Takeaways from Stanford's Loss at Miami

Stanford is struggling, but here are some bright spots from the Miami contest

Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) dribbles against Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Wednesday was certainly not Stanford’s night. While the Cardinal led most of the away game at Miami, their dominance could only last so long. A nine point lead evaporated in a blink of an eye, becoming tied, then a nine point hole. After a 14-4 start, Stanford has now slipped to 14-7, and the Cardinal are desperate for any kind of win.

Here are four takeaways from the loss to Miami:

Stanford can stay in any game

After the game against Miami, it is clearer than ever that Stanford has the ability to play with anyone. In their early non-conference losses, they stayed close all game, before falling late. Even against No. 23 Virginia on the road, Stanford was in the game up until midway through the second half.

The only time the Cardinal have been dominated all night was at home against No. 6 Duke. The fact that Stanford led with just six minutes left in the second half against Miami furthers my point that the Cardinal can play with anyone. It's how they finish games that could use a little work.

Benny Gealer is elite from deep

It’s been a few weeks since we saw a great game out of Gealer. While he has been criminally underrated this season, three straight games of less than five points showed that Gealer’s great play might have taken a step back— but that was far from true.

Gealer stepped up on the road, putting up 17 points, hitting five threes in the process. All of his threes were from well behind the line, too. Tons of Gealer’s attempts came from deep beyond the arc, where he remained seemingly automatic.

Ebuka Okorie’s two game struggles aren’t a big deal

There is no doubt that Okorie is not only one of the best freshmen, but one of the best players in the country overall. Regardless, two recent poor performances had Cardinal fans wondering if he was truly the savior of Stanford basketball.

The game against Miami proved that his lower output was just a small blip in an otherwise terrific season. Okorie had 19 points, which on the road is vastly impressive, and further expresses the talent he truly is.

Frontcourt play needs work

Without Chisom Okpara for the rest of the season, Stanford has struggled in the frontcourt. Against Miami, AJ Rohosy and Aidan Cammann did okay, but it was clearly far from enough. Stanford as a team got out-rebounded by Miami 39-30.

The Cardinal are going to not only need more from Rohosy and Cammann, but Giltay and Skrinda as well. Stanford can’t keep having Ryan Agarwal dominate the rebounding numbers at just 6-foot-5.