SETTING THE SCENE
Stanford is set to face a familiar foe in an unfamiliar situation, as No. 10/10 Oregon visits the Bay Area for a non-conference game on Saturday, Dec. 21 in the San Jose Tip-Off at SAP Center. The action will tip at 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
THE STARTING FIVE
• The Cardinal is off to a 9-2 start with wins over Denver, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona, UC Davis, Norfolk State, Santa Clara, Utah Valley, Merrimack and Cal. Stanford has won nine of its first 11 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 ninth nationally in scoring at 21.5 points per game and third in rebounding with 11.7 per night. He leads the ACC in scoring and is second in rebounding, and his nine 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 (14.7). Blakes is posting 18.6 per night over the last five games on 52 percent shooting.
• 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.
DUCKS IN THE SHARK TANK
Stanford welcomes a top-10 Oregon team to SAP Center for a neutral site clash, with the Cardinal looking for its fourth win in the last six games over the Ducks in the Bay Area. A win would also be Stanford's third straight against an AP top-10 opponent, as Stanford downed No. 4 Arizona in both 2023 and 2024. Kyle Smith went 5-4 against Oregon during his tenure at Washington State.