Pac-12 preview: Stanford men will go as high as KZ Okpala can take them

A few thing are clear about the Stanford men’s basketball team as it heads into Pac-12 play Thursday night against a struggling UCLA team, whose head coach, Steve Alford, has already been fired.

First, the Cardinal are one of the youngest teams in the country, and their play often shows their youth. In their last nonconference game, they started three sophomores and two freshmen. Eleven of their 15 players are in their first two years.

Second, they are capable of a major surprise. They took Kansas, then ranked No. 2 (and now No. 5), into overtime before losing in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 1.

Third, they are maddeningly inconsistent, which helps explain their 7-5 record in nonconference play.