Stanford Men's Basketball Hits the Road Riding Momentum and Star Power
Stanford men’s basketball is packing its bags for a crucial three-game road swing, starting Wednesday, Feb. 11, with a visit to Boston College. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
PT (9 p.m. ET) on ESPNU, and there's plenty at stake as the Cardinal look to build on a strong 15-9 start under head coach Kyle Smith.
This isn’t just a team trying to stay afloat in the ACC. Stanford has already racked up four Quadrant 1 wins - a resume-booster in any selection committee’s eyes - and they’ve done it against some serious competition.
Wins over No. 14/15 North Carolina, No.
16/13 Louisville, and Virginia Tech have turned heads. If Stanford can notch a win at Boston College, it would mark a second consecutive 16-9 start through 25 games under Smith - a sign of real consistency taking root on The Farm.
Ebuka Okorie: A Star in the Making
The centerpiece of Stanford’s success? Freshman sensation Ebuka Okorie.
He’s not just having a good season - he’s putting together one of the most dominant freshman campaigns in the country. Averaging 22.4 points per game, Okorie ranks seventh nationally in scoring and third among all freshmen.
That puts him in elite company with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa as the only freshmen averaging over 21 points per game.
Okorie’s breakout performances haven’t gone unnoticed. He’s landed in the top-10 of multiple national freshman of the year rankings, including nods from ESPN, Bleacher Report, Field of 68, and Hoops HQ.
And just this week, he earned his second ACC Rookie of the Week award - sharing the honor with North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson - after a record-setting 40-point explosion against Georgia Tech. That performance wasn’t just special for a freshman; it was historic.
Okorie became the first Stanford player to hit the 40-point mark since Casey Jacobsen dropped 41 back in 2002.
Rewriting the Record Books
Okorie isn’t just flirting with history - he’s actively rewriting it. He already ranks third in Stanford’s all-time freshman scoring list, having passed Casey Jacobsen and Tyrell Terry. He’s just 19 points shy of Chasson Randle for second and 23 away from Todd Lichti’s freshman record set in 1985-86.
His 22.4 points per game average? That’s not just tops among Stanford rookies - it’s on pace to be the highest single-season scoring average in program history behind only Adam Keefe’s 25.3 in 1991-92. That would place him ahead of Stanford legends like Landry Fields and Casey Jacobsen.
Okorie has also shattered the freshman records for free throws made (148) and attempted (177), while climbing into the top three in field goals made and top 10 in both three-pointers made and steals. He’s proven to be more than just a scorer, ranking eighth in assists and seventh in steals among Stanford freshmen. Simply put, Okorie is doing it all - and doing it with poise well beyond his years.
Benny Gealer: Catch-and-Shoot Threat
While Okorie’s been the headliner, Benny Gealer has quietly become one of the most reliable perimeter threats in the ACC. He’s shooting a scorching 42.1% from three-point range - a career-best - and has hit multiple threes in four straight games.
Over that stretch, he’s gone 14-for-32 (43.8%) from deep while averaging 11 points per game. Gealer’s shooting has given Stanford a much-needed floor spacer and late-game weapon, as fans saw back on Nov. 28 when his buzzer-beater lifted the Cardinal to the Acrisure Invitational title over Saint Louis.
Cardinal Climbing
Stanford is one of just 30 teams in the country with at least four Quadrant 1 wins - a metric that matters come March. Within the ACC, only seven teams have reached that mark, and Stanford’s three wins over current AP top-25 teams give their tournament hopes a serious boost.
The program’s NBA pipeline is also delivering. Maxime Raynaud, who graduated in 2025 after a stellar All-American season, is now making waves with the Sacramento Kings.
He’s averaging 11.4 points per game across 28 starts. Fellow Stanford alums Ziaire Williams (9.4 PPG), Brook Lopez (6.6 PPG), and Spencer Jones (6.0 PPG) are also contributing at the next level, with Jones bumping his average to 7.5 in 34 starts.
What’s Next
Stanford’s upcoming road stretch is a critical test - not just for their tournament chances, but for the growth of a team that’s starting to find its identity. With Okorie playing like one of the best freshmen in the country and Gealer heating up from deep, the Cardinal have the kind of firepower that can travel well.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but this team has shown it can rise to the occasion. If they can keep the momentum rolling, Stanford might just be one of the ACC’s most dangerous dark horses down the stretch.