By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Year One in the ACC for the Bay Area schools did not end up going as well as either of the programs probably would have liked.
But in reality, things have probably gone about how they were expected to, and in the case of Stanford, they have exceeded expectations.
In the preseason, the Bears were projected to finish 16th in the conference, while Stanford was projected 17th.
The Cardinal have had a nice season but can certainly look back at a few games that could have gone their way but didn’t. In Cal’s case, Mark Madsen’s team had some clear deficiencies going into the season but have held their own for the most part.
Cal currently sits in 15th while the Cardinal are in 7th place. The Bears’ win over Boston College last weekend secured them a spot in the ACC tournament.
This weekend their regular season will come to an end at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are a game ahead of Cal and there is plenty to play for in the finale.
This is also a road game in which the Bears have to feel they can pick up a win, but also one that the Irish believes they can win as well.
The Bears could still finish anywhere from 15th to 12th in the ACC, depending on the outcome of this weekend’s games.
Stanford ends the season at 14th-ranked Louisville and will look to snap the Cardinals’ ACC-leading eight-game winning streak.
The Cardinal followed up a huge win over SMU last weekend with a two-point loss at Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Again, despite their success, there are some losses Stanford’s resume that the Cardinal would like to get back, and that loss to the Irish is one of them.
Ultimately, what was supposed to be a transitional year for the Cardinal could net them their first 20-win season since 2019-20. A win today would get them to that threshold.
While the NCAA is still a longshot for the Cardinal, a road win over U of L along with the more favorable seed in the ACC Tournament that would come with it would get Stanford into the NCAA conversation.
Especially if they can win a couple of games in Charlotte next week. A win today, along with a Georgia Tech loss at Wake would prevent a path that would involve Stanford playing Duke before the final.
Again, the Georgia Tech loss is another one of those ones the Cardinal probably would like back.
It was also another one on the road. Stanford has gone just 2-7 on the road in conference play this season, and The Yum Center will not be an easy place to buck that trend.
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
