ACC Basketball: Louisville, Wake Forest rise in updated way-too-early ranking for 2024-25

16. Stanford Cardinal

Due to the Cardinal’s high academic standards, they aren’t able to land any kind of transfer. So as a result, their roster building has been slower than others. Things started out well with forward and leading score Maxine Raynaud, who originally entered the portal at the start of the offseason but opted to return.

The next big move for Stanford was another player from an elite academic institution in Chisom Okpara, a 6’8 forward who averaged 16.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg at Harvard. Jaylen Thompson and Cole Kastner fill out the frontcourt rotation, while freshmen Evan Stinson and Donavin Young are also pieces to watch.

In the backcourt, UC Irvine transfer Derin Saran (10.1 ppg) shot 50% from the field as a 6’4 guard, while former USC guard Oziyah Sellers is looking for a bigger role. And the team recently landed Jaylen Blakes, a transfer from Duke with some experience at the ACC level and won’t be buried on the depth chart anymore.

If Blakes has a breakout campaign in a larger role, Stanford could be a surprise team in the ACC next season. But the lack of depth is a major concern right now, something they can’t help when having to fully rebuild.