Stanford men’s basketball signs pair of promising guards

Stanford men’s basketball locked in its backcourt of the future on Wednesday, signing four‑star guards Ebuka Okorie and Jaylen Petty to national letters of intent for the 2025‑26 season, as announced in a team press release. The pair gives second‑year head coach Kyle Smith two Gatorade State Players of the Year and caps a three‑man class that already included Latvian forward Kristers Skrinda. 

Okorie, a 6‑foot‑1 combo guard from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, averaged 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 54.5 percent overall and 38.5 percent from behind the arc. He guided Brewster to a 28‑5 record and a Chipotle National semifinal berth, earning New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year and third‑team Nike EYBL Scholastic Honors. Recruiting outlets rank him the No. 12 point guard nationally. Okorie had originally committed to Harvard, but flipped his commitment back in late-November to Stanford.

Petty, also listed at 6‑foot-1, starred at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, averaging 28 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals. He delivered a 61‑point outburst in a January contest and led the Vikings to the Washington Class 3A state championship, securing tournament MVP, State Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year honors. 247Sports rates him the nation’s No. 13 point guard and the top prospect in Washington.

With both guards earning their state’s top individual award, Stanford signs multiple Gatorade honorees in the same class for the first time since 2018. They join the 6‑foot-9 Skrinda, who officially signed with the men’s basketball program in November, to form a balanced group that will bring high-level perimeter defense and efficient shot‑making. Both players shot above 38 percent from three and better than 85 percent at the charity stripe during their final year in high school, which are numbers that could strengthen a Cardinal offense that finished 11th in the ACC in three‑point percentage last season. 

The additions of Okorie and Petty and their performance early on in their Cardinal careers will be key as the program transitions from a senior‑heavy roster to a youth‑led core over the next few seasons.

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