Behind Closed Doors, Stanford MBB Scores Statement Win in Secret Test

To many Stanford basketball fans, they were waiting until November 4 for the season opener against Portland State. The diehard fans are also excited for a preseason matchup with the Oregon Ducks a few days before, on October 30th. But what no one expected, is for the Cardinal to already have a win on their preseason ledger.

On Sunday, the Stanford Cardinal met up with the San Francisco Dons for a preseason “secret scrimmage.” Per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Stanford got a 94-88 victory over the Dons.

With just a final score, it’s hard to truly analyze what it means for the Cardinal, but a win over the Dons is certainly a step in the right direction

Being a non-power conference program, USF doesn’t come off as a powerhouse. But this team is great, and has been over the last few seasons. Ever since Chris Gurlefsen took over, USF has been on the rise. Last season, the Dons were a top WCC program, going 25-9 and hosting an NIT regional. Rivalry wins over Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s dictated their amazing season.

But in the offseason is where the Dons stepped up. Despite losing star Malik Thomas to Virginia and Marcus Williams to graduation, they were still returning Tyrone Riley IV and Ryan Beasley, while picking up transfers Guillermo Diaz-Graham and Mookie Cook from Pitt and Oregon respectively. These moves have turned the Dons into a tournament hopeful.

But on Sunday, the Cardinal came out on top. This is a nice sign, because Stanford is a tournament hopeful this season themselves, and stacking up early against a tough opponent has to be a confidence boost with the season looming.

The Cardinal are rolling right into year two under head coach Kyle Smith. Stanford went 21-14, finishing seventh in the ACC last season, their first under coach Smith.

Even after losing their top three offensive pieces, they have tons of potential this season after returning the most minutes in the ACC. Stars such as Ryan Agarwal, Benny Gealer, and Chisom Okpara look to take on increased leadership roles, while the depth looks promising.

Things are going well for Coach Smith and the Cardinal. Getting the win is one thing, but being able to do it against a familiar foe, and a dominant mid-major school truly shows how well the system is working for Stanford. The hope here is that beating a team with lots of star power means the Cardinal depth is working out well. That depth could be the key for the Cardinal this season.

Stanford is now just 10 days away from their preseason opener against Oregon, followed by their regular season opener against Portland State, where they'll look to get off to a hot start.