Stanford basketball 2014-15 season preview

Overview: After establishing itself as a program on the rise with a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament last season, Stanford will look to make a second straight tournament appearance for the first time since the 2006-2007 and 2007-08 seasons.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins is credited with the development of senior guard Chasson Randle, who averaged 18.8 points per game last season, an improvement from 13.6 as a sophomore. Although the Cardinal will certainly miss 2014 NBA draft picks Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis, Randle has continued to improve across the floor and become a leader in his three seasons in Palo Alto. Look for Dawkins to incorporate freshmen Robert Cartwright and Reid Travis into the rotation to allow more opportunities for Randle.

If Duke faces Stanford in the Coaches vs. Cancer classic, it will be the first matchup between the teams since the 2000-01 season. Perhaps more interesting for Blue Devil and Cardinal fans alike is the possibility of a face-off between Mike Krzyzewski and his former associate head coach. Dawkins played for Duke from 1982 to 1986 and worked on Krzyzewski's coaching staff for 11 seasons before taking the head coaching job at Stanford. The Cardinal and Blue Devils have previously met only twice on the court, with Stanford emerging as the victor on both occasions.

One thing that needs to go right: Randle continues to dominate across the floor and cements his position as one of the best guards in the Pac-12.