Stanford basketball is building something worth paying attention to. In the midst of a decade-long NCAA tournament drought, the Stanford Cardinal basketball program has been diligent.
Since hiring head coach Kyle Smith ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, the Cardinal have put together consecutive 20-plus-win seasons, but have fallen short of their goal of playing in March Madness.
Despite the program’s shortcomings, Smith has instilled both confidence that the Cardinal are on the rise, attracting the attention of multiple prospective players. On Wednesday, 247Sports reported that four-star big man Theo Edema has the Cardinal as one of his four finalists. This could be a big pickup for Stanford if the Cardinal land the commitment.
A top player for the 2027 class, Edema is considering reclassifying to the 2026 class and forgoing his final season of high school basketball in order to get a head start on his college career. A star at Cushing Academy where he is the starting center, Edema plays with a maturity beyond his years. He also brings size and physicality — 6-foot-11, 235 pounds.
The No. 41 ranked player in the nation for his recruiting class, Edema has garnered interest from several other prominent Division I programs, including Alabama, Kansas, Maryland, Tennessee and Syracuse. In recent weeks, Edema has narrowed his list, and is now expected to choose between Stanford, Maryland, St. John’s and BYU. 247Sports' Crystal Ball predicts Edema will sign with Maryland.
Edema's fit with Stanford
Landing Edema would be a big pickup for the Cardinal, especially since the program is losing multiple important players from last season and will need to establish a new identity.
Headlined by Ebuka Okorie, who has declared for the NBA Draft, the Cardinal are also seeing several players transfer, including Ryan Agarwal, Jeremy Dent-Smith and Oskay Giltay. Signing Edema would give the Cardinal a player capable of handling high-leverage moments who can also quickly become an anchor on the offensive end.
For Edema, the choice may come down to whether he values Stanford's unique combination of elite athletics and academics, or the tradition and exposure that a blue blood program offers. Either way, the Cardinal have made clear they intend to be in that conversation.
Stanford being in the conversation for a player of Edema's caliber after missing the NCAA Tournament for over a decade is a sign that the program is trending in the right direction under Smith.