Stanford Men's Basketball on the Rise, But Will They Make NCAA Tournament?

With new Stanford men's basketball head coach Kyle Smith taking over the job for the 2024-25 season, there were questions about just what kind of ceiling the team would have in his first year. After a win at home against Florida State on Saturday, the men's program has already matched the win total they'd put up the past two seasons.

Now sitting at 14-6 on the season, including a 6-3 record in conference play, the Cardinal will have a shot at making the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013-14 campaign, when they lost to Dayton in the Semifinals. That team, like the current version, was never ranked in the AP poll, yet they went on to defeat New Mexico in the first round, and then upset No. 2 seed Kansas 60-57 in the second round two days later.

According to ESPN's Bracketology, Stanford still has some work to do to make it into the tournament, given that they don't even receive a mention. Though, Joe Lunardi does have Nebraska as his first team out, and they are currently 12-7 with a 2-6 record in the Big Ten. The key for the Cardinal will be putting together consistent performances each time out the rest of the way, and perhaps throwing in a big win or two to grab some attention.

In looking at the remaining schedule, there will be plenty of opportunities to pick up wins to pad the team's record, but also a number of key matchups where a good performance could really put the program on the map.

One of the most exciting matchups will come on the road against Duke on Saturday, February 15, with former Blue Devil Jaylen Blakes being a key cog for the Cardinal this year, alongside Maxime Raynaud. Duke has the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, who has been a monster for his team, but if Stanford can find a way to limit him just a little bit, then that would be a step in the right direction.

Duke is 17-2 on the year and 9-0 in ACC play. Pulling off a win would be monumental, but that may be too high a bar to clear just yet.

Before that contest, Stanford will also have to deal with SMU on the road on Saturday, February 1. The Mustangs are a team that is currently 15-5 with a 6-3 conference record, so right in line with where Stanford is at the moment. The winner of that game will set themselves up nicely moving forward.

A similar matchup for the Cardinal will be the following game, on Wednesday, February 5 back at Maples, when they'll take on Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are currently 15-5 with a 7-2 record against the ACC. Those two games can help separate Stanford from the pack moving forward, or they could separate the pack from Stanford, dropping them down.

Regardless of how this season turns out, one thing is for certain. The Stanford Cardinal men's basketball program is in very capable hands with Kyle Smith in charge.