Stanford heads into Friday night’s trip to UNLV with a perfect record intact and a star guard driving the early surge.
The Cardinal are 3-0 after rolling past Eastern Washington, Oakland and Rice, and they’ll take that unbeaten start on the road against another undefeated team. Stanford went 8-7 away from home last season, but this group has opened 2026 with plenty of momentum.
Nick Townsend has been the engine. The Yale transfer is putting up 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game, and he was at his best in the 91-73 win over Rice. Townsend scored 31 points to lead both teams, while also adding eight rebounds and six assists.
He’s also sitting atop the Atlantic Coast Conference scoring race and leads the league in field-goal percentage at 71%, going 22-for-31 from the floor.
"My teammates did a great job of finding me in the right spots," Townsend said. "I was able to take advantage of some good matchups and get to the line again, which I think helps."
Stanford got more than just Townsend in the Rice win. Austin Maurer finished with a double-double, posting 14 points and 11 rebounds. Julius Price added 10 points and four assists, and Christian Bliss chipped in 12 points while knocking down 2 of 3 shots from beyond the arc.
"We're getting better," Stanford coach Kyle Smith said. "Overall, just really pleased with our (effort), to feel like we've been getting better every game. Kind of get an identity."
UNLV, meanwhile, has matched Stanford’s perfect start with a 2-0 record of its own, beating Northern Arizona and Samford at home.
"Both Northern Arizona and Samford are good teams," UNLV coach Josh Pastner said. "And you can see that there isn't a lot of separation anymore. There is so much parity among college basketball."
The Rebels had to work for it against Samford, carrying just a 45-40 edge into halftime before pulling away. Cam Miles scored 20 points, Jackson Kiss grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and Sebastian Mack and Tyrin Jones each finished with 17 points. Jones also blocked six shots and went 7-for-10 at the line.
"Our guys did a great job of adhering to the game plan," Pastner said. "Secondly, we were in the game because of free-throw shooting.
Free-throw shooting was really imperative for us tonight, 25-for-32. Tyrin Jones had some big free throws. ...
"And, thirdly, we had 11 offensive rebounds. The ones late (in the game) from Jackson Kiss and Dontrez Williams were great."
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The setting adds another layer to a game that already matters plenty for Stanford, especially with road results having been a stubborn issue this season. Coach Tavita Pritchard has been talking through where his team stands and what it will take to finish better, while Virginia Tech coach James Franklin has been weighing in on his own team's performance and approach as the Hokies try to keep momentum going in conference play. [Read more 🡒]