Stanford center Maxime Raynaud announces he's withdrawing from transfer portal

Stanford star Maxime Raynaud won’t be leaving the Cardinal program after all.

Raynaud released a statement on Friday sharing that he will be back at Stanford for the 2024-25 season. The big man was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the On3 transfer portal rankings.

Raynaud averaged 15.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 2023-24. He was being recruited by several big-time programs but will instead be staying at Stanford.

“I’ve had time to reflect since the season ended, and I’ve come to the realization that there is no better place for me to continue my basketball journey than here at Stanford,” Maxime Raynaud posted in a statement on Twitter.

“I am excited to play for Kyle Smith, to earn my degree from Stanford, and to lead this team on the farm. I’M BACK!”

Maxime Raynaud entered the transfer portal last month after spending three seasons with the Cardinal. He started 31 of 32 games he appeared in and ranked third in the Pac-12 with a field goal percentage of 56.7%.

Raynaud arrived at Stanford in the 2021-22 season from France, where he was a teammate of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on Espoirs Nanterre. He was a member of the French national team and won a gold medal at the FIBA U-20 European Championships in Greece in 2023.

Raynaud made an immediate impact as a true freshman to average 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. It wasn’t until this year that he broke double digits in points per game, as he took a massive step forward.

Standing 7-foot-1, Raynaud also possesses range for a player his size with a career average of 34.6% from 3-point range. 

Stanford is coming off of a 14-18 finish this past season and fired coach Jerod Haase. Haase was replaced by Kyle Smith of Washington State.

Smith took over at Washington State ahead of the 2019-20 season. This past season, he guided the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008. Under Smith’s guidance, Washington State won its first round game against Drake, but ultimately fell to Iowa State in the Round of 32.

For his efforts, Smith was named the 2024 John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Now, Smith is ecstatic to build similar success at a fellow Pac-12 program.

“The opportunity to serve as the head men’s basketball coach at Stanford is a dream come true, and I want to thank Bernard Muir for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Smith said. “From my perspective, Stanford has the resources and reputation to attract the ideal student-athlete who is seeking the character development aspects of what our basketball program will offer.

“Stanford has the capacity to provide a place where student-athletes can hone their leadership skills and intellect through hard work and team building. I am thrilled to try to provide that type of culture for an institution that prides itself on excellence in all areas.”