Stanford Basketball to Redshirt Two Players

Stanford basketball has made an interesting move to begin the season, with the Cardinal deciding to redshirt two players for the 2025-26 season. The hope here is that they're able to take a step forward in the future, while possibly limiting their depth a bit in the present.

Stanford’s two players of decision are pretty different, one being expected and the other coming as a surprise to most. The first player of they're choosing is Myles Jones, who was a 2026 commit to the Cardinal, and was expected to play his senior year of high school at Modesto Christian. But he made the call to enroll at Stanford early, and will now redshirt his freshman season.

Jones was a great high school star, being the top player on an amazing Crusaders team that made noise at a statewide level.

Stanford wasn’t necessarily looking for a spot for Jones, as their depth was already solid, but Jones still had an opportunity to learn amongst other players. In addition, he would probably be able to be a legit player from day one next season.

But that was move was expected, unlike Anthony Batson Jr.

Batson Jr. was a freshman last season for the Cardinal, playing 20 games. He averaged 1 point and 0.5 rebounds playing 5.1 minutes per game. His defensive ability was there as well. But his most notable moments weren’t even from game time, it was typically in warmups.

His insane athleticism despite being just 6-foot-3 truly shows that he could potentially be a star in the future. He didn’t necessarily have a huge role, but there’s no doubt that he could play, so when head coach Kyle Smith announced that he would redshirt, Stanford fans were a bit surprised.

But coach Smith declared that it was due to the guard depth that the Cardinal got in the offseason, and how redshirting to maintain an extra year of eligibility was the best move for the sophomore.

Looking ahead three games in, there is no doubt that it was the right move for the two to redshirt. Getting an extra year of practice with the team rather than wasting a year with a role they wouldn’t be too fond of or used much in is definitely the right idea, and could be a great depth move for the long run. Coach Smith doesn’t just think of the present, he’s making future moves every day to impact the Cardinal.