SETTING THE SCENE
Seeking a weekend split, Stanford concludes its initial ACC road trip to the East Coast on Saturday, Jan. 4 against Pittsburgh. The game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. PT and will be aired on ESPN2.
THE STARTING FIVE
• The Cardinal boasts a 9-4 record (1-1 ACC) with victories against Denver, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona, UC Davis, Norfolk State, Santa Clara, Utah Valley, Merrimack, and Cal.
• The roster of Stanford features an exhilarating combination of returning athletes, transfers, and newcomers, highlighted by one of the top centers in the nation, Maxime Raynaud. Last season’s Pac-12 Most Improved Player, Raynaud ranks 10th nationally in scoring with an average of 20.8 points per game and stands third in rebounding with 11.9 boards per contest. He leads the ACC in both scoring and rebounding, and his 11 double-doubles this season are the most in the nation – no other athlete in the country has exceeded nine.
• Three players are averaging double-digit points, led by Raynaud, along with Jaylen Blakes (15.2) and Oziyah Sellers (14.2). Both individuals are achieving career highs by a significant margin.
• Stanford commenced its ACC campaign with an 89-81 win over California on Dec. 7 while on the road. The victory marked Stanford’s first at Haas since 2021 and its third consecutive triumph in the series. Stanford continued its three-game ACC opener on the road, suffering a defeat against Clemson, 85-61, on Jan. 1.
• Kyle Smith, the reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, joined the Cardinal from Washington State, where he guided the Cougars to 25 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. Smith brought along his entire coaching staff from Washington State, in addition to program legend Eric Reveno, who was with Oregon State from 2022-24 and previously served on the Cardinal bench from 1997-2006.
PITT STOP
Stanford visits Pittsburgh for the inaugural time in program history and for the fourth encounter overall. The series dates back over 90 years to 1931-32, with Stanford securing a home win, 22-11. The last face-off occurred in 2013 at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn (L, 88-67). Stanford is opening conference play with three successive road matches for the first time since launching the 1982-83 Pac-10 season with three on the road.
LAST TIME OUT
In its first ACC contest on the East Coast, Stanford was defeated by Clemson, 85-71, at Littlejohn Coliseum. Oziyah Sellers topped the Cardinal with 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting, marking his third 20-point performance this season. Maxime Raynaud contributed 14 points and secured 13 rebounds, achieving his nation-leading 11th double-double of the year. Jaylen Blakes added 13 points and five assists.
