Stanford Basketball Travels to Play Rival San Jose State

Dec 7, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Jeremy Dent-Smith (25) dribbles against UNLV Runnin' Rebels forward Tyrin Jones (6) in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

This weekend, Stanford basketball gets back in action for a massive non-conference game.

Following a stunning loss on Sunday to UNLV in a west coast battle, Stanford's odds for playing meaningful games in March have plummeted. It was their second home loss to a mid-major on the year, and a tough start to their hopeful run towards the NCAA tournament this year. But now they have a chance to build back their win streak.

The Cardinal will be playing the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday on the road. It is Stanford’s third game not at home this season, and the Cardinal’s first real road test of the year.

Stanford had a decent start to the year, beginning 4-0, but the loss to Seattle completely derailed what could have been a perfect start to the season. Then, they went on a three-game win streak, beating Minnesota, St. Louis, and Portland, before the aforementioned loss to UNLV.

San Jose State got off to an awful start to the year, going 0-3 with losses to Utah, Santa Barbara, and Michigan State, but they were heavy underdogs in all three. Since then, they have gone 5-2 with wins over DII Bethesda, Southern, Loyola Chicago, San Diego, and most recently Long Beach State in overtime. But their losses have come to UC Irvine and most notably Tulsa by 30.

It’s clear the Spartans do have some promise, and a lot of that is dictated by the talent on their roster. Colby Garland leads San Jose State in scoring, putting up almost 19 points per game. His ability to take over a game is incredible, and he has been key to the Spartans’ success this season.

Yaphet Moundi and Jermaine Washington contribute as well with 12 points a game each, while Sadraque NgaNga has shown significant promise despite averaging 6 and 5. The whole team is solid, and could match up well for the Cardinal.

Stanford do have solid depth pieces though, and their star power could sink the Spartans on Saturday. Ebuka Okorie’s 21, 4 and 3 have helped the Cardinal become successful this season, and other pieces such as Benny Gealer, Chisom Okpara, Jeremy Dent-Smith, and AJ Rohosy are key contributors as well.

Stanford currently has a 66.5% chance to win according to ESPN analytics, a high number on the road, but it’s certainly not going to be an easy matchup, especially considering a few of the roster pieces the Spartans have.

This one could end up being close, but we'll take Stanford to win, 83-75. Their star power is just too much, and their five-day break will help Kyle Smith get things back together and get the team back on track.

This is absolutely a great one to tune into this weekend. San Jose State is playing for the pride of the South Bay, hoping to get their first Power Four win since 2011. But Stanford isn’t playing for pride, but stability.

A loss to an inferior opponent could send the Cardinal into a rabbit hole they won't be able to climb out of this season, making this more or less a must-win for the Cardinal if they hope to keep their slim hopes alive.