Can Stanford Basketball Compete Without Making a Transfer Move?

Mar 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ryan Agarwal (11) reacts with the crowd during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

After the transfer portal closed on February 22, good news and bad news seemed to occur.

On the bright side, only one Stanford basketball player entered the portal, proving that nearly everyone has bought into Kyle Smith and his system, where they believe that Stanford can do great things. On the down side, it looks like Smith isn’t intending to bring in any transfers.

Assuming that the offseason is over for the Cardinal, where do they sit in terms of their place for next season?

Stanford is in a weird position. They are losing a massive portion of their scoring, losing 57 or their 73 points per game, which were accompanied by Maxime Raynaud, Oziyah Sellers, and Jaylen Blakes. Regardless, of their 16 roster spots, they return 12, and look to build off the youth of their team. It feels like every single player has a possibility to take a big step forward.

Ryan Agarwal, Chisom Okpara, and Benny Gealer are the upperclassmen leaders. All three had big roles last season, and are all expected to take on a bigger leadership role in 2025-26. There were many moments when these players broke out, and it seems like it was a bit of a sneak peak for 2025. The goal for each of them will be consistency.

The main chunk of the roster are sophomores. Donavin Young, Evan Stinson, Derin Saran, Aidan Cammann, Jaylen Thompson, Cameron Grant, Tallis Toure, and Anthony Batson Jr were all good pieces for Stanford throughout the season.

With a couple players having potential to emerge as stars, there is no doubt that this sophomore class at Stanford has a chance to go down in history as one of the top Cardinal classes, and this season will be a huge development year for them.

Jaylen Petty, Ebuka Okorie, and Kristers Skrinda round out the roster. The incoming freshmen are all ranked as four star prospects across various sites, and each could make an impact in different ways for Stanford.

Stanford basketball has potential to take another step forward as a program next season, but it is still pretty unclear to what degree. A few stars would have to truly break out next season if they want to make a tournament run, but it is certainly possible with the depth that they have, and Stanford fans should have full faith in Kyle Smith to lead this team to the promised land.