Stanford impressed in a 78-70 win over Oregon in Thursday night’s exhibition in Maples.
This marked the first exhibition game played by the Cardinal in 7 years. The Ducks are ranked 27th in both the AP and Coaches polls, and feature All-American candidate Nate Bittle at center, as well as Wei Lin, a 21 year old point guard who has already made two All-Star games in China. Though the contest did not officially matter, this game provided a real test. And Stanford passed.
Kyle Smith surprised with a starting five of Ebuka Okorie, Benny Gealer, Chisom Okpara, AJ Rohosy, and Oskar Giltay. The group struggled early, falling behind 12-2 as first-game nerves and a hot shooting Oregon took control.
Ryan Agarwal and Aidan Cammann were inserted early, and immediately turned the tide. In an 8 point victory, Agarwal finished +24 in 31 minutes, while Cammann was +31 in 26 minutes. These +/- numbers caught Kyle Smith’s attention.
“I got a pair of Jacks, I’m gonna ride that hand,” said Smith.
The Cardinal climbed back into the game with their defense. Shots weren’t falling, so they simply generated more shots. Oregon committed the game’s first 8 turnovers, and the Cardinal forced 13 by the half. Stanford had a 15-0 advantage in points off turnovers entering the break, clinging to a 2 point lead despite shooting just 31% as a team.
With 9 seconds remaining in the first period, Kyle Smith subbed in freshman point guard Ebuka Okorie. As the clock ticked towards zero, Ebuka did what he did all game long, getting downhill into the teeth of the Duck defense, this time finishing at the rim moments before the horn sounded.
“Coach Smith has a lot of confidence in me,” said Ebuka. “He really likes my ability to get downhill. When he told me to check in, I wasn’t surprised.”
Out of the locker room Agarwal and Cammann took the floor. Stanford opened the half on an 11-4 spurt to build a 9 point cushion, and they never again relinquished the lead.
Chisom Okpara led all players with 20 points, including 3-3 from three point range. The senior will likely be shouldering much more of the scoring load this season, and he feels ready for this next step.
“Whatever way Coach wants to use me, I’ll be glad,” said Chisom.
Kyle Smith spoke last year about how junior college transfers have typically taken into the new year, if not the second year with the program, to fully get their footing. And while Chisom’s former school, Harvard, is not exactly a junior college (except in academic rigor), the level of basketball is certainly lower than the ACC.
“I think everyone saw it, [Chisom] was a different player today,” Smith said. “He’s made a nice jump. That kid shows up everyday, his teammates embrace him, and he wants to be a player.”
While Chisom was at Harvard, he got to know former Harvard commit Ebuka Okorie. Their relationship goes back a few years, and so Chisom was not remotely surprised to see Ebuka score 17 points in 22 minutes in his unofficial debut.
“I’m more critical of [Ebuka] than praising him, because I know what he’s capable of,” said Chisom. “He’s just continuing to grow. This was nothing special for him. Glad he got to showcase it today.”
And that’s what makes Ebuka’s performance so impressive. There were some freshman moments, but by and large, he looked like a veteran point guard against a quality opponent. He got where he wanted on the court and flashed three level scoring potential, including nifty finishes at the rim.
Division 3 transfer AJ Rohosy had 7 points and 5 rebounds, and really impressed with his high motor against Bittle and a big Oregon frontcourt. After three years as a walk-on for Kyle Smith at WSU, AJ transferred to Claremont and put up eye-popping numbers at the D3 level. His commitment to Stanford didn’t get much attention, but it’s clear he’s going to be an impact player, and realistically a fan favorite.
“[AJ’s] got such a huge heart, and he’s such a driven guy, he’s all about team,” Smith said.
When it was all said and done, Stanford had a 19-7 edge in the turnover battle. The guard trio of Benny Gealer, grad transfer Jeremy Dent-Smith, and Ebuka Okorie were steady. If they take care of the ball and defend like they did today, this team will surprise people.
Extra Point: Sophomore forward Donavin Young was out for Stanford with a leg injury. He is considered day-to-day.