Donavin Young Proves he Deserves a Big Role with Stanford Men's Basketball

His first ever start showed promise, leaving Cardinal fans excited for what Young brings to the table.
Jan 11, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely (11) and Stanford Cardinal forward Donavin Young (center) and Virginia Cavaliers forward Elijah Saunders (right) dive for a loose ball in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely (11) and Stanford Cardinal forward Donavin Young (center) and Virginia Cavaliers forward Elijah Saunders (right) dive for a loose ball in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
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The era of Donavin Young is here. In his first-ever college start, Young showed out big time, helping the Stanford Cardinal men's basketball team take home the win over Virginia. Scoring eight points, Young proved that he can be called on to score when needed and adds another depth piece to a new-look Stanford program.

But it was more than the stats he put up, it was how the young star wasted little time in making his presence known.

A highly touted recruit out of high school, Young has experience playing high level basketball. After he excelled as a senior at Chiawana High School, he played a prep year at Link Academy in Missouri, one of the most prestigious basketball schools in the nation.

Coming to Stanford over offers from Eastern Washington, Montana, Montana State and Portland State, Young opted to test himself in a Power Four conference, and has shown that he is more than capable of handling the competition as a freshman.

Prior to earning the start against Virginia, Young made three other appearances off the bench, with his debut game coming against Santa Clara. In that game, he played only three minutes while recording one personal foul. However, Young scored his first collegiate points against Oregon on December 23 in the San José Tip-Off, when in 13 minutes off the bench, he made his lone shot which was a three pointer.

The momentum that Young got from scoring his first points carried over to his first ever ACC matchup against Virginia Tech earlier this week, where he played a career high of 23 minutes and scored seven points off 3-for-5 shooting from the field, with one three. Grabbing three rebounds as well, Young proved effective on the defensive end of things.

Young, who stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 210 pounds, brings good size to the Cardinal. While he primarily plays forward, he can also be deployed as a big man and can even play the two guard at times, with his ability to get to the basket and score making him a viable option to run the offense.

This season, the Cardinal boast a largely new-look roster, with transfers such as Jaylen Blakes having become an integral part of this year's team, but Young has provided even more hope that they can integrate more pieces into the rotation.

Currently, the Cardinal are on a two-game winning streak, beating both Virginia and Virginia Tech following a loss to Pittsburgh. However, the rest of the season will provide a plethora of tough challenges for the Cardinal as they will face schools like North Carolina, Syracuse and Miami.

Games like that will force the Cardinal to deploy their best possible lineup, making Young a strong candidate to see even more meaningful minutes this year.

After a tough few seasons, the Cardinal are eager to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly a decade, and with guys like Young proving their worth, it is appearing increasingly likely that the glory days of Stanford basketball will soon return.


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Dylan Grausz
DYLAN GRAUSZ

A lifelong sports fan, Dylan has channeled his passion for sports into the world of reporting, always looking to provide the best possible coverage. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Dylan has since gone on to report on all sports, having gained experience covering primarily football, baseball, basketball, softball and soccer.