Stanford will attempt to complete a Big Sky Conference hat trick Wednesday night when it looks to remain unbeaten at the expense of visiting Montana State.Adjusting to life without star big man Maxime Raynaud, who now plays for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, the Cardinal (2-0) have ridden the brilliance of freshman guard Ebuka Okorie to season-opening wins over Portland State and Montana.Okorie, a New Hampshire native who didn’t arrive in California with an abundance of fanfare, thrilled his new fans with a pair of strong performances.He posted a Stanford freshman record for an opener by scoring 26 points on Nov. 4 in an 89-79 win over Portland State. He added 29 points in a 91-68 romp over Montana on Saturday.Stanford coach Kyle Smith labeled the performance against Montana “pretty awesome” but also cautioned future opponents that “he’s going to get better.””He’s going to get a lot of different coverages, so he’s going to have to learn,” Smith said after Saturday’s win. “But he’s a weapon. When we get a rebound, there’s not a better feeling for a coach … get the ball in his hands. Good things are happening.”Wednesday’s contest will fall on the midpoint of Stanford’s five straight home games to tip off Smith’s second season at the helm. Louisiana and Seattle also will visit in the next nine days.
