Stanford debuts top freshmen vs veteran-laden Eastern Washington: Will youth topple experience?

Stanford Faces Season Opener After Major Turnover

Stanford will begin its season at home on Monday when Eastern Washington visits, but the Cardinal are entering the campaign without their five leading scorers from last year’s 20-win club. That level of roster turnover has coach Kyle Smith encountering a sense of déjà vu — and he hopes it will lead to the same kind of surprise breakthrough the program experienced a year ago.

Smith pointed out that he found himself in almost the identical spot 12 months earlier, unsure where the offense would come from after losing key contributors — and then a freshman unexpectedly emerged as the league’s top scorer. That player, Ebuka Okorie, paced the Atlantic Coast Conference at 23.2 points per game before leaving for the NBA after one season.

Who Might Step Up for the Cardinal?

With most of last year’s scorers gone, fresh faces and role players will be asked to fill the gap. Two returning rotation pieces anchor the short list of holdovers: junior forwards Aidan Cammann (6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds per game last season) and Donavin Young (2.5 points, 2.7 rebounds). Smith praised the group’s willingness to share the ball and highlighted Cammann and Young as players who often make the extra pass and contribute on both ends.

In early-season tuneups the Cardinal have already seen glimpses of scoring potential from newcomers. In the Oct. 17 exhibition at Santa Clara, 6-foot-3 freshman Julius Price led Stanford with 26 points. In a later exhibition at Oregon, Top-100 recruit Aziz Olajuwon — the son of Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon — produced 16 points, drilling five 3-pointers and snagging nine rebounds.

Lineup experiments have been ongoing in the exhibitions. Young and Delaware transfer Christian Bliss have started both scrimmages; Cammann started one, while Nick Townsend — the 2026 Ivy League Player of the Year who spent the previous four seasons at Yale — took a starting spot in the other.

Eastern Washington’s Returning Core and the Cook Factor

Eastern Washington, which finished 14-19 last season, returns two starters from that roster and enters Stanford′s Maples Pavilion with momentum built from an eight-game Big Sky winning streak in February. Leading the returning pieces are second-team All-Big Sky forward Alton Hamilton IV (13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds per game) and 6-foot-10 forward Emmett Marquardt (5.5 points per game).

Perhaps the most impactful development for the Eagles is the availability of sixth-year guard Andrew Cook. Cook averaged 15.8 points in 2024-25 but missed last season following an ankle injury. He won a preliminary injunction that restored his eligibility for this year, a decision that gives Eastern Washington a veteran scorer and playmaker. Associate head coach Ryan Lundgren described Cook’s recovery and eligibility process as “a long, winding road,” saying the situation had been a heavy burden over the past 11 months.

Cook announced his return in strong fashion in preseason action, pouring in 26 points during Eastern Washington’s 71-65 exhibition victory over CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 18. He and Hamilton were both named to the Big Sky preseason all-league team, and coaches and media in the conference tabbed the Eagles to finish third in the Big Sky this season.

What to Watch Monday

Stanford will be searching for its new primary scorers while attempting to blend experienced role players with promising freshmen and transfers. Eastern Washington will rely on its returning veterans and the regained scoring punch of Cook to continue the momentum that carried them through last February. The matchup offers an early look at how both teams handle roster turnover and who emerges as the go-to options in the opening week of the collegiate season.

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Trent Mallory

Trent Mallory is a passionate sports journalist who dives deep into major competitions and the stories behind every game. From American football and the NBA to tennis and the Olympics, he delivers sharp, energetic coverage. His work brings matches, athletes, and behind-the-scenes challenges to life. For Trent, sports are more than just results — they are culture, passion, and a force for change.