Last Year: 14-19; Tenth (7-13) in the Pac-12 Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Jerod Haase (Eighth Year; 112-109 at Stanford, with no NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Jared Bynum – 5’10”, 185 – Senior (5th) |
| W Andrej Stojakovic – 6’7″, 190 – Freshman |
| F Brandon Angel – 6’8″, 235 – Senior |
| F Spencer Jones – 6’7″, 225 – Senior (5th) |
| C Maxime Reynaud – 7’1″, 250 – Junior |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Jared Bynum: 10.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.3 apg, 0.9 spg – 38.4% FG @ Providence
Andrej Stojakovic: 5-star recruit
Brandon Angel: 9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.6 spg – 39.0% 3FG
Spencer Jones: 14.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 0.9 bpg – 38.9% 3FG
Maxime Reynaud: 8.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.5 bpg – 54.0% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Michael Jones – 6’5″, 205 – Senior (5th) |
| F Max Murrell – 6’9″, 225 – Senior |
| G Ryan Agarwal – 6’6″, 190 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Michael Jones: 9.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.6 spg – 35.1% 3FG
Max Murrell: 4.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.7 bpg – 45.2% 3FG
Ryan Agarwal: 3.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.2 spg – 45.7% 3FG
Freshmen
| G Kanaan Carlyle – 6’3″, 185 – Freshman – Consensus Top 100 recruit |
| F/C Aidan Camman – 6’10”, 230 – Freshman |
| W Jaylen Thompson – 6’8″, 195 – Redshirt Freshman |
This is going to be an extremely important year for Jerod Haase – and, of course, for his Stanford Cardinal.
Stanford is one of the world’s great universities. Its focus encompasses so much more than the pursuit of winning basketball games, but as the Cardinal enter a new level in the new game of major college athletics, there is going to be a fairly large microscope on this year’s team. As the Cardinal get set to join the storied Atlantic Coast Conference, Haase will face the most pressure ever to win if he wants to continue leading the program. And of course, there is the gauntlet of a zombified Pac 12 yet to run one final time.
By all accounts, Haase is a good guy. He’s described as a decent and generous individual who cares about both the young men he coaches and the institution which employs him. In an era when some of the folks running certain college programs out there simply do not deserve to be praised as good and decent people, that genuinely does count for something. On the court at Maples Pavillion, however, Haaseketball has begun to frustrate quite a few folks – and the ACC will be none too forgiving.
In each Haase’s seven previous seasons, Stanford has failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal have only won as many as 20 games a single time; the year when Covid wiped out the Tournaments. During the two decades prior to Haase’s arrival, Stanford had routinely won 20+ games under Mike Montgomery and Johnny Dawkins, who was let go to make room for Haase. Somewhere, Bo Pelini smiles.
The Cardinal do have cause for real optimism, though, as four of last season’s top scorers are back. Joining them will be two of the nation’s more exciting incoming freshmen, along with a proven transfer who has been a quality starter in the Big East. Add it all up, and there should be no reality in which Stanford isn’t at least some form of contender this season. It’s even possible that they will be quite good…that sound you hear is the Tree knocking upon itself.
Spencer Jones was named second team All-Pac 12 last year, and returns as a key scorer around whom the Cardinal can rally. Jones ranks third on Stanford’s all-time list in triples made, and with 65 more this year, he would own the top spot. And since Jones has decided to use his ‘Covid Year’ to return to Palo Alto, Jones is going to make a run at more than the record books. “I’ve accomplished a lot at Stanford and the Cardinal family has meant the world to me. I’ve improved my game each year and I’ve grown equally as much on and off the court,” Jones said in a statement announcing his return. “But I’m not done yet. I’m here to be legendary, to break records, to realize my dreams both at Stanford and beyond. I’m here to lead Stanford to the NCAA Tournament, to play on the biggest stage, to give every ounce of what I have, to a program and university that has given so much to me.”
Jones is a versatile forward who can score inside and out, he has gradually become a dangerous shooter; over the past two seasons he’s splashed 134 triples while slashing 45/38/75%. A 61% career shooter around the rim, every basket which Jones cashes in at the hoop makes his outside shot that much more of a threat. He does fall in love with the jumper at times, though, and the Stanford offense was streaky when the team’s shooters weren’t sinking their outside shots. An active rebounder, he can be particularly effective on the offensive glass – 21.3% of his shot attempts at the rim were putbacks, per Hoop-Math. Jones does a good job of covering a variety of forwards in the Pac 12, and is one of the few defensive playmakers Stanford returns. He led the Cardinal with both 37 steals and 29 blocks, and has become a progressively better and smarter defender each year, reducing his fouls as his minutes have risen.
The only thing obvious about Maxime Reynaud when he signed with Stanford as a youngster from France was that he was huge. As time has gone on, though, Reynaud has started to show a great deal of skill to go with all of that size. As is so often the case with big men, it took a bit for Reynaud to get rolling. Once he started to get things figured out, though, Reynaud began to emerge as one of the better post players in the conference. Reynaud’s production was highly sporadic up until the calendar turned to 2023, but for the Cardinal’s final 19 games he averaged 10.7 points and 7.1 boards on 54% shooting. As Reynaud gained confidence, Haase began to feature him. Early in the 2nd half vs Arizona in mid-February, the Cardinal ran a screen & roll and threw a lob to Reynaud. That play hasn’t generally hadn’t been in Stanford’s playbook – but it sure is now. Reynaud shot 67% around the rim for the year, per Bart Torvik, with 25 flushes. And, foreshadowing the range he’s been developing, Reynaud splashed a dozen triples as a sophomore.
It was an eventful summer for Reynaud, as he played both for Team France at the FIBA U-20 European Championships in Greece, and then joined the Cardinal on a European exhibition tour as they played in both Greece and Reynaud’s native France. He acquitted himself well offensively during both appearances, showing increased confidence stepping into deep jumpers. He averaged more than 13 points in both competitions, and Haase will be expecting to see more reliable, consistent scoring from his rising big man. Now that he won’t be sneaking up on any Pac 12 defenses, Reynaud is looking to show off his next dimension: a real face-up threat to open up the lane. He’s not the quickest rim runner in the country, but Reynaud has become more mobile and has worked hard to add strength without sacrificing all of his quickness. Reynaud will continue to be a focal point as Haase looks to balance the Stanford offense. And if he can add a consistent three point threat, Reynaud will have the look of a serious pro prospect very quickly.
Down the stretch last year, as Reynaud was having his breakout, young forward Brandon Angel joined in. And if he can keep it up, Stanford will have a co-star forward to pair with Spencer Jones and a highly versatile bunch of frontcourt players overall. “At the beginning of the year, we were all shooting – I know I was shooting under 25 percent which is just unacceptable to play that bad for that stretch of time,” Angel told 247 Sports at the end of last season. “Once we started playing better individually, we built momentum and we finished the season.”
Angel made a blistering 20 of his final 29 (69%) three point attempts, averaging 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the process. With good size and a confident stroke from the outside, Angel scored in double figures 17 times last year, including in 11 of Stanford’s final 12 games. The former 4-star recruit isn’t quite as quick as Spencer Jones, but Angel gives the Cardinal a pair of real shooters with real length. He can create his own shots, but his playmaking for teammates was a welcome surprise down the stretch last season, and will only serve to help keep Angel on the floor for important minutes this year. If he could make a more consistent defensive impact, it would help even more. Angel’s lack of great quickness can be exposed by perimeter players, and Haase is adding yet another shooting forward this fall who will command a major role. If Angel’s second half was for real, then Haase will be spoilt for choice at the 3 and 4 positions.
Michael Jones was something very unique when he arrived last year: he was the first graduate transfer Stanford had ever admitted to play basketball. He proved to be a quality addition, serving as the team’s 6th man and a key secondary scorer. Now, he is also back to play for the Cardinal in his extra season of eligibility. A former Davidson Wildcat, Jones is a steady ballhandler with good size, and he does something which above else proved huge for the offense last year: Michael Jones gets to the free throw line. Despite coming off the bench most of the year, Jones played the third-most minutes on the team. With his experience, creativity and wiggle through the lane – or sometimes a simple willingness to attack because nothing else was working – Jones finished just three free throw attempts short of the team lead last year, and led the Cardinal in makes by 13 freebies. Jones also owns 171 career triples and a 39% mark from downtown over the years, and has likewise handed out 171 assists against just 96 turnovers in 115 career games. Haase trusts Jones to take good shots and make the smart play, and his steady leadership will be a vital compliment to the young stars coming aboard.
Since Michael Jones worked out so well, Haase went back to the Transfer Portal this spring and landed an even more decorated guard to take over at the point. Jared Bynum, the Big East’s 6th Man of the Year two seasons ago, has arrived to add outside shooting and a crafty, creative presence to help run the show. Though he’s little, Bynum is a terrific scorer who has proven himself time and again. First as a freshman at Temple, then to earn starts at Providence, and finally to be a starter on an NCAA Tournament team. That sort of grit and winning experience is exactly what Haase was looking for in the Portal, and Bynum will bring well over a thousand career points scored and 451 assists along with him to sweeten the deal. “I learned that throughout the season, and throughout life, there’s going to be ups and downs” Bynum reflected to Kaushik Sempath for The Stanford Daily. “But at the same time there’s going to be success too.”
He’s missed some games each of the past three seasons, and can be physically overmatched (not that the two are necessarily related) by larger wings, two factors which have kept Bynum from reaching his fullest potential thus far. On this Stanford team, though, Bynum should often be the only guy shorter than 6’5″ on the court, and towards the end of last season the Cardinal played smarter and cleaner team defense, switching effectively and limiting bad matchups. With his 2.4:1 career assist to turnover ratio and a 36% mark from downtown the past two years, Bynum might be just the correct dash of veteran flavor to really set things off for the core that Stanford is bringing back.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 52.4% – Team Effective FG Percentage (71st) |
| 51.5% – Opponent Effective FG Percentage (236th) |
| .585 – Assists Per Field Goal Made (23rd) |
| 69.4% – Team Free Throw Percentage (278th) |
| 52.4% – Rebounding Rate (56th) |
Rated a 4-star prospect by some services, Ryan Agarwal is a lanky guard from Texas who didn’t play much as a freshman last season. In part because of an illness and in part because of the veterans in front of him, Agarwal only got into 17 games. When he was able to get minutes, though, he showed off the reason why so many schools wanted to sign him: Agarwal is a terrific outside shooter. He is one of two players of Indian descent on scholarship at Division I school, and Agarwal has worked hard to add strength in anticipation of a bigger role this year – though competition on the wing will be fierce. A heady passer who has a solid handle and can drive the ball creatively, Agarwal is looking to show off his full game and a veteran physique to the Pac 12 this time around.
Max Murrell is the team’s top reserve post player, and like so many of his teammates, Murrell is a three point threat. Though he’s never yet played a large role, Murrell is a valuable floor-spacing presence and was the team’s top per-minute shot blocker last year. Now entering his fourth season, Murrell has added muscle this summer and is out to do a better job on the glass. If he can provide a more physical presence along with that reliable jumper (he shot 45% on a career-high 28 made triples last year), Murrell may even force his way onto the court alongside Reynaud for stretches to give the Cardinal a bigger look.
And then, there are the freshmen. Stanford will compete because of their veteran core, but if all goes according to plan, the Cardinal may finally contend in a serious way due to the play of three ballyhooed newcomers who are expected to take this roster over the top.
On a team full of shooters, Andrej Stojakovic may be the best – and he hasn’t even played a game at this level
On a team full of shooters, Andrej Stojaković may be the best – and he hasn’t even played a game at this level. The son of NBA Champion and three-time All-Star Peja Stojaković, Andrej’s star has risen steadily throughout his prep career, and he will arrive on The Farm as a McDonald’s All-American and 5-star prospect. Just like his father, Andrej Stojaković is a smart and versatile scorer who understands more than just getting buckets. The younger Stojaković has a great feel for initiating offense and creating for teammates as well as himself, and is already a veteran manipulator of screens and a great cutter to the basket. Showing poise beyond his years, Stojaković is a patient player who can get his shot virtually whenever he wants it, and he doesn’t waste possessions. “He’s very comfortable in the mid-post and mid-range areas where he creates separation and uses his positional size to score over top of smaller defenders,” says Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports when describing Stojaković. “He’s not a naturally explosive athlete and while he’s going to have lots of opportunities to attack close-outs, he could better weaponize his handle in order to get paint touches more easily as a playmaker.” Stojaković has the size and skill to isolate his defender and then score off of turnaround or fadeaway jumpers, and he can shoot reliably off the bounce already.
“Andrej is a terrific kid with a high-level work ethic,” Haase said upon his signing. “Andrej has a lot of tools: he is a terrific shot maker and ball handler, allowing him to score at an extremely high level. Defensively, he has great versatility, something we look for in the recruiting process.” Though he’s nearly an NBA-level scoring threat, Stojaković is not yet ready for the Association defensively. He will hope to add strength – which should help on both ends of the court – and improve his ability to guard older, bigger players this year. However far along his defense eventually comes, Stojaković has the skills of a genuine scoring star, and he figures to show them early and often in Palo Alto.
The team’s second highly-rated true freshman is Georgia product Kanaan Carlyle, a downhill-driving guard and all-around tough player. Carlyle loves to score the ball and play tight, suffocating defense, and if he makes the highlights doing so, it won’t be the last time. “With Kanaan, we are bringing in someone who is capable of making an immediate impact,” Haase glowed in a press release. “He is a high-level competitor, has a relentless mindset, and plays the game with tremendous effort. Offensively, he can play both with and without the ball, and score at all three levels. Defensively, there aren’t too many players in the country that can do what he does to disrupt the offense.”
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – Arkansas – November 22 |
| @ San Diego State – December 21 |
| N – Memphis / Michigan – November 23 |
| N – TBD / Paradis Jam 3rd game – November 24 |
| vs Santa Clara – November 14 |
With a great handle, explosive quickness and a fearless attitude heading through the lane, Carlyle is the type of player who lives for late shot-clock situations and a chance to take defenders off the bounce. His outside shot has been streaky, and sometimes he doesn’t take the shot his coaches would prefer, but Carlyle has the instincts and desire to make things happen when his team truly needs him. An elite on-ball defender, Carlyle relishes a tough matchup and has tremendously long, active arms and sticky fingers to go with his agility and speed. If Carlyle settles in and starts ironing out his correctable flaws, he has all the tools to be one of the best guards of his class.
The third freshman who will be a significant part of this year’s rotation has been with the Cardinal for a bit already. Jaylen Thompson was very nearly a consensus Top 100 prospect in last year’s recruiting cycle, and now the 4-star wing with terrific outside shooting ability is set to debut. “One glaring area where Thompson needs to improve is adding functional strength to stay on balance when straight line slashing. Adding weight and toughness while working on his ball handling will be key in his development,” said Brandon Jenkins of 247 Sports in 2021, and it’s for that reason that Thompson took a developmental redshirt last winter.
Now that he’s gotten a bit more ready to handle the fifth-year, grown-up dudes in the Pac-12 (for now), Thompson should get to let his scoring skills shine. A standout athlete with smooth moves on the wing, Thompson can get to his spots and create looks over or around defenders – and when he heats up, look out. A potentially excellent 3-and-D option going forward due to his combination of length and quickness, Thompson will present matchup options at both ends of the floor so long as he can hold up physically. And as his offensive repertoire grows, Thompson has the look of someone who will be a primary scorer in the years to come.
At one point, Aidan Cammann was going to play for Harvard, but he’s swapped one coast and one red jersey for a different one of each. The big man from Andover, MA, is a bit more of a developmental prospect than Carlyle or Stojaković, but he will be a good one once Stanford moves to the ACC. He spent a post-grad year working on his game at prestigious Wolfesboro (NH) Prep, and Cammann has the skill at size to play some at either frontcourt spot.
No one around Palo Alto has any misapprehensions about this season. Stanford needs to win, and not just a few-teen games. The Cardinal have enough talent to win at a significant rate. “I think we made tremendous progress from the start of the season throughout the season,” Haase told 247 Sports back in March, reflecting on the campaign that was. “We evolved, we grew and we turned into a really, really good offensive team. At the end of the day, I think our defense is probably the weak link. What we’ll need to figure out is a way to do better there.”
“I’ve been around multiple teams that had success and had down years,” Bynum told the Stanford Daily. “I’m definitely looking forward to coming to a team like Stanford that has high expectations for what they can do. I believe that with the pieces that they already have, and with the incoming freshmen as well, I feel like this upcoming year could be a special year, putting Stanford basketball back in a good position.” It would be easy to say that it’s become tough to get excited about another Stanford team which could end up disappointing, but this is quite a talented team. And with leaders like Bynum, Angel and the Joneses who want to go out with their heads held high, the Cardinal are espousing all of the correct perspectives heading into a hopeful year. If Stojaković, Thompson and Carlyle are all that’s been advertised, Stanford has the type of potential to take down good teams and go on a run in a single-elimination tournament. They just have to earn their place with consistency during the regular season. After years of hard work on The Farm, Haase, his team, and their loyal fans are ready for a bumper crop of success.
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