Men’s basketball coach Kyle Smith got a big offseason win on Friday morning, when center Maxime Raynaud announced he would be returning to the Farm for his senior season. 

Smith and the Cardinal will now head into their inaugural season of ACC play with an offensive anchor in the 7’1” big man from Paris. Raynaud led the Cardinal in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 15.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He was a focal point of the Stanford offense in 2023-24, and will look to assume an even bigger role after the departure of Spencer Jones. 

Kyle Smith’s first offseason will be judged primarily on his ability to retain Stanford players who have entered the portal. While Smith has now returned Raynaud, who was ranked the best portal player in the country by multiple outlets, he still has work to do before the season starts. 

Rising sophomore guards Kanaan Carlyle and Andrej Stojakovic are still in the portal, and are top targets not only for Kyle Smith and staff, but also for programs across the country. Another target is forward Brandon Angel, who has one year of eligibility left as a graduate transfer.