Stanford men's basketball opens 2-0 under coach Kyle Smith
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The gist
Stanford men's basketball beat Eastern Washington and Oakland to start 2-0, giving coach Kyle Smith his 300th win.
The Cardinal are chasing their first NCAA tournament berth since 2013-14.
Background
Kyle Smith is Stanford men's basketball's head coach, holding a 42-27 record at the school and 300 career wins overall. The Cardinal opened the 2026-27 season with a three-game homestand at Maples Pavilion, leaning on a young roster that includes fifth-year forward Nick Townsend, a transfer from Yale and former Ivy League Player of the Year, and a highly rated freshman class. Smith has said he hopes to lead Stanford to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2, 2026Stanford beat Eastern Washington 74-65 in the season opener at Maples Pavilion; freshman guard Julius Price scored 17 points and Kyle Smith earned his 300th career win as a head coach.
- Nov 6, 2026Stanford beat Oakland 81-63 at Maples Pavilion to improve to 2-0, led by Nick Townsend's 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
- Nov 9, 2026Stanford was scheduled to host Rice at Maples Pavilion at 7 p.m. PT on ACC Network Extra to close a three-game homestand.
Key terms
- NCAA tournament
- Describes a college basketball team suited to the single-elimination NCAA tournament played mostly in March.
- Ivy League Player of the Year
- An annual award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the Ivy League conference.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- Kyle Smith called the Oakland win "our best team effort," saying the team is "trying to form an identity" and "felt like we were locked into our roles."
- Coach
- Smith said that with this young team he "haven't worked this hard since I was assistant at St. Mary's," adding he is "trying to get them right."