Stanford's Postseason Path Suddenly Looks Much Different

It’s been a long, up and down ride for the Stanford Cardinal this season. From watching the emergence of Ebuka Okorie to falling to multiple mid-majors and then celebrating a Benny Gealer's buzzer beater to win the Acrisure Invitational, there have been some key moments that have made this season both worthwhile and heartbreaking.

Watching Stanford put up just 40 points at home against Notre Dame, storming the court after a win against No. 12 North Carolina, and finally, losing to 15th seeded Pitt on Tuesday in the ACC tournament, it looks like the Cardinal will likely be competing in the NIT for the 2025-26 postseason.

That said, head coach Kyle Smith told reporters after the loss that, "I'd be shocked if we're not in it" when asked about the Cardinal in the NCAA tournament.

While coming into the week a likely NIT berth wasn’t what the Cardinal had hoped for, it’s certainly not a bad option. And considering preseason expectations as well as the season-ending injury to Chisom Okpara, being an NIT team isn’t a bad outcome for the program as it continues its ascent.

Oftentimes, NIT teams consist of solid power conference teams along with a few mid-major powers as well. That provides a potential opportunity for the Cardinal to take on 20-25 win mid-major teams such as Belmont or UNC Wilmington, two amazing teams that just fell short in their conference tournaments.

No NIT bracketology projections have been released since the end of the Stanford loss to Pitt, but the Cardinal will likely be a one seed in the tournament, if not a two seed. Compared to the Stanford team from last year, who was a 20-9 team and became a two seed NIT, this Cardinal squad look like they can be at the same level.

Going in, they are 20-12, with better wins than last season, and a tougher conference schedule that they have played well against. That, along with a weak bubble, makes it look as though Stanford will be a one or two seed in the NIT.

Another positive to playing in the NIT is the fact that the Cardinal will almost certainly be back at Maples a few more times this season. Depending on their seeding, Stanford could host up to three games in the NIT, all being fun non-conference matchups that can perfectly determine how good of a team Stanford actually is.

Also, players that have poured their heart into the program, such as Benny Gealer, Jeremy Dent-Smith, and AJ Rohosy, can all play at least one final time at Maples Pavilion before their college career comes to a close.

While the likely scenario of Stanford missing March Madness yet again isn't ideal, making an NIT run could be an interesting way to finish the season on a higher note than the poor final game performance in the conference tournament.

It’s a tournament that brings Stanford back home, allows players to play at Maples Pavilion again, and gives the Cardinal an opportunity to express how good they truly are as a basketball team this season.

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