Stanford men’s basketball picks up first ranked win since 2023

Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie continues to come up clutch for the Cardinal in its big moments.

The New Hampshire native scored 28 points in the Stanford men’s basketball’s 80-76 victory over No. 16 Louisville Friday night at Maples Pavilion. Stanford’s defense also proved itself up to the task, even while facing one of the nation’s highest-volume three-point attacks.

Through this game, Stanford (12-3, 1-1 ACC) earned its first ranked win under head coach Kyle Smith and its first victory over Louisville in five all-time meetings, snapping what had been a one-sided series since both programs landed in the ACC. The win also served as a sharp response to a 47-40 home loss to Notre Dame (10-5, 1-1 ACC) earlier in the week, when Stanford’s offense got bogged down in a low-possession grind. The Stanford offense could only muster up 17 points in the first half of that game.

“Big bounce back from just a weird game against Notre Dame,” head coach Kyle Smith said. “These guys have really bought into what we’re trying to do.” 

He added that Stanford’s plan was to “take away those threes” against a Louisville offense he called “really explosive.”

The plan to defend the arc went about as well as it could for the Stanford defense, with Louisville failing to secure much clean air from deep. The Cardinals went 6-for-27 from three-point range — a season low in makes and attempts — after entering the night among the national leaders in both categories.

Okorie, who entered the night averaging 21.5 points per game and being named ACC Rookie of the Week, set the tone early with downhill pressure and controlled aggression. After Stanford watched film from the Notre Dame loss, he said the message for him was simple.

“I noticed I needed to be more aggressive — whether it’s getting downhill, getting my teammates involved, creating for myself,” Okorie said. “I feel like that’s what I did today.”

Stanford used that edge to build the game’s first real cushion. After a back-and-forth opening stretch, the Cardinal ripped off a 13-3 run to go up 20-13 and led by as many as nine in the first half. But Louisville kept living on second chances, repeatedly extending possessions with offensive rebounds. The visitors trimmed Stanford’s lead to one by halftime.

At the break, Smith said his emphasis was on rebounding and reminding players to stay even-keeled in a game that kept swinging. He also checked in with his star freshman, he said.

“I said, ‘Look, you’re getting a lot of attention,’” Smith said he told Okorie. “‘You’re doing so well. Nothing goes in a straight line forever. There’s gonna be ups and downs and just have some fun out there.’”

The second half turned into a possession-by-possession tug-of-war. The game featured 18 lead changes — 14 after halftime — and neither team led by more than two possessions in the final 20 minutes.

Stanford found its answers from a balanced supporting cast around Okorie. Senior forward Chisom Okpara posted 17 points and a season-high eight rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Redshirt junior Ryan Agarwal drilled four three-pointers on four attempts and finished with 12 points, providing the spacing Stanford needed when Louisville packed the paint. Smith singled him out afterward as emblematic of Stanford’s response to the Notre Dame film session.

“He played a big bounce back game,” Smith said. “Film session wasn’t pretty for him. He got called out in front of his teammates. And he’s just really improved and just played great.”

Agarwal’s biggest make came with Stanford clinging to a tie game late. After Louisville pulled even at 65, he buried a three-pointer with 4:26 left to put Stanford ahead for good. Graduate guard Jeremy Dent-Smith followed with a crucial basket in the paint to stretch the lead to five with 1:07 remaining and helped close it out at the line alongside senior Benny Gealer in the final seconds.

Okpara said Stanford’s composure was the difference in a game played at Louisville’s preferred speed.

“They play much faster,” Okpara said. “But I feel like today we just stuck with our game plan. I’ve got to be more poised, more calm, even though they’re playing fast.”

Stanford heads back on the road Wednesday to face Virginia Tech at 4 p.m., opening a January stretch that also includes home games against North Carolina and Duke.

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