STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford has added fifth-year transfer Nick Townsend to the men’s basketball program, as announced by Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball Kyle Smith. Townsend arrives at Stanford from Yale, where he was named the 2026 Ivy League Player of the Year.
“Nick Townsend should give our program a big boost,” said Smith. “He will bring a combination of strength and skill to our frontcourt that will complement our current roster. Nick’s desire to be a part of the program as a team-first competitor should get Stanford fans excited.”
Townsend arrives on the Farm after averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Bulldogs as a senior, including shooting percentages of 51.1 percent from the floor and 46.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Chappaqua, New York native is the only returning player in the country to match his averages in points, rebounds and assists.
In addition to his Ivy League Player of the Year selection, Townsend was named to the CSC Academic All-America second team and was a finalist for the Lou Henson Award as the nation’s top mid-major player as a senior.
The 6-7 forward is a two-time first team All-Ivy selection and a two-time Academic All-Ivy honoree, and he was a team captain at Yale in 2025-26. He scored a career-best 32 points against Charleston last season on Nov. 23, and he has 14 career games with at least 20 points.
“Nick understands playing for championships. He is coming from one of the winningest programs on the East Coast, as helped lead Yale to multiple Ivy League titles,” continued Smith. “With all of the changes in the landscape of college basketball, I did not necessarily want to add anyone this late in the recruiting cycle. However, Nick’s attitude, leadership and accomplishments off the court are too impressive to ignore.”
One of the winningest players in Yale’s recent history, Townsend helped Yale to three Ivy League Championships and two Ivy League tournament titles, participating in two NCAA Tournaments and two NITs.