in 10 years, following Chiney Ogwumike in 2009.
“Haley is an exceptional young lady,” VanDerveer said. “And when you say positionless basketball,
she’s 6’1”, 6’2″…she plays 1, 2, 3, 4 on our team, 5. What’s really astounding to me honestly is how quickly she catches on to everything. At first I thought, well, I don’t want to overload her with stuff, but where should I play her. Should I play her where we need her most or should I play her where she’s best?
“Well, she’s really good at everything. So we just put her out there and let her learn kind of on the fly. But she’s very intelligent. She’s someone that will add a lot to our team. Just a great passer, great vision, and really fun to work with.”
The second incoming McDonald’s All-American is 6-foot-5 forward Ashten Prechtel. Prechtel was ranked as the No. 15 recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz, although Prospects Nation had her at No. 54.
The next freshmen in line is forward Fran Belibi, who was ranked No. 19 by HoopGurlz and No. 13 by Prospects Nation. While Belibi has only been playing basketball since 2015, her talent and athleticism moved her up the ranks quickly. Her dunks have gotten her the most attention, especially after she became the first female winner of the Powerade Jam Fest at the McDonald’s All-American game since Candace Parker. Her coach just wants her to avoid getting hurt dunking the ball.
Rounding out the class is Hannah Jump, who comes in as the No. 50 prospect in the country according to HoopGurlz. Despite graduating from Pinewood School in nearby Los Altos Hills, California, Jump also has international experience with England.
Outlook for 2019-20
While everyone has essentially crowned Oregon the Pac-12 champs, it’s never a good idea to count out a Vanderveer-coached team–especially one as talented as the current Cardinal. Regardless of how the regular season turns out, though, there’s every reason to believe that Stanford has the chops to make it to the Final Four.
Smith is undoubtedly a big loss, but losing a great player is never a tragedy at Stanford. There are always more waiting in the wings to take her place. This year will be no different, and everyone–Oregon included–could end up getting surprised when it’s all said and done.