Stanford's Recruiting Class Has Potential to Save Program

On April 6, Washington Player of the Year, Jaylen Petty, committed to Stanford.

Petty had originally committed to New Mexico, but de-committed after head coach Richard Pitino accepted a job at Xavier, and Lobos star Donovan Dent entered the transfer portal.

Petty committed to Stanford to join a four star duo of Ebuka Okorie and Kristers Skrinda. Let’s take a look at each of the prospects in this class, and where they might fit in to the roster.

Ebuka Okorie

Okorie will likely be Stanford's starting point guard next season. At Brewster, an academy that has had tons of NBA talent, Okorie was one of the Bobcats’ best players, if not the best. Brewster made the Chipotle Nationals semifinal before losing to future national champion Columbus on a buzzer beater by Duke commit Cayden Boozer.

In the tournament, Okorie averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal in two games.

Okorie is a combo guard. He typically plays as a two guard, but also seemed to be the main facilitator with Brewster. Okorie’s best ability is how he drives to the basket. He gets to the foul line often and hits free throws at an high level.

On the outside, he is a threat shooting the ball, and is efficient while also taking a high volume of shots. Despite being a freshman, he has the ability to start at shooting guard, but play more of a combo guard role with the other starting guard, Jaylen Petty.

Jaylen Petty

Stanford’s newest commit, Petty, comes from Rainier Beach, WA, where he starred for Rainier Beach High School. He won Washington Player of the Year, while winning a 3A state championship.

Petty is also a combo guard. He plays very similar to Okorie, but is more of a shooter, and less of a driver. He is very athletic and plays smart. He also has a quick first step to complement a great handle, giving him the ability to create space and hit shots. The expectation is that Petty and Okorie will complement each other very well, and they might be able to start alongside each other.

Kristers Skrinda

Skrinda is the top Latvian prospect in the country. The high school senior has played on Latvian national teams for years, and has established himself as a top player. Stanford clearly is able to develop international talent, as last years’ best player, Maxime Raynaud, was from Paris, France.

Skrinda has the size of a center, but plays as more of a power forward. At 6-foot-9, Skrinda brings size to the Cardinal, while also being a lethal shooter.

He has a very quick release, and can shoot over anyone given his height. Although it may take time to settle in, Skrinda will surely be an important piece to the Cardinal in his time at Stanford.

Overall, this recruiting class could make or break the program. Kyle Smith has already done so much in so little time for Stanford, and bringing in this recruiting class may challenge for his biggest accomplishment yet.