STANFORD, Calif. — In an impressive display during his first game as head coach, Kyle Smith led Stanford to an 85-62 victory over Denver. Oziyah Sellers shined brightly, scoring a career-high 24 points, while Maxime Raynaud contributed significantly with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
Previously the coach at Washington State, where he earned recognition as the Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year last season after guiding the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, Smith has revamped the Cardinal roster by bringing in five transfers. Among these were Stanford’s first undergraduate transfers in over a decade, which proved beneficial as Sellers, a former USC player, netted 17 points in the second half and finished the game hitting 10 of his 15 attempts from the field.
Raynaud, standing at 7-foot-1 and named the Pac-12’s most improved player last season, recorded his 16th double-double, which notably included a spectacular windmill dunk. Joining in the scoring effort were Duke transfer Jaylen Blakes and Benny Gealer, both scoring 12 points, with Gealer achieving his total from four successful three-pointers.
On the other side, the Pioneers got notable contributions from Sebastian Akins with 15 points, DeAndre Craig totaling 12, and Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente chipping in 10 points. Denver had made a strong showing last season by reaching the Summit League championship game for the first time since joining the league in the 2013-14 season, but faced challenges this year after losing their top three scorers, including Tommy Bruner, who averaged an impressive 24 points per game.
After going into halftime with a solid 38-22 lead, the Cardinal faced a brief scare as Denver narrowed the gap to 12 points at the start of the second half. However, Stanford quickly responded with a 7-0 run that culminated in a transition dunk by Sellers following a turnover from the Pioneers. Blakes then extended the lead with a four-point play—scoring off a steal and a layup, followed by two free throws after Denver was called for a flagrant foul, putting Stanford ahead by 24 points with just over five minutes remaining.
A three-point play by Raynaud marked the start of Stanford’s first double-digit lead and sparked an overwhelming 21-2 run, with Gealer and Sellers further pushing the advantage with 3-pointers. Although both teams had comparable shooting percentages, Stanford capitalized on Denver’s 20 turnovers, scoring 23 points from these mistakes and converting 13 steals into fast break opportunities, resulting in a total of 17 more shots taken than their opponents.