Talented group returning for Stanford, but more firepower needed

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What happened in Vegas will continue to haunt the Stanford men next season unless they learn to defend better, particularly against the three, and unless they shoot better themselves.

The 2016-17 Cardinal will return an excellent core group of Reid Travis, Michael Humphrey, Dorian Pickens, Robert Cartwright, Josh Sharma and Marcus Sheffield. But this team finished in a tie for ninth place in the Pac-12 for a reason. Actually several of them.

Whether the Cardinal rectify them with an added year of maturity and with their freshman reinforcements will determine whether they join the upper echelon of the conference in head coach Jerod Haase’s second season.

Problem No. 1 was shooting. The Cardinal (14-17, 6-12 Pac-12) had the third-worst scoring offense (69.7) in the conference, the fourth-worst field-goal percentage (44.0) and easily the worst three-point shooting percentage (32.0). When you rank 300th in the country from long range, you’re not going to scare many people.

Problem No. 2 was defending. They gave up the second highest three-point percentage (38.2) in the conference. Although they were fifth in scoring defense (71.1) in all games, they gave up nearly 74 points per game in conference play.

Wednesday’s Pac-12 tournament opener against Arizona State was a case in point. Stanford couldn’t match the Sun Devils’ firepower and, despite a valiant comeback to send the game into overtime, lost by 10.

Problem No. 3 was the inability to finish games. There weren’t many thrillers this season, but Stanford lost three of them to ASU. The big ones that got away were the game at Arizona — tied with under two minutes left — and a two-point defeat at home against Oregon.

Stanford had close wins over Colorado State, Indiana State (on a three by Pickens with two seconds left), Idaho, Washington and Cal. None of those wins was a real surprise, though, except for possibly Cal.

All-Pac-12 power forward Reid Travis will return next season but needs to work on shooting, like the rest of the Cardinal. All-Pac-12 power forward Reid Travis will return next season but needs to work on shooting, like the rest of the Cardinal. Photo: Al Chang / Al Chang / Stanford Athletics Photo: Al Chang / Al Chang / Stanford Athletics Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Talented group returning for Stanford, but more firepower needed 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Can the Cardinal get into the Big Dance next year? Perhaps. Travis should be a monster, although he needs to polish his mid-range jumper. Humphrey needs to become a deadeye like UCLA’s Thomas Welsh (57.5 percent). Pickens needs to be flat-out the best perimeter shooter in the conference. Cartwright needs to be more of an offensive threat. Sheffield and Sharma need to get stronger.

More firepower is needed. Maybe it will be provided by incoming freshman Kezie Okpala, a 6-foot-8 forward from Esperanza High in Anaheim. He had 34 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 66-47 CIF Southern California Regional win over Dorsey-Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

Okpala, one of the top small forwards in the state, grew 10 inches in high school. He averages 30 points and 10 rebounds, twice scored a school-record 45 points and hit 41 in another game. At 185 pounds, he’ll need to bulk up on the Farm.

He and 6-9, 210-pound forward Oscar da Silva of Munich signed with Stanford on Nov. 9. Da Silva, who speaks six languages fluently, plays for Germany’s Under-18 national team. Like Okpala, he should step into Stanford’s rotation immediately.

A third recruit, 6-1 guard Isaac White, out of Sacred Heart College prep school in Somerton Park, Australia, is expected to sign when the final signing period opens April 12. In an email, he said, “I consider myself a combo guard. I have certainly developed my abilities in recent years in becoming a point guard, but I believe I can do either.”

One thing is for sure about next season: The nonleague schedule won’t be any easier. Stanford hosts North Carolina on Nov. 20 at Maples Pavilion and plays Kansas on Dec. 21 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tomgfitzgerald

Looking ahead

to 2017-18

Top returnees: F/C Reid Travis, F Michael Humphrey, G/F Dorian Pickens, G Robert Cartwright, C/F Josh Sharma, G/F Marcus Sheffield