On April 6th, Stanford Men's Basketball is in a holding pattern right now. All eyes on Star Freshman Ibuka Okori and his big choice. Stick around for it. Year 2.
Hit the transfer portal, or chase the NBA draft. Coach Kyle Smith dropped a hint last week, saying he figures it's either Stanford or the pros. No middle ground by transferring. Over the weekend, forward Ryan Agarwal announced he's entering the portal after three years with a cardinal.
The 6-foot-6 junior played in 32 games this season, starting 19, averaging about 6 points and 4 rebounds per game. His minutes did from last year, partly because Okori took over as the main scoring threat. Fans loved Agarwal. He had a career-high 20 points in that upset win over number 14 North Carolina back in January.
But his role shrank with the new scheme. Now with one year of eligibility left, he's hunting bigger minutes elsewhere, which shakes up Stanford's depth heading into next season. Speculation is flying that Agarwal's exit points to Okori staying put. Stanford's bringing in five freshmen and with graduation, thinning the roster, keeping their star guard makes sense to balance things out.
If Okori bounced, you'd think they'd want to vent like Agarwal around for leadership. Okori's call looms large with the NBA declaration deadline on April 26th and a withdrawal window until May 20th. Whatever he decides will reshape the Cardinals off-season attack and set the tone for Coach Smith's squad.