The Stanford Bench: Who’s on the Court in Crunch Time?

 

Warren Grimes

With substantial depth and diversity in the Stanford roster, it’s fascinating to see who Coach VanDerveer calls upon during critical moments.  Crunch time is often in the fourth quarter when the team is fighting to overcome a deficit or to hold on to a lead. The players who play these minutes vary over time as young players settle in, injuries or foul trouble limits availability, and matchups change.  On any given day, a hot hand can earn a player a role in critical minutes.

Four Stanford starters are, assuming they are available, likely to be on the floor in critical moments: Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen, Hanah Jump, and Talana Lepolo.  Foul trouble can limit their time.  So who among the bench players is most likely to be in the game when it matters most.

Brooke Demetri is often the first off the bench, and averages 20.5 minutes per game.  She’s an obvious choice in crunch time because of her steady defense, her 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio and her ability to take and make critical three-point shots.  In the critical overtime win against Washington last Friday, Dimitri shot only once.  She converted a critical three point shot in the fourth quarter that allowed Stanford to hold on to the tie in regulation.   

Last weekend, however, it was not Dimitri who got the most minutes off the bench.  Freshman Courtney Ogden averaged 21 minutes of play against the Washington schools.  She scored 11 critical points against the Huskies, playing the entire overtime.  With 6 seconds on the clock and holding a slim 2-point lead, Stanford was having difficulties inbounding the ball.  Ogden broke free of her defender to take an inbound pass and convert a contested layup.  With just 5 seconds left, the Huskies could not convert, ensuring the Stanford win. 

Against Washington State two days later, Ogden once again played the most minutes off the bench (19 minutes), making both of her shot attempts (including a three-pointer) and pulling down three boards.  One reason that Ogden is winning this floor time is her solid defense and steadiness under pressure (a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio).  Ogden has learned to let the game come to her and is developing into a valuable crunch-time player. 

Other players have gained the trust of the coaches and earn minutes during critical moments.  After Demetri, Jzaniya Harriel is the highest scoring bench player in conference play.  She is averaging 4.2 points per game while playing defense and shooting 55% from the three-point line.  Nunu Agara is close behind, averaging 4.1 points in conference play.  Agara is most often a replacement for interior standouts Brink and Iriafen.  In the last six games, those two players have largely avoided foul trouble, limiting Agara’s time on the floor.  In conference play, Agara is converting her shots at a 56.8% clip. 

That leaves Chloe Clardy, averaging just 6.8 minutes since conference play began.  That understates her value as a ball handler and assist maker. When Arizona’s pressing guards were disrupting Stanford’s offensive flow, Clardy came in to steady things, scoring 6 points and dishing out 4 assists in 21 minutes of floor time. 

Meanwhile, during the last six games, the MVP award goes to Cameron Brink, who has avoided foul trouble while playing an average of 32.8 minutes, scoring 21 points and hauling in 15 boards per game.  Those numbers don’t adequately describe Brink’s value to the team.  Brink had 28 blocks during the six games, with countless other shots altered or not taken because of Brink’s presence in the game.  That's why Brink is a serious candidate for a league or national MVP award.