Basketball
Stanford men’s basketball is gearing up for another historic season. Coming off of a 21-14 season under first-year head coach Kyle Smith, the Cardinal defied expectations in the ACC, went 17-3 at home, and even sent a player to the NBA with Maxime Raynaud landing with the Sacramento KIngs in the second round of the Draft.
However, with their big three of Maxime Raynaud, Jaylen Blakes, and Oziyah Sellers all out the door, coach Smith has big shoes to fill, and may have assembled just the right pieces to do so.
Last year (rounded), Stanford averaged 74 points, 34 rebounds, and 14 assists per game. It is tough to determine whether those numbers will be higher or lower this coming year, so let’s presume that they stay stable until we see some results.
Who will be the top scorer for Stanford basketball next year? What about the rebounder? Or the leader in assists? Let’s take a look at some projections.
My personal projection is that Ryan Agarwal will be the leading scorer for the Cardinal next season, averaging 13 points per game. Just behind will be Benny Gealer at 11, followed by Chisom Okpara at nine. In fourth place is a three way tie between Jeremy-Dent Smith, Ebuka Okorie, and Aidan Cammann, with six each.
Rounding out the top 10 is Donavin Young at five, Evan Stinson at four, and Tallis Toure at three.
For rebounding, I picked Agarwal and Cammann to share the top spot at five. Okpara gets third place with four, while Young gets fourth with three. Then, seven players all have two rebounds, being Dent-Smith, Gealer, Okorie, Toure, Thompson, Skrinda, and Giltay. Toure, Skrinda, and Giltay, being centers, should get a solid amount of chances, but playing time is still yet determined.
The assist numbers are led by Gealer at four, followed by Dent-Smith and Agarwal at three. After them is Okpara with two, and Cammann and Okorie with one each.
These projections would place Agarwal as Stanford’s best player next season. With averages of 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists, he will not only lead the Cardinal, but even compete for an All-ACC spot. Gealer will have similar numbers with 12, two, and four, putting together a complete consistent season. Okpara will have another solid year with nine, four, and two.
Overall, Stanford has tons of potential next season. With lots of talent and great depth, the Cardinal look to continue to play solid basketball in the ACC, and even hope to compete for a conference title in the 2025-26 season. That will likely be led by stars Agarwal, Gealer, and Okpara, who lead the Cardinal through the ups and downs of a college basketball season.
This year’s team may not have a star like Raynaud who averages a double-double, but their depth will allow them to play matchups a little more, and they’ll have some versatile players on the roster too. The names have changed, but this team still has plenty of potential.
Read More Lucca Mazzie