Stanford Basketball Ready to Take the Next Step After Breakthrough Season

Getting ready for tip-off this week

Mar 12, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) reacts with guard Ryan Agarwal (11) 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

Stanford men's basketball is just days away from their preseason exhibition contest, where they finally get back in action. Hopes are high, and the Cardinal are ready to continue building upon the impressive season they had last year in year two under coach Kyle Smith.

Stanford broke out last season. Despite losing their head coach and many top pieces, the Cardinal made some massive moves in the offseason, recruiting six new freshmen and bringing in key transfers such as Jaylen Blakes from Duke and Oziyah Sellers from USC. But most notably, it was their head coach that meant the most.

Led by returning big man Maxime Raynaud and transfers all around him, the Cardinal went 21-14, blowing expectations out of the water. They finished seventh in the ACC, and qualified for the NIT, where they made it to the second round.

It was undoubtedly an amazing first year, but year two can truly dictate whether the Cardinal are going in the right direction.

Changes to the Roster

Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Sadly, Stanford lost their top three scorers, Raynaud, Blakes, and Sellers, all due to either graduation or the transfer portal. They also lost Cole Kastner and Derin Saran though Saran played in just five games and averaged 3.8 minutes, while Kastner is now a professional athlete—just not on the basketball court.

Amidst all of the departures also came key new pieces storming in. After signing former assistant coach Eric Reveno to a general manager role, coach Smith and GM Reveno brought in four four-star talents through recruiting, two of which are coming from outside of the country in Kristers Skrinda and Oskar Giltay.

One of the new additions is a local star, Myles Jones, while one is a national star, Ebuka Okorie.

Coach Smith took a very interesting approach when it came to the transfer portal. Instead of signing high, mid, or low major Division I talents without much success, he looked towards the DII and DIII levels, finding All-Americans at each level.

He landed Jeremy Dent-Smith, a back-to-back All-American at CSU Dominguez Hills, who had 27 points and 11 rebounds in a National Championship loss. AJ Rohosy is another addition with upside, and a former DI player at Washington State under Smith, who also earned All-American honors.

Stanford Has a Strong Group of Returning Players

Mar 12, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) reacts with guard Ryan Agarwal (11) 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

Of course, Stanford returned some key players. Ryan Agarwal, Chisom Okpara, Benny Gealer, Aidan Cammann, Donavin Young, and Jaylen Thompson all earned starting minutes at times for the Cardinal, and they return for another year.

Even important depth pieces such as Evan Stinson, Anthony Batson Jr., Tallis Toure, Cameron Grant, Ethan Kitch return. In fact, Stanford has the most returning minutes in the ACC at over 50%, and that even ranks as one of the highest rates in the country.

The projected starters heading into the season are Jeremy Dent-Smith, Benny Gealer, Ryan Agarwal, Chisom Okpara, and Aidan Cammann, but with impressive depth, it's likely that many guys will get their name called in the starting lineup depending on the matchup.

The Cardinal look to be set up for an easy non-conference schedule, and it looks like 20 wins is more than just the expectation. With non-conference shootouts with Colorado, Minnesota, and a top mid-major (Santa Clara or Saint Louis), Stanford will be battle tested before a tough ACC run.

The Cardinal host some must-see matchups. They get to play Duke, North Carolina, Cal, Notre Dame, Louisville, Clemson, and more, all at home. Getting to play tough yet on their home turf, Stanford has an opportunity to truly put themselves on the map.

I predict that the Stanford Cardinal go 22-10 in the regular season, suffering losses occasionally, but never truly going on a cold streak. They could even sneak into March Madness, providing the first tournament appearance in 12 seasons.