Haase wary of Azubuike as Stanford prepares for KU: ‘He provides a lot of challenges’
Stanford basketball coach Jerod Haase knows from experience that Kansas 7-footer Udoka Azubuike has the potential to dominate a game.
“We’ve got to find a way to try to slow him down,” former KU guard Haase said of the 270-pound center.
Azubuike has combined for 42 points on 21-of-26 shooting and 16 rebounds in a pair of Jayhawks victories over the Cardinal the past two seasons. The Delta, Nigeria native, who is averaging 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds a game in this, his senior season, had just four points and four boards in 11 minutes in another KU win over Stanford as a freshman.
“He provides a lot of challenges. He’s as efficient as anybody in college basketball,” Haase said. “We’re working on our game plan now. We’ll see if our guys can eat a lot of food and gain 30, 40 pounds before Sunday.”
Azubuike has made 80.5% of his floor shots but just 35.9% of his free throws heading into Sunday’s nonconference clash between No. 5 KU (9-2) and unranked Stanford (11-1). Tipoff is 2 p.m., Central time, at 7,233-seat Maples Pavilion on the Stanford campus in Stanford, California.
Azubuike has helped the Jayhawks to three straight victories over Stanford in a four-year, four-game series that concludes Sunday.
Stanford’s tallest starter is 6-9 junior Oscar da Silva, who averages 17.6 points and 6.0 rebounds a game.
“Terrific player,” KU coach Bill Self said of da Silva, a 225-pound forward from Munich, Germany.
Stanford has two other starters scoring in double figures. Freshman guard Tyrell Terry averages 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. He scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Cardinal’s 73-54 win over Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic Nov. 25 at Kansas City’s Sprint Center. Stanford went on to lose to Butler in the finals, 68-67.
Spencer Jones, a 6-7 freshman out of Bishop Miege, averages 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. He’s the team’s top three-point shooter. He’s made 34 of 72 threes for 47.2%.
“He’s a great kid … shooting the heck out of it,” Haase said of Jones. “He has good size, moves pretty well defensively, loves the game. He’s been a shot in the arm for our program.”
Haase noted that Jones’ recruitment “was the shortest recruitment since I’ve been here. We didn’t recruit him for a long period of time. Since he’s been on campus, I’ve been able to see his work ethic and how he prepares and goes through every rep. I’m not surprised (at his immediate collegiate success) once I was able to see him first hand.”
And Stanford has a second Kansas City-area player on the team. Keenan Fitzmorris, a 7-foot redshirt freshman, attended New Hampton Prep for a year after spending three seasons at St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas.
Fitzmorris’ sister, Audriana, and fellow St. James product/Cardinal senior Jenna Gray helped lead Stanford’s women’s volleyball team to a second consecutive national title a week ago.
“He’s doing well. He is a worker,” Haase said of Fitzmorris, who has played 20 minutes in nine games. “I feel he is progressing. I do anticipate he will have an important role on our team moving forward as long as that improvement continues.”
Stanford has won four straight games and received seven votes in Monday’s AP poll.
Haase, who has a 59-50 record and 25-29 mark in conference games in four seasons at Stanford, said the program is not quite at the point where getting ranked is a “rallying cry.” A win over KU Sunday would most likely push the Cardinal into the Top 25.
“Not even close,” Haase said when asked if his team feels any desperation to become ranked in the poll. “With our guys, they have great appreciation of the next play, the next step. It (ranking) is not something that is going to define us or judge us. If we will continue to handle all our business, all that stuff takes care of itself. I have not mentioned that once, so it’s certainly not a rallying cry.”
Stanford’s last win over a top-five team came against No. 3 UCLA, 75-68, on Jan. 28, 2007 at Maples Pavilion. Stanford’s most recent win over a Top 25 team came against No. 16 Arizona State, 86-77, on Jan. 17, 2018 at Maples.
The campus building should be rocking Sunday.
“We will find out on game day,” Haase said of the atmosphere. “There will be some Kansas representation there. They’ll be loud in the building. I’m hopeful and optimistic we’ll have a Stanford contingent that gives us a great homecourt advantage.”
KU coach Self only has to look back one season to realize Stanford is capable. It took overtime for KU to beat the Cardinal 90-84 in Allen.
“Based on what I’ve seen, they are playing small. They are able to stretch it,” Self said of Stanford, which averages 73.7 points per game and surrenders 57.7. KU averages 81.9 ppg and allows 62.9. The Jayhawks have made 78 of 214 threes for 36.4%, Stanford 86 of 218 for 39.4%.
“The point guard from Minnesota (Terry) has been terrific for them. They are a little bit older, better than the team we played last year that had us down in our building the entire game. I anticipate it being a very hard game,” Self added.
So does Marcus Garrett, who is expected to play after spraining his ankle in KU’s last game, a 56-55 loss to Villanova on Dec. 21.
“I actually look at their box score a lot. I look at a lot of Pac-12 schools; I’ve got friends playing over there,” Garrett said. “They’ve got a great shooter in da Silva (61.2%). Daejon (Davis), the point guard, is really fast.”
Davis has 42 assists, 32 turnovers 24 steals so far this season.
“They can shoot the three, get to the rim,” Garrett continued. “I remember (last year) how aggressive they were on the defensive end. As soon as we caught it on the wing they were pressuring. Everybody can drive, pass and shoot.”
KU will return home to meet West Virginia at either 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at Allen in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Game time has not yet been set for that one.
This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 11:10 AM.
