Stanford University’s men’s basketball team is set to begin a three-game road trip, starting with a matchup against Boston College at Conte Forum on Wednesday, February 11. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The Cardinal currently holds a 15-9 record for the season, which includes four quadrant one NET victories and wins in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) over ranked teams such as North Carolina, Louisville, and Virginia Tech. Head coach Kyle Smith could see his team reach a 16-9 record through 25 games for the second consecutive year if Stanford secures another win.
Freshman Ebuka Okorie has been a standout performer this season, ranking seventh nationally in scoring with an average of 22.4 points per game. Among freshmen, he is third in the country and shares company with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa as the only qualified freshmen averaging more than 21 points per game. Okorie was recognized in top-10 national freshman of the year rankings by ESPN, Bleacher Report, Field of 68, and Hoops HQ.
Okorie recently earned his second ACC Rookie of the Week honor, sharing it with Caleb Wilson from North Carolina after setting a Stanford freshman record by scoring 40 points against Georgia Tech. He became the first Stanford player to score at least 40 points in a game since Casey Jacobsen did so in 2002. Okorie was also named national freshman of the week by NCAA analyst Andy Katz.
His performance this season has placed him among Stanford’s all-time freshman leaders. He currently ranks third in total points scored by a freshman at Stanford and has surpassed former players Casey Jacobsen and Tyrell Terry. Okorie is close to moving into second place behind Chasson Randle and first place held by Todd Lichti for most points scored by a freshman in program history. His current scoring average would surpass Lichti’s previous record for highest average by a Stanford freshman.
Additionally, Okorie has broken school records for free throws made (148) and attempted (177) by a freshman in one season. He is also among the top performers in field goals made, three-pointers made, assists, and steals for Stanford freshmen.
Looking at overall program history, Okorie is approaching entry into Stanford’s top-20 single-season scorers list. His current average would rank second all-time at Stanford behind Adam Keefe’s mark set during the 1991-92 season.
Stanford’s success this year includes winning the Acrisure Invitational tournament in Palm Desert with victories over Minnesota and Saint Louis; Benny Gealer secured that title with a buzzer-beating shot on November 28.
Gealer has also emerged as one of the leading three-point shooters in the ACC this season, hitting shots from beyond the arc at a rate of 42.1 percent—a career high—and making multiple three-pointers in four consecutive games while averaging 11 points per contest during that stretch.
Former Cardinal Maxime Raynaud graduated last year after an outstanding season before being drafted by the Sacramento Kings. Other NBA alumni from Stanford—Ziaire Williams, Brook Lopez, and Spencer Jones—are contributing solid numbers to their respective teams this season as well.
Only thirty teams nationwide have recorded at least four quadrant one wins this season; Stanford is one of seven ACC programs to achieve that milestone. Three of those victories came against opponents who are currently ranked among the AP top-25 teams.
