Stanford Basketball Looking to Keep Undefeated Start Going vs. Louisiana

Mar 12, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) reacts with guard Benny Gealer (5) after scoring a basket and being fouled late in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a long six-day break, Stanford basketball is back to action on Tuesday to take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. The game will take place at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA, and be a 7 p.m. local time (PT) start.

The Cardinal have had a solid start to the year. Following a phenomenal preseason of beating USF and Oregon, Stanford has gone 3-0 in the regular season, taking down three of the best Big Sky programs in Portland State, Montana, and Montana State. Their best win of the year was definitely against the Grizzlies, when they beat the former Big Sky champs by 23.

And it’s not just wins that have been impressive for Stanford. True freshman Ebuka Okorie has dominated college basketball, becoming the nation’s leading scorer for freshman. And the depth of the Cardinal has been mostly solid too. Stars Benny Gealer and Chisom Okpara have taken a huge steps up in the Cardinal’s success this season.

Louisiana has had a tough start to the year, opening with a loss to Ball State, followed by a win over Southeastern Louisiana. But then, they lost back-to-back against Tulane and McNeese. Now, the Ragin' Cajuns sit at 1-3, and are struggling heavily.

Louisiana is carried by two players, who do the majority of the work for them. Jaxon Olvera, a 6’5 guard, is averaging 16 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Cajuns. Junior Jamyron Keller, another guard, is putting up 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.

However, Keller hasn’t played in the past two games, it's unclear if he'll be ready to go for this game out west. It looks like it’ll be a game time decision, though even if he plays, the Cardinal have the better roster.

The Cardinal have been great offensively, and the Cajuns defensively have struggled. In addition, their big man play has been pretty weak, and they have done a poor job of rebounding.

Stanford hasn’t been amazing rebounding the ball, but have still won the board battle by an average of five per game. Considering head coach Kyle Smith’s emphasis on rebounding when speaking to the media, the expectation is that board will be a big focus for the Cardinal against Louisiana.

We'll throw out a score prediction for this one, with Stanford coming out ahead 86-64, and dominating from the first whistle to the last. The Cardinal should be able to secure yet another win in non-conference play on Tuesday night.