How Will the Loss of Oziyah Sellers Affect Stanford Basketball?

The college basketball season has not quite ended, but players are already entering the transfer portal. On Tuesday, Stanford basketball experienced its first casualty, with junior guard Oziyah Sellers announcing his intention to enter the NBA Draft, while also keeping his college basketball eligibility open, also deciding to enter the transfer portal.

While Sellers is the first and only Cardinal player so far to enter the portal, losing him could be a major problem.

With stars such as Jaylen Blakes and Maxime Raynaud set to depart after running out of eligibility, Sellers was expected to take on an even bigger role as a senior and be the face of the program in head coach Kyle Smith's second season.

Transferring prior to this season from USC, where he was used as a reserve, Sellers started every game for the Cardinal this season and averaged a career high of 13.7, ending the campaign as the team's second leading scorer behind Maxime Raynaud.

Sellers was supposed to be the star of the team in 2025-26 and fill the void left behind by Blakes and Raynaud, giving coach Smith someone to build the program around for next season.

Only having three scorers average in the double figures, Sellers' performance this season proves that he can step up when needed, and with Stanford entering a pivotal season, it could have been a prime time for Sellers to really show what he can do.

Now, the Cardinal will need to really establish an identity come October.

While there are plenty of established guys on Stanford's roster, with Benny Gealer, Ryan Agarwal and Chisom Okpara currently slated to return, there are also players who still need to prove that they can be relied on, with Donavin Young, Evan Stinson and Aidan Cammann, among others getting some action, but playing more limited roles.

With Sellers out of the picture, can one of those guys establish themselves as Stanford's next superstar?

While Sellers is in the transfer portal, his primary focus is on the upcoming NBA draft. While not considered a highly touted prospect, Sellers does have some NBA upside, being a very skilled shooter as well as using his 6-foot-5, 185 pound frame to his advantage on defense.

He primarily plays guard for the Cardinal, but Sellers also provides a lot of versatility and can be used as a forward when needed.

If Sellers ends up returning to school, he could be a hot name on the market. With NIL being a big part of college sports nowadays, it could be expected that Sellers will be seeking a good deal at his next school, wanting to not only ensure that he will be a big part of the team's plans for the upcoming season, but also set himself up for a good future.

Only time will tell which direction Sellers will go, but Stanford now has to figure out what they are going to do without one of its best players next season.