Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud withdraws from NCAA Transfer Portal

Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud has withdrawn his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. He initially entered the portal on March 19.

In the 2023-24 season, Raynaud started in 31 of 32 games he appeared in, averaging a team-high 15.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Further, Raynaud was extremely efficient 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, averaging 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest. However, it wasn’t until this year that he broke double digits in points per game, as he took a massive step forward. 

Raynaud released a statement on Friday sharing that he will be back at Stanford for the 2024-25 season. The highly-coveted big man was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the On3 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

“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 X.

“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!”

What’s next at Stanford?

After finishing with a 14-18 record this past season, Stanford parted ways with longtime head coach Jerod Haase. Haase was replaced by Washington State’s Kyle Smith.

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,” Smith said in a statement. “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.”