SETTING THE SCENE
Returning to non-conference action after winning its opening ACC battle, Stanford men's basketball welcomes Merrimack to Maples Pavilion on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
THE STARTING FIVE
• The Cardinal is off to an 8-2 start with wins over Denver, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona, UC Davis, Norfolk State, Santa Clara, Utah Valley and Cal. Stanford has won eight of its first 10 games for the first time since 2019-20, when it started 15-2.
• Stanford’s roster holds an exciting mix of returning players, transfers and freshmen, led one of the best centers in the country, Maxime Raynaud. The Pac-12 Most Improved Player last season, Raynaud is eighth nationally in scoring at 22.1 points per game and fifth in rebounding with 11.3 per night. He leads the ACC in scoring and is second in rebounding, and his eight double-doubles this season pace the nation.
• Three players are averaging double figures, paced by Raynaud but also including Jaylen Blakes (16.3) and Oziyah Sellers (14.3). Blakes is averaging 19.3 per game over the last four outings.
• Stanford opened ACC action with an 89-81 victory on the road over California. Blakes and Raynaud had 20 points each, helping Stanford to its first win at Haas since 2021 and its third straight overall in the series.
• Kyle Smith joined the Cardinal from Washington State as the reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, where he led the Cougars to 25 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. Smith brought his entire staff from Washington State to the Farm along with program icon Eric Reveno, who was at Oregon State from 2022-24 and was previously on the Cardinal bench from 1997-2006.
THE NATION'S LEADING CENTER
Maxime Raynaud has been the nation's premier center, averaging 22.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, ranking eighth and fifth nationally, while also leading the country in double-doubles (8). Stanford has never had a player finish higher than third on the national rebounding leaderboard (Curtis Borchardt, 2001-02), while his scoring average is on pace to be a top-two average in program history. The closest comparison at Stanford is Adam Keefe, who was 11th in scoring (25.3) and fourth in rebounds (12.2) in 1991-92.
#BEATCAL
Stanford rolled to an 89-81 victory over rival California on Dec. 7 in the inaugural ACC game for both programs. Five players finished in double figures for Stanford, led by 20 points apiece from Jaylen Blakes and Maxime Raynaud. The 20-point game was the seventh of the season for Raynaud. Blakes also fished six assists and blocked two shots, while Raynaud recorded a career-best five blocks. Oziyah Sellers chipped in 16 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Ryan Agarwal and Chisom Okpara had 11 points apiece.
Stanford’s defense at the rim was elite, with the players combining for 13 blocks. The 13 blocks were the most for the Cardinal since blocking a program-record 19 shots on Jan. 25, 2007 against USC. Tallis Toure added a career-high three blocks while Aidan Cammann had two and Agarwal one.