SETTING THE SCENE
Stanford wraps up its three-game homestand, and looks for its sixth win in seven games, on Wednesday, Jan. 29 against Syracuse. The 8 p.m. tip will air on ESPNU.
THE STARTING FIVE
• The Cardinal is off to a 14-6 start (6-3 ACC), including conference wins over North Carolina, California, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Florida State and Miami, and quadrant one NET wins over Santa Clara and the Tar Heels. The Cardinal is 11-1 at home this season and 4-0 in ACC play.
• Stanford’s roster holds an exciting mix of returning players, transfers and freshmen, led by one of the premier centers in the country, Maxime Raynaud. The Pac-12 Most Improved Player last season, Raynaud is 10th nationally in scoring at 20.5 points per game and third in rebounding with 11.7 per night. He leads the ACC in scoring and rebounding, and his 16 double-doubles this season pace the nation. No other player in the country has more than 14 and no other major conference player has more than 11.
• Three players are averaging double figures, paced by Raynaud but also including Jaylen Blakes (14.6) and Oziyah Sellers (14.6). Both players are posting career-best numbers by a comfortable margin.
• Blakes has showcased his clutch gene this season with game winning baskets in the closing seconds against both Santa Clara and North Carolina. Blakes made national headlines on Jan. 18 with his last-second winner against the Tar Heels, while his sister, Mikayla, a freshman at Vanderbilt, scored a game-winner of her own less than 24 hours later against Tennessee.
• 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.
ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK, AGAIN
Maxime Raynaud was named the ACC Player of the Week for the third time this season on Jan. 27. The honor is the third of the season for Raynaud, which is tied for the most league-wide this season. The 7-footer opened the week with a 28-point, 12-rebound performance against the Hurricanes, including a 4-for-6 mark from beyond the arc, and continued with eight points and 14 rebounds against Florida State.
HOME SWEET HOME
Stanford is 11-1 at home for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign and is looking to start 12-1 for the first time since 2011-12 - a season in which the Cardinal won the NIT. The Cardinal is also looking for its first 6-1 stretch during conference play since 2008, having matched its best six-game stretch (5-1) since 2019. Stanford is one of 28 schools in the country with 11 or more home wins this season.