Has Kyle Smith Built an NCAA Tournament Team at Stanford?

Stanford men’s basketball has not reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2013-14 season. Head coach Kyle Smith has yet to end that drought, but his first two seasons have given the program reasons for optimism. He went 41-27, winning at least 20 games in each season and becoming the first coach in school history to accomplish that feat in his first two years.

Stanford also finished .500 or better in ACC play both seasons, going 20-18 combined. Only Duke, North Carolina, Louisville and Clemson matched that consistency over the same span.

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The postseason results, however, tell a different story. Stanford reached the NIT in 2025 and the College Basketball Crown in 2026, marking its first consecutive postseason appearances since 2012-15.

Last season was particularly frustrating.

According to Stanford, the Cardinal became the first team in the NET era to win at least 20 games, record five Quadrant 1 victories and finish with a winning record against Quadrant 1 and 2 opponents combined without earning an NCAA Tournament bid. Their ACC Tournament run ended with a one-point loss to Pittsburgh.

Now Smith faces a different challenge. He must replace Ebuka Okorie, the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, who led the ACC with 23.3 points per game. Stanford added three transfers and five freshmen while retaining eight players from last season’s roster.

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Nick Townsend arrives from Yale after averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Christian Bliss brings playmaking ability after averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists at Delaware.

Austin Maurer adds size to a roster that will need contributions from several newcomers. Freshmen Julius Price and Aziz Olajuwon also started Stanford’s exhibition against Santa Clara, alongside Bliss, Donavin Young and Aidan Cammann.

The expectations remain modest. Stanford sits 13th in the ACC preseason poll, while CBS Sports’ panel projected the Cardinal 14th. Still, there are reasons to believe the team could…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kyle-smith-built-ncaa-tournament-181257534.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-31 18:12:00

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