[stopandpop]

Pre-season poll - St.Mary's 9th out of 10 teams in WCC

This will surely be a quad 4 game when all is said and done. The 9th place WCC teams typically end up somewhere in the 220s in NET Rating. So I compared some stats with those from Stanford's 20 Quad 4 games over the previous two seasons (2024–25 and 2025–26):

• Scoring: +7.0 points above average (87 vs. 80.0). Best: 107 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: 54 vs. 2025–26 Washington State (NET 227).
  
• Winning margin: +5.8 above average (+33 vs. +27.2). Best: +64 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: −4 vs. 2025–26 FGCU (NET 157).
  
• FG shooting: +7.6 percentage points above average (56.5% vs. 48.9%). Best: 66.7% vs. 2025–26 Lehigh (NET 191). Worst: 29.8% vs. 2025–26 Wake Forest (NET 128).
  
• 3PT shooting: +0.4 percentage points above average (35.3% vs. 34.9%). Best: 70.0% vs. 2024–25 Washington State (NET 124). Worst: 11.1% vs. 2025–26 Washington State (NET 227).  [Interesting to have both the best and worst performances against the same team!]
  
• Rebounding margin: +1.8 rebounds above average (+15 vs. +13.2). Best: +31 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167). Worst: −2 vs. 2024–25 Gonzaga (NET 95).
  
• Assists: +6.4 above average (22 vs. 15.6). Best: 25 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: 9 vs. 2024–25 UC Davis (NET 145) and 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Steals: +7.0 above average (16 vs. 9.0). Best: 17 vs. 2025–26 Cornell (NET 299). Worst: 2 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Opponent turnovers forced: +9.2 above average (25 vs. 15.8), the best of all 21 games. Previous best: 21 vs. 2025–26 Cornell (NET 299) and 2025–26 Cal Poly (NET 338). Worst: 6 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Stanford turnovers committed: +2.5 above average (15 vs. 12.5). Best: 5 vs. 2024–25 Gonzaga (NET 95) and 2025–26 Pittsburgh (NET 265). Worst: 25 vs. 2024–25 UC San Diego (NET 182).
  
• Opponent FG% allowed: +3.0 percentage points worse than average (37.7% vs. 34.7%), ranked T-14th of 21. Best: 22.4% vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167). Worst: 48.2% vs. 2025–26 FGCU (NET 157).
  
• Opponent 3PT% allowed: +22.5 percentage points worse than average (50.0% vs. 27.5%), tied for worst of 21 games. Best: 0.0% vs. 2024–25 Pittsburgh (NET 135). Worst: 50.0% vs. 2024–25 Washington State (NET 124), tied with Saint Mary's.
  
  

As a quad 4 game, Stanford's 87–54 victory was good offensively, with 56.5% shooting and 22 assists, and particularly impressive in creating turnovers. Its 25 forced turnovers were the most in the 21-game comparison, and its 16 steals ranked second.

However, the defensive shooting stats are a bit concerning. Saint Mary's 50.0% three-point shooting tied for the worst Stanford allowed against this group, nearly double the historical average of 27.5%. (Though they improved in the second half.) Stanford also committed more turnovers than usual (15 vs. 12.5). Much better than 30, but a bit high for a team of this caliber.

True- St. Mary's is not at the level of UC Santa Barbara or Arizona, but I was encouraged that (for the first time this season) Stanford's guards and wings were looking for and finding Eschmeyer down low multiple times, even against the zone.  Last night she was 7 for 11; that's about the right number of shots Alex needs to take night after night.  The other encouraging sign- Ezike. Nobody on the team can drive to the basket with such explosiveness (and deliver) as Nora.  Would not be surprised to see her in the starting lineup soon.

[stopandpop]

Pre-season poll - St.Mary's 9th out of 10 teams in WCC

This will surely be a quad 4 game when all is said and done. The 9th place WCC teams typically end up somewhere in the 220s in NET Rating. So I compared some stats with those from Stanford's 20 Quad 4 games over the previous two seasons (2024–25 and 2025–26):

• Scoring: +7.0 points above average (87 vs. 80.0). Best: 107 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: 54 vs. 2025–26 Washington State (NET 227).
  
• Winning margin: +5.8 above average (+33 vs. +27.2). Best: +64 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: −4 vs. 2025–26 FGCU (NET 157).
  
• FG shooting: +7.6 percentage points above average (56.5% vs. 48.9%). Best: 66.7% vs. 2025–26 Lehigh (NET 191). Worst: 29.8% vs. 2025–26 Wake Forest (NET 128).
  
• 3PT shooting: +0.4 percentage points above average (35.3% vs. 34.9%). Best: 70.0% vs. 2024–25 Washington State (NET 124). Worst: 11.1% vs. 2025–26 Washington State (NET 227).  [Interesting to have both the best and worst performances against the same team!]
  
• Rebounding margin: +1.8 rebounds above average (+15 vs. +13.2). Best: +31 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167). Worst: −2 vs. 2024–25 Gonzaga (NET 95).
  
• Assists: +6.4 above average (22 vs. 15.6). Best: 25 vs. 2024–25 Le Moyne (NET 357). Worst: 9 vs. 2024–25 UC Davis (NET 145) and 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Steals: +7.0 above average (16 vs. 9.0). Best: 17 vs. 2025–26 Cornell (NET 299). Worst: 2 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Opponent turnovers forced: +9.2 above average (25 vs. 15.8), the best of all 21 games. Previous best: 21 vs. 2025–26 Cornell (NET 299) and 2025–26 Cal Poly (NET 338). Worst: 6 vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167).
  
• Stanford turnovers committed: +2.5 above average (15 vs. 12.5). Best: 5 vs. 2024–25 Gonzaga (NET 95) and 2025–26 Pittsburgh (NET 265). Worst: 25 vs. 2024–25 UC San Diego (NET 182).
  
• Opponent FG% allowed: +3.0 percentage points worse than average (37.7% vs. 34.7%), ranked T-14th of 21. Best: 22.4% vs. 2025–26 UC Davis (NET 167). Worst: 48.2% vs. 2025–26 FGCU (NET 157).
  
• Opponent 3PT% allowed: +22.5 percentage points worse than average (50.0% vs. 27.5%), tied for worst of 21 games. Best: 0.0% vs. 2024–25 Pittsburgh (NET 135). Worst: 50.0% vs. 2024–25 Washington State (NET 124), tied with Saint Mary's.
  
  

As a quad 4 game, Stanford's 87–54 victory was good offensively, with 56.5% shooting and 22 assists, and particularly impressive in creating turnovers. Its 25 forced turnovers were the most in the 21-game comparison, and its 16 steals ranked second.

However, the defensive shooting stats are a bit concerning. Saint Mary's 50.0% three-point shooting tied for the worst Stanford allowed against this group, nearly double the historical average of 27.5%. (Though they improved in the second half.) Stanford also committed more turnovers than usual (15 vs. 12.5). Much better than 30, but a bit high for a team of this caliber.

True- St. Mary's is not at the level of UC Santa Barbara or Arizona, but I was encouraged that (for the first time this season) Stanford's guards and wings were looking for and finding Eschmeyer down low multiple times, even against the zone.  Last night she was 7 for 11; that's about the right number of shots Alex needs to take night after night.  The other encouraging sign- Ezike. Nobody on the team can drive to the basket with such explosiveness (and deliver) as Nora.  Would not be surprised to see her in the starting lineup soon.