Stanford Basketball: Why Chisom Okpara is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Many things are different at Stanford this upcoming season and it’s certainly a multi-faceted change. The Cardinal made a head coaching change in the offseason, bringing Kyle Smith aboard after floundering in recent years under Jerod Haase. Stanford ended up just 14-18 last season in their final campaign in the Pac-12 and now face the bizarre and difficult transition into the ACC.

One important part of that transition is that the Cardinal do get center Maxine Raynaud back for his senior center, as the 7-footer was Stanford’s leading scorer and rebounder last season. Unfortunately, the other double-digit scorers are all gone, as Brandon Angel and Kanaan Carlyle both transferred while Michael Jones and Spencer Jones finished their careers. There’s not a ton of established returning talent, though another name of note is young guard Benny Gealer.

As you’d expect, Smith and his new staff have done what they could utilizing the Transfer Portal, though the rigorous academic requirements make this a more difficult process at Stanford than most schools. The Cardinal have added a pair of point guards, landing former Duke backup Jaylen Blakes as well as Derin Saran, who showed great potential as a freshman at UC Irvine. Another notable addition is Oziyah Sellers, a shooting guard who made his way north from USC.

Today’s focus instead turns to Chisom Okpara, a 6’8 wing from New York who spent his first two collegiate seasons in the Ivy League at Harvard. After a solid rookie campaign with decent minutes, Okpara took a leap forward in his sophomore season, putting up 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds with improved shooting numbers in year two with the Crimson. While it wasn’t exactly a banner year for Harvard, Okpara showed great potential and gets a chance to shine at a much higher level.

This former Ivy League stud fits the Stanford program in many different ways. He finished among that league’s leaders in scoring, rebounds, and several other metrics and has showed potential as a wing who can shoot from all over the court while also applying defensive pressure. Okpara still has some work ahead on that defensive end, but he’s a strong athlete who gets to the rim, to the free throw line, and can make moves for the Cardinal.

With that list of departures it was important for Stanford to add to their frontcourt. Okpara gives the Cardinal a great option down low outside of Reynaud, who will certainly be effective and likely the star of the show once again. Okpara is a sizeable athlete who has a diverse game and should meld nicely into this offense. How he handles the transition from Ivy League as a sophomore to ACC as an underclassman will be the key.

Stanford has seen their fair share of struggles in recent years and this wasn’t exactly the offseason that put them back on the map. The program is rebooting and facing the difficulties of a new league, though it’s fair to say Smith is still a few years away from any kind of return to postseason glory. Can Stanford hang with their new league rivals? Does Okpara have what it takes to be a successful forward in this conference as a junior?