Trying to reboot a veteran team, first-year coach Jerod Haase suffered a rough introduction to Pac-12 play on Friday, losing at home to ASU despite a career-high 35 points from emerging standout Marcus Sheffield. The Cardinal allowed ASU to hit 13 of 24 3-pointers and 51 percent of its shots overall. Stanford is normally pretty efficient defensively, allowing 97.1 points per 100 possessions, and it has upgauged the tempo it runs under Haase, pushing the ball constantly to initiate its offense.
The key offensive players are power forward Reid Travis, shooter Dorian Pickens and Sheffield, who can shoot or drive the ball. Travis is back to normal after a stress reaction in his leg derailed him last season. Christian Sanders returned to the point after an indefinite suspension ended his season early under previous coach Johnny Dawkins but Robert Cartwright has been the starter.
