Stanford is on Target for NCAA Tournament Bid

The heroics that Ebuka Okorie has shown is getting Stanford some well-deserved recognition

Jan 2, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) dribbles against Louisville Cardinals guard Ryan Conwell (3) during the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Going into the 2025-26 season, Stanford basketball had one true goal: Make it into the NCAA tournament. While the Cardinal dreamed big, it was hard to expect Stanford to actually get to the tournament, given that they would be without their three leading scorers from a year ago, and Maxime Raynaud is in the NBA. Plus, it’s been 12 years since the Cardinal made the big dance.

Early into the season, Stanford looked like they had a chance. They began 4-0, beating every team in front of them. But then they started to slip up, losing at home to Seattle and UNLV, which looked to put an end to their hopes at a trip to March Madness.

But recent success has brought those hopes back. They have won five of the last six, including wins over No. 16 Louisville, and a road win this week against Virginia Tech. The Cardinal also secured a neutral site win over Colorado, and all three of those wins have not only jumped them up, but even put them into consideration for the tournament.

The most prominent bracket analyst, Joe Lunardi, releases his tournament projections every Tuesday and Friday. His recent release today has Stanford listed for the first time all season. Lunardi placed the Cardinal in his "next four out", along with Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri.

In other words, Stanford is on the bubble to make the tournament, and won a head-to-head matchup against one of the teams right alongside them.

FOX Sports announced their updated bracket forecast as of Friday. To Stanford fan's surprise, they were not listed on the bubble, but instead, they were given a seeding and a tournament opponent in the first round. They ended up getting the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, and in this forecast, that lined up the Cardinal with Utah State.

A third prediction, this time from T3 Bracketology, also listed Stanford as an 11 seed. Regardless of the publication, Stanford is at the very least on the verge of being a tournament team, which is exactly where they were hoping to be heading into this year. Now it's just a matter of getting the job done.

Of the three sources, two have Stanford in the tournament, and even avoid a potential first four appearance in Dayton. And the other one still has the Cardinal in consideration, being just a good-sized win or two away from qualifying.

It’s going to be a tough ride to the tournament, but the Cardinal are ready. Stanford has 15 games left, and will need to win at least 9 to make the tournament. It’s definitely possible, and even is on the verge of being likely, but Stanford is going to have to win some big games to make it possible.

The Cardinal’s next four games consist of Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, and Cal, four of Stanford’s biggest games of the season. If Stanford can go 2-2, they could be in a great spot heading down the home stretch of the season.