Game info

Who: Stanford Cardinal (14-12, 7-7) at Arizona Wildcats (15-12, 6-8)

Where: McKale Center, Tucson

When: 6 p.m. Sunday

Watch: ESPN2

Listen: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Follow: @TheWildcaster on Twitter / TheWildcaster on Facebook

Probable starters: Arizona

G Justin Coleman (5-10 senior)

G Brandon Randolph (6-6 sophomore)

F Dylan Smith (6-5 junior)

F Ryan Luther (6-9 senior)

C Chase Jeter (6-10 junior)

Probable starters: Stanford

G Daejon Davis (6-3 sophomore)

G Bryce Wills (6-6 freshman)

F Oscar da Silva (6-9 sophomore)

F KZ Okpala (6-9 sophomore)

C Josh Sharma (7-0 senior)

How they match up

The last time

Stanford cut Arizona’s lead to just a point with 1:13 to go, but Ira Lee scored four points after that and Brandon Randolph hit two clinching free throws with two seconds left to give the Wildcats a 75-70 win over Stanford on Jan. 9 at Maples Pavilion. KZ Okpala had 19 points and six rebounds to lead the Cardinal while Randolph had 17 points and six rebounds to lead UA.

The last time at McKale Center

Dusan Ristic had 21 points on 10-for-12 shooting to lead UA to a 75-67 win over Stanford on March 1, 2018, capping an emotional week for the Wildcats. Earlier in the day, UA coach Sean Miller returned from a five-day absence from the team, while UA officials questioned him after an ESPN report said he discussed a pay-for-play scheme, while guard Allonzo Trier was cleared to return after successfully appealing a positive PED test that cost him two games.

Series history

The Wildcats have won 18 straight games against Stanford, including a 17-0 mark in the Sean Miller era (since 2009-10). Arizona leads the all-time series with Stanford 66-29.

What’s new with the Cardinal

Stanford has won 7 of 10 games after losing to Arizona last month at Maples, pulling in the race for one of four Pac-12 Tournament byes, but then lost at ASU on Wednesday without Okpala, who suffered an upper-body injury in practice. The Cardinal made just 2 of 21 3-points at ASU without their versatile forward. Stanford coach Jerod Haase said he’s “cautiously optimistic” Okpala will play Sunday.

Guard Cormac Ryan, one of Stanford’s better shooting threats, has also been in and out of the lineup with ankle issues, though he started in Okpala’s place against ASU. The rest of Stanford’s rotation has remained stable, while center Josh Sharma and forward Oscar da Silva have become more productive. Sharma was named the Pac-12’s Player of the Week after averaging 18 points and 10.5 rebounds in the Cardinal’s home sweep of UCLA and USC last weekend. Da Silva is averaging 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds over his past five games.

Point guard Daejon Davis pushes the Pac-12’s third-fastest tempo, and he was on a roll until he had four turnovers and only six points at ASU on Wednesday, collecting a double-double against UCLA (12 points, 11 assists) last weekend. He’s averaging the third-most assists (5.2) in conference games.

Overall, the Cardinal thrives inside the arc and by getting to the free-throw line. Stanford leads the conference in two-point shooting at 47.3 percent, and has become more efficient as its young guards continue to progress. Off-guard Bryce Wills has scored in double figures over six of his past nine games.

He said it

Sharma “has been really efficient. Our guards have done a nice job of getting him the basketball and he has great hands and length. So when he catches it in and around the rim he’s been very effective.

"I think (Arizona has) been great at keeping together and keeping their intensity up. It’s always a challenge when you’re not winning every game and they certainly have been playing extremely hard and obviously the home court there is significant. We understand that. Coach Miller has done a great job in some adverse times.”

— Stanford coach Jerod Haase

Key player: Josh Sharma

STANFORD

While it’s unclear if the Wildcats will have to deal with the mismatch nightmare that is Okpala, Sharma has emerged as the 43rd-most offensively efficient player in Division I, according to Kenpom. The only issue sometimes is how well turnover-prone Stanford can get him the ball.

Key player: Chase Jeter

ARIZONA

Arizona’s center has been arguably less consistent and aggressive since returning from a back injury on Jan. 31, but he’ll have to be careful against Stanford. Jeter fouled out in 19 minutes against Okpala and Sharma on Jan. 9, and it nearly cost the Wildcats until Ira Lee bailed out UA in the final minutes.

Armstrong remains 'excited' to play at UA

Miller took advantage of the extra day off to visit with UA signee Terry Armstrong of Scottsdale's Bella Vista Prep.

Tim Jones, Armstrong’s uncle, said Armstrong remains excited to play for Miller even though Arizona has moved to fire UA assistant coach Mark Phelps, who helped recruit Armstrong.

“We love Phelps. He’s a good guy and I hope the best for him and his family,” Jones said via text message. “But at the end of the day, coach Miller is the coach he signed to play for and we’re excited about the future of Arizona.”

Miller eyes top 2020 point guard

Miller also spent time watching Alaskan point guard Daishen Nix, a five-star point guard from the class of 2020 now playing for Las Vegas' Trinity International.

According to Phoenix-based event organizer Chad Groth, Miller joined Cal assistant David Grace and several scouts in watching Nix play on Friday during a Grind Session game against California’s Veritas Prep at Glendale Community College. Armstrong was also scheduled to play in the event on Saturday.

Originally from Anchorage, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Nix moved to Las Vegas in 2015. He’s rated No. 14 nationally by 247 Sports, No. 17 by Rivals and No. 33 by ESPN.

Tested in adversity

Ryan Luther on Arizona’s win over Cal and snapping the 7-game losing streak: pic.twitter.com/BC9fik1Nnb

— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) February 22, 2019

The Wildcats’ recently seven-game losing streak might have tested their team chemistry, but two of them said it did not fracture them.

The Wildcats held a players-only meeting between losses No. 6 and No. 7 during the Utah-Colorado swing last weekend and the two players UA made available for comment after the Wildcats beat Cal on Thursday, Ryan Luther and Devonaire Doutrive, discussed the mood.

“Anytime you go through some struggles, there's gonna be some adversity,” Luther said. “But no one really pointed fingers. We kind of just came to the gym, worked hard every day and, I mean, we're in it together. We're not gonna, we're not going to break apart.”

When asked how he’d describe what the streak was like for young players such as himself, Doutrive said:

“It's tough. Really. … You gotta just be positive. Be there for one another, have a positive attitude every time.”

Miller said the Wildcats have had “very little finger-pointing” despite the sort of pressure that typically creates it.

During a losing streak, “when you hear of things on the outside, what it can do is fracture your team,” Miller said. “Guys start pointing fingers, start looking to the future beyond Arizona, make excuses. And then the effort, that concentration, which when you win is in place, leaves.

"That hasn't happened with us. That's not why we've lost. it's a great group of kids. It's never changed.”

Mannion pokes fun at critics

(Video courtesy the Arizona Republic)

Before leading Phoenix Pinnacle past Gilbert Perry 79-69 in a 6A state semifinal game Thursday in Tempe, UA signee Nico Mannion warmed up with a black T-shirt that read: #overrated.

Mannion then went out and, even though he missed his first seven 3-pointers, scored 42 points while making 18 of 22 free throws.

“I’d say it’s a statement,” Mannion told the Republic of his shirt after the game. “I hear it all the time. All the opposing teams’ student sections chant it so why not make a little fun of myself and show them that I don’t really care.”

Mannion’s top-seeded Pioneers will face Scottsdale Chaparral in the 6A final on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at ASU’s Wells Fargo Arena.

Numbers game

6.1

Fouls drawn by Okpala per 40 minutes, according to Kenpom, the 76th highest mark in the nation.

44.1

Arizona’s shooting percentage from two-point range in Pac-12 games, the worst mark in the league.

55.7

Stanford’s shooting percentage from two-point range in Pac-12 games, the second-best mark in the league.

70.5

Josh Sharma’s field goal percentage, the best in Pac-12 and on pace to become the highest in Stanford history, though he has not made the required 5.0 field goals per game (he averages 4.0) to qualify for the NCAA’s best percentage.