Aidan Cammann Showcases Immense Improvement Against Clemson

Feb 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Chase Thompson (3) defends Stanford Cardinal forward Aidan Cammann (52) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Over the past five games, it’s almost impossible to be positive about Stanford basketball. They have lost close games, and been dominated in others. But the one thing that all five of these games have in common is that they have ended in losses.

Yet, in Stanford’s game against Clemson, the Cardinal showed signs of life both offensively and defensively, and the Cardinal had quite the unsung hero in Wednesday night’s showdown.

Big man Aidan Cammann dropped 19 points in the loss, leading the entire team in scoring. He shot the ball well at all three levels, moved the ball around like a playmaker, and stayed solid defensively. Without Cammann’s presence, Stanford wouldn’t have been able to remain in the game at all.

It’s fair to say Cammann has had an underrated season. He is putting up 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds a game, despite coming off the bench in 15 of the 23 games he’s played this year and is averaging 19.8 minutes per game.

So far this season, Cammann has scored above 10 points just one other time, droping 12 in the second game of the season against Montana. In his freshman season just last year, he didn’t even reach double digits despite playing a bigger role for the Cardinal.

Since the start of ACC play, Cammann has scored 2, 2, 4, 0, 4, 3, 7, 5, and 0 points, and has even had a diminishing role throughout the season. But then in one of the most important games of the season, he was able to produce 19, even outscoring Ebuka Okorie, who finished with 18. No other Cardinal finished in double digits.

It is by far Cammann’s best game not only of the season, but in his young collegiate career. His ability to pass, shoot, dribble and defend was showcased at a much different level than ever before, which further represents how big of a step up this game truly is.

Coming into the season, games like this felt like the expectation for depth pieces. It seemed like Stanford had players that could every so often go for a big 15 points in a crucial game.

However, that hasn’t been showcased much this season, especially from the underclassmen. They've been relying heavily on Okorie to carry the scoring load nearly every night, and when Chisom Okpara was lost for the season, the Cardinal lost a big piece of their roster.

That’s until Cammann decided to show up in this massive game, which not only turned the game around, but if he continues to play this way down the stretch, he could have an immense impact on Stanford's season and where they end up.

Stanford has been needing performances like these from their depth pieces. If players such as Cammann, Donavin Young, Jaylen Thompson, or Evan Stinson can have a game like this, there will certainly be a much higher ceiling for this Cardinal team this season.

Stanford takes on Georgia Tech this Saturday with eight games left in the season. They will certainly love another big time performance from a depth piece if they want to get their first win in three weeks.