Stanford Takes on Florida State in Crucial Conference Game

Another loss on Saturday could put March Madness dreams out of reach

Jan 25, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ryan Agarwal (11) controls the ball during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Despite three straight losses, Stanford is hovering around the verge of a potential spot in the NCAA tournament. However, it’s going to take a lot of 50/50 wins coming soon, with the first crucial game coming this weekend against Florida State. In what could end up being the spark plug to a run, or a nail in the coffin, Saturday’s game matters immensely.

Stanford comes in at 14-7, but three straight losses are hurting the momentum the Cardinal once held. While they do certainly have a chance against Florida State, it’s tough to play on the road, especially when traveling from California to Florida.

Florida State is coming in at 9-12, having a relatively negative season compared to expectations. Regardless, momentum heading into Saturday could potentially be on their side. While they have lost 11 of their last 16, they also have won two of the last three, with those wins coming against Miami and Cal. Two of Stanford's last three losses have been against those same Canes and Bears.

The Seminoles roster, while solid recently, just doesn’t have enough talent to compete regularly. Their top player, Robert McCray V, is putting up 14.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds a game. However, they don’t have much help surrounding him. Chauncey Wiggins at 12 points a night helps the Noles, and so does Lejae Jones with 11, but the majority of the offense relies around McCray V.

Against Miami, McCray V put up 20 points, offensively dominating in the key road win. In Wednesday’s win vs Cal, it was Wiggins who went off for 18 points. Both will certainly be a tough matchup for the Cardinal on Saturday.

Despite losing Chisom Okpara for the season, Stanford still has tons of talent that has helped them succeed this season. Ebuka Okorie remains a top player in the country with 21.5 points per game, and recent jumps from shooters Benny Gealer and Jeremy Dent-Smith create a lethal deep game that can keep the Cardinal close with anyone.

In addition, Ryan Agarwal’s scoring and rebounding game has propelled the Cardinal to wins, especially in the last few weeks.

At the end of the day, it’s all about which Florida State team shows up. If they come in as the regular basketball team they are, Stanford should walk in and come out with a victory. But if the Seminoles come in playing the ball they have played recently, it’s going to be extremely hard to pick against them.

They could also hold another edge over Stanford for the simple fact that the Cardinal are still trying to figure out where to get consistent production without Okpara on the court. Since he went down, the Cardinal have struggled overall, going 1-3 since he went down.

Florida State comes in with a 59.2% chance to get the win per ESPN, making this more or less a toss-up game.

We are going to pick the Cardinal to steal a win on the road. In Stanford’s recent game against Miami, they dominated the majority of the game, and the final score didn’t dictate the way they played. In addition, Stanford has the better roster, a better record, and a better coaching staff.

The game kicks off at 6 p.m. ET, and 3 p.m. PT for Stanford fans on the West Coast.