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Articles by Bobby Pragada
KZ Okpala declares for NBA Draft
Sophomore forward KZ Okpala (above) has declared his entry into the 2019 NBA Draft. (BOB DREBIN/isiphotos.com) by Bobby Pragada — April 12, 2019April 11, 2019 Men’s basketball’s sophomore forward Kezie “KZ” Okpala officially declared his eligibility for the NBA draft on Wednesday night, submitting his name to the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee.
Football to scrimmage Sunday in Cardinal and White Spring Game
Junior quarterback K.J. Costello (above) will play in his first Cardinal White spring game this Sunday, in preparation for his senior campaign with the team. (BOB DREBIN/isiphotos.com) by Bobby Pragada — April 12, 2019April 11, 2019 The Stanford football team will take the field at Cagan Stadium this Sunday for the Cardinal and White Spring Game, the final meeting of their 2019 spring practice sessions.
Cardinal fall to Cal behind cold three-point shooting on Senior Night
Senior center Josh Sharma (above) played in his final game in Maples Pavilion on Thursday, notching 11 points and 13 rebounds. (KAREN AMBROSE-HICKEY/isiphotos.com) In the final game of the 2018-19 regular season, Stanford men’s basketball (15-15, 8-10 Pac-12) took a hard-fought loss to the Cal Golden Bears (8-22, 3-15) in Maples Pavilion, ending the year with a 1-1 split of the Bay Area rivalry in one of the strangest games of the season.
Women's sailing looks to school Naval Academy in 18-team regatta, women’s rowing takes on Oregon State
Sophomore skipper Christina Sakellaris (above) became the second Cardinal to win the ICSA Singlehanded national championships with 60 points last November. Sakellaris and the women’s sailing team heads east this weekend for the Navy Spring Women’s Regatta against the season’s toughest competition. (JOHN TODD/isiphotos.com) Fighting fire with fire, or in this case water with water, Stanford women’s sailing will take its talents to Annapolis, MD this weekend for the Navy Spring Women’s Regatta.
I hated 'The Umbrella Academy' and I can’t wait for season two
The British monkey butler is the most compelling character in the inane superhero show "Umbrella Academy" (courtesy of Netflix). Have you ever watched something so abysmally terrible that it resonates with you on a deeply personal level, and you have to create a twitter account to rant about all of the things wrong with what you just witnessed? Well, that was me after spending 10 consecutive hours binge-watching Netflix’s new show, “The Umbrella Academy.” Hit me up with a follow @BadUmbrellas.
Cardinal seek three-game win streak with win over Lopes
Tonight, No. 8 Stanford men’s volleyball (9-5, 2-2 MPSF) will attempt to extend its current win streak to three games, playing Grand Canyon University (7-8, 0-3 MPSF). The Cardinal are currently ranked third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Conference, while the Lopes are last. GCU’s record against ranked opponents is anything but grand: the Lopes have lost five of six games against top-15 opponents, including four sweeps.
Men’s basketball blasts past UCLA, breaking records and basketball hoops in the process
On a Saturday night rife with statistical anomalies, malfunctioning equipment and high-percentage shooting, Stanford men’s basketball (14-11, 7-6 Pac-12) let the rest of the Pac-12 know the full extent of their potential as they blasted past the UCLA Bruins (13-13, 6-7), 104-80. Stanford’s 104 points made this game their highest-scoring affair of the season, and the first time they had eclipsed 100 points since last year’s double overtime win against UCLA.
Men’s basketball gears up for second game against UCLA
The Stanford Cardinal (13-11, 6-6 Pac-12) will take on the UCLA Bruins (13-12, 6-6 ) in a widely anticipated home game on Saturday night. The two teams faced off earlier this year when Stanford endured a crushing 22-point defeat by the Southern California powerhouse during their Pac-12 opener. The Bruins are led by their superstar big man, center Moses Brown.
Naidu: A(AF) bone-crushing reality
The Alliance of American Football kicked off last Saturday night to what many have called a rousing success, from a ratings perspective. The league’s inaugural game between the San Antonio Commanders and San Diego Fleet attracted 2.9 million viewers. This topped the NBA’s marquee game between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder (2.5 million), a matchup that features the league’s two most recent MVPs. Football beating out basketball should come as little surprise.
Tan’s Take: Dear AAF, we don’t need more football
To a casual sports fan, the AAF might sound like a knockoff roadside assistance provider; what the acronym actually stands for is much worse. The Alliance for American Football (AAF), which premiered with four games on Saturday, provides Americans with yet another way to feed their unhealthy addiction for violent tackling and head trauma.
Cardinal pull off late-game comeback against USC Trojans
Boosted by a 7-0 run to finish out the game, Stanford men’s basketball (13-11, 6-6 Pac-12) lit up Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night with a come-from-behind victory over the USC Trojans (13-12, 6-6) by a final score of 79-76. The last time the Cardinal hosted the Trojans in Maples Pavilion, the game ended with the highlight of the season: a half-court buzzer-beating prayer of a three-point shot by then freshman Daejon Davis to win the game.
Women’s basketball suffers up and down weekend against Oregon schools
In a weekend of highs and lows, the Stanford women’s basketball team (19-4, 9-3 Pac-12) dominated the No. 7-ranked Oregon State Beavers (20-4, 10-2) in an upset victory on Friday night before being dissected by the No. 3 Oregon Ducks (23-1, 12-0) on Sunday. The Cardinal walked all over the Beavers, winning 61-44, but were obliterated by the Ducks, falling 84-44. This loss marked the first time the team has been beaten by 40 points since 1985.
Pepperdine Waves overtake Cardinal in three sets
Concluding a tough two-week road trip, No. 9 Stanford men’s volleyball team (7-5, 0-2 MPSF) was swept in three sets by No. 5 Pepperdine (8-2, 2-0 MPSF) on Friday night. Despite the three-set sweep (21-25, 22-25, 21-25), this was a match the ninth-ranked Cardinal could have won. All three sets started close, but Stanford allowed the Waves large runs of four or five points, which proved to be the difference.
Softball opens season with strong showing in Tempe
From Friday to Sunday, Stanford softball (4-1, 0-0 PAC-12) compiled a 4-1 record at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona, winning its first four games and getting narrowly edged out in its final contest. The weekend slate featured both high-powered offensive performances and stellar pitching from the Cardinal as Stanford got off to a strong start in regular season action. Opening day started with a bang as Stanford blew out both of its opponents, beating Bradley 12-5 and Kansas 12-3 on run-rule.
Stanford suspends head athletic trainer, gives no public explanation
Stanford Sports Performance Director Shannon Turley was placed on administrative leave by the University this week. “As this is a personnel matter, we will not be providing further information at this time,” Stanford Athletics revealed to The Bootleg reporter R.J. Abeytia on Thursday.
Softball enters new season with hope
The Stanford softball team opens another season today in Tempe, Arizona against Bradley, but don’t expect them to be like previous Cardinal teams. While Stanford softball doesn’t have the elite reputation of other teams on campus, there are many reasons to believe that they could be in for a special season this year. To start with, it should be noted that the Pac-12 is arguably the toughest conference in the country.
Seven Stanford Cardinal invited to NFL Combine
The National Football League announced its invitations to the 2019 Combine today, including seven Stanford football players in a list of 338 total prospects. The NFL Scouting Combine, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, is an annual event for NFL scouts to evaluate and interview potential draft prospects.
Berkeley to host ‘Battle of the Bay’
Suffering just one non-conference defeat for the first time in five years after breaking their record 11-game winning streak in a close game (68-75) against the No. 14 Utah Utes (18-1, Pac-12 7-1) last Sunday, No. 8 Stanford women’s basketball (17-2, 7-1) looks for the re-ignition of the fiery Cardinal spirit against California (13-6, 4-4) this Thursday at Berkeley at 8 p.m. With a 17-2 season record, Stanford has been off to its best start since the 2013-14 season (22-1) that saw the...
Never too early to start your research
It’s about that time again — presidential bid submission time. In the past month, several prominent and some not-so-prominent political figures have announced their bids for presidency, hoping to get their names and agendas out to the public as early as possible. With these announcements come the inevitable public reactions — immediate comparison, criticism and taking sides. This isn’t entirely a bad thing; it’s what normally happens in the earliest stages of presidential campaigns.
Basketball round table: Asking the tough questions
Stanford women’s basketball is having its best season in years, only dropping two games and dominating opponents at all levels of the game. Stanford men’s basketball has been far more up and down, but still has a .500 record on the year, and continues to show promise on the floor. But both teams still have large questions looming over their seasons, questions that will need to be answered before the year is over.
The case for Kamala
On Jan. 21, I awoke to a text: “Big news from Kamala.” I didn’t need to check CNN or Twitter to understand. I’d been eagerly awaiting this announcement for quite some time. Kamala Harris had done it. She’d joined the handful of African American women to run for the Democratic nomination for President. She made the choice to fight for justice and claim our future — for ourselves, our children and our country.
Men’s and women’s basketball round table: A tale of two teams
No. 6-ranked Stanford women’s basketball (16-1, 6-0 Pac-12) and Stanford men’s basketball (9-9, 2-4 Pac-12) are nearly halfway through their Pac-12 conference schedules, and while both teams have vastly different overall narratives, they both are in the middle of exciting seasons.
Men’s basketball drops one, wins one on Washington road trip
In their quest for a set of conference wins on the road, the Cardinal set out this past weekend to the Pacific Northwest for their first pair of showdowns against the Washington schools. After a disappointing performance against the Washington Huskies (14-4, 5-0) on Thursday, Stanford men’s basketball (9-9, 2-4 Pac-12) rebounded against the Washington State Cougars (8-10, 1-4) on Saturday for their second Pac-12 victory.
Men’s basketball round table: Progressing in the Pac-12
Stanford men’s basketball grabbed its first Pac-12 victory of the year on Saturday with a dominant performance against Arizona State. After the game, sophomore forward KZ Okpala said, “We’re ready now. We know what we can do; we know we can beat any team. We’re ready.” Prepared to go on a run, the Cardinal will visit Seattle on Thursday to take on Washington.
Three Stanford women’s soccer players drafted in first round of NSWL college draft
“With the first pick, in the first round of the 2019 NWSL college draft, the Chicago Red Stars select Tierna Davidson from Stanford University.” Davidson, a current junior, was quickly followed by two more first-round selections from the Cardinal women’s soccer team, senior midfielder Jordan DiBiasi and senior defender Tegan McGrady. Stanford women’s soccer now has six first-round picks in the program’s history, and 12 total draftees.
Wrestling remains perfect in dual meet, takes down Utah Valley and Harvard
Stanford men’s wrestling (5-0, 0-0 Pac-12) triumphed over No. 22 Utah Valley (7-6, 0-0 Big-12) and Harvard (0-2, 0-0 EIWA) in a two-part dual meet this past Saturday. The first game at Burnham Pavilion against the Wolverines was a close contest in a majority of weight classes, but the Cardinal eventually prevailed 20-19 to secure their second dual meet victory against a ranked opponent.
Cardinal women dominate defensively in the desert
The Arizona State University women’s basketball team had won nine of their previous 10 games going into their home game last Friday against Stanford. The University of Arizona was on an even hotter streak, winning 12 of their past 13 games going into their home game on Sunday against the Cardinal. Both teams left the weekend disappointed as Stanford continued to show dominance in wins against two of the stronger teams in the Pac-12.
Charles Dickens: ‘Humbug’ and hope
Many people know me as an optimist. While it’s true that I do my best to focus on the good in life, and can often make the best of a bad situation, my internal feelings can be more complicated. Paradoxically, I find that I tend to exhibit a sunny outlook while simultaneously possessing a deeper cynicism. Sometimes I can’t help but feel helpless in the face of vast problems like economic inequality or climate change.
Cardinal notch first Pac-12 win over Arizona State
Coming off a close, disappointing loss to the Arizona Wildcats at home last Wednesday, the Stanford men’s basketball team (8-8, 1-3 Pac-12) had its back against the wall, staring down the barrel of losing four straight in the Pac-12. In a must-win contest, the Cardinal took on the Arizona State Sun Devils (11-5, 2-2) on Saturday afternoon, and powered through to claim an 85-71 upset victory.
Men’s basketball drops conference openers in Southern California
For students and tourists alike, Southern California has always proved to be a popular travel destination during winter break. However, this most recent trip down to Los Angeles was not a pleasant one for the Stanford men’s basketball team (7-7, 0-2 Pac 12), which suffered defeats at the hands of both UCLA (9-6, 2-0 Pac 12) and USC (9-6, 2-0 Pac 12). The conference opener tipped off last Thursday against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s volleyball wins eighth national championship
For the second time in three years, the Stanford women’s volleyball team has won the national championship. On December 15, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the No. 1 Stanford Cardinal (34-1, 20-0 Pac-12) defeated the No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (29-7) in five hard-fought sets to claim the program’s eighth total national title.
Women’s basketball opens Pac-12 play with a Southern California sweep
After the best non-conference record since the 2013-2014 season, the No. 6 ranked Stanford women’s basketball team (12-1, 2-0 Pac-12) opened conference play with consecutive wins over their Southern California neighbors in Maples Pavilion. On Friday night, the Cardinal beat USC (10-3, 0-2 Pac-12) by a score of 72-64 before coming back from two double-digit deficits against UCLA (9-6, 2-1 Pac-12) to win 86-80 Sunday afternoon.
Championship bound: Stanford women’s volleyball blows by BYU
Stanford women’s volleyball has had an absolutely incredible season in 2018. They went undefeated in the Pac-12, swept their way through their regional bracket, and claimed the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. But there was a constant blemish on an otherwise perfect season—their one loss on the year, a five-set defeat to Brigham Young University (BYU). The Cardinal ended the regular season 28-1, nearly undefeated.
High school v. college: Model United Nations
Every so often, something from high school that I thought I’d left in the past comes back to me. Recently, that was Model UN. I did MUN for three years in high school, but I decided to revisit it in a burst of nostalgia in the beginning of this year. Before I knew it, I was co-chairing a General Assembly (GA) committee at the Stanford MUN Conference (SMUNC) for high schoolers.
UC Berkeley settles with YAF over ‘discriminatory’ speaker event policies
On Monday, the University of California at Berkeley announced a legal settlement granting concessions to the Berkeley College Republicans (BCR) and Young America’s Foundation (YAF). The settlement was the result of a 2017 lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations by Berkeley after it cancelled scheduled speaking events set to feature conservative commentators Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter and David Horowitz.
Stanford men’s water polo drops a heartbreaker to USC after making the NCAA finals
On Saturday afternoon, No. 1 Stanford men’s water polo (21-3, 2-1 MPSF) romped to a 16-7 destruction of No. 7 UC San Diego (20-6, 6-1 WWPA) in the NCAA semifinals to advance to the championship game. Yet, the next day at Avery Aquatics Center, the Cardinal fell to No. 2 USC (30-3, 2-1) 14-12, continuing a 16-year championship drought for the Stanford program.
Men’s swimming competes at Texas Invitational
Last weekend, eighth-ranked Stanford’s men’s swimming and diving team (1-0, Pac-12 1-0) concluded a four-day invitational at University of Texas. The meet did not keep score, which gave coaches the freedom to test swimmers in different events. The Cardinal left Texas with finalists who earned NCAA B-cuts in every event. Despite heavy losses to relay teams over the summer, Stanford excelled in the five relay events.
Greek myths
Almost exactly 10 years ago, I was in the fourth grade. It was December, and excitement was in the air: We were about to start a unit on Greek myths. Well, maybe the excitement was just because it was almost winter break. But for me, as Mrs. Johnson opened her large yellow storybook with the crinkling plastic cover, the excitement was in that moment — in the story. As 2018 comes to a close, I find it hard to believe that it’s been a full decade since that formative moment in my life.
Harvard and the illusion of merit
Allan Bakke, an engineer and former Marine Corps officer, applied to UC Davis Medical School twice — once in 1973 and once in 1974. Both times, he was denied. In the same special program to which he applied, a number of minority applicants with significantly lower test scores were admitted.
Women’s volleyball dominates first-, second-round opponents in NCAA tournament
Stanford women’s volleyball (30-1, 20-0 Pac-12) continued its unstoppable march to Minneapolis and the NCAA Final Four this weekend, smashing its first- and second-round opponents without dropping a single set. The No. 1-seeded Cardinal rolled past the lowest-seeded team in the tournament, the Alabama State Hornets (23-18), on Friday night before taking down the Loyola Marymount Lions (21-10) on Saturday. The team has won 28 consecutive matches, now tied for the longest streak in school history.
Stanford in the NFL: Cardinal alumni accumulate losses
The football gods must always take more than they give. After Stanford earned the right to keep the Axe for another year, it was only fair that nearly every former Cardinal in the NFL would lose. Despite the list of L’s, the following alumni were still able to make an impact for their team. Carolina Panthers’ running back Christian McCaffrey had a game that would have been impressive had it not come directly after his record-setting Sunday last week.
Women’s basketball drops first loss of the season to Gonzaga
Sliding three spots in the rankings this week to No. 11, Stanford women’s basketball (6-1, 0-0 Pac-12) dropped a close one, its first loss of the season, against the No. 24 Gonzaga Bulldogs (8-1, 0-0 WCC) by a score of 73-79 this past Sunday in Spokane, Washington. The Bulldogs started off the game hard pressing the Cardinal, outshooting the Cardinal 54 percent to 43 percent, leading by five points at the end of the first quarter.
Men’s basketball nearly pulls off upset of century against Kansas
In a fight they were never thought to have a chance in, the Stanford men’s basketball team (4-4) put up a formidable performance against nationally No. 2-ranked Kansas (6-0) but was ultimately defeated in overtime by a final score of 90-84. The first quarter was a flurry of action down and back on the court. With only 12 minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 17-15, and eight total lead changes had occurred.
Stanford football selected to compete in Sun Bowl
When the sun sets on 2018, Stanford football (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) will look for its first win over Pitt (7-6, 6-2 ACC) in 90 years. For the second time in three years, the Cardinal will fly to El Paso, Texas for the Hyundai Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Stanford is 1-2 all-time against Pitt, with the lone victory coming in the 1928 Rose Bowl Game. Pitt won the first meeting 16-7 in 1922 and the most recent meeting 7-0 in 1932.
The Stanford Daily falls to The Daily Californian in the 2018 Ink Bowl
Last Saturday, amidst intermittent rain and cloudy skies, The Daily Californian defeated The Stanford Daily in the Ink Bowl for the third consecutive year, claiming the trophy, the title and the glory by a final score of 28-14. For those unfamiliar with the tradition, The Ink Bowl is a yearly flag football game held between the staffs of Stanford and Cal’s student newspapers. The match takes place on the morning of Big Game on the campus of the school hosting the contest that year.
Stanford women’s soccer begins the College Cup
As the defending national champions, Stanford women’s soccer (21-0-2, 10-0-1) takes its title defense to North Carolina to face Florida State (18-4-3, 5-4-1 ACC) in the semifinals of the College Cup. The No. 1 seed Cardinal will put their 45-game unbeaten streak on the line in WakeMed Soccer Park against the fellow No. 1 seed Seminoles.
Water polo seeks success while hosting NCAA tournament
Tomorrow afternoon, men’s water polo returns to the NCAA tournament for their 32nd appearance and the first since 2014. The Cardinal (20-2, MPSF 2-1) enter the scene ranked as the best team in the nation after triumphing over No. 2 UCLA and No. 4 Cal in the MPSF end-of-season tournament two weeks ago. This championship has an extra layer of significance as Stanford will play host for the first time in five years.
Daily staffer predictions: The Big Game
Bobby Pragada Stanford 20, Cal 23 I want Stanford to win as much as the next person, but unfortunately, I already know exactly how this game is going to play out. Step one: Stanford comes out of the tunnel and plays abysmal offense with their flawed offensive line, as they try to run Bryce Love 20 times before the half. They pick up three first downs and are shut out in the first half.
Football round table: Unstoppable force, immovable object
Stanford football enters the Big Game this year with the same record as the Cal Golden Bears for the first time in what seems like forever. The playing field is level, and everything is on the line. The Cardinal have an eight game winning streak in progress, and look to make it nine. Cal has a strong defensive identity and a bowl game for the first time since 2015. Two teams enter, one team leaves.
King’s Keys: The Biggest Game
It’s been a disappointing season for Stanford football. Last week’s 48-17 win over Oregon State makes it look a little better, but the Cardinal are still just 6-4 on the year, with a 4-3 record in Pac-12 play. Those four regular season losses are the most since 2014, and with three games left to play, it could easily become the worst season for Stanford since 2008 in Jim Harbaugh’s second year.
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