Stanford MBB to Face Colorado for Hall of Fame Game in Phoenix

Stanford men's basketball’s first game of their non-conference slate has finally been released. The Cardinal will be taking on the Colorado Buffaloes in the Hall of Fame Game on December 20, 2025, with the game to be played at PHX Arena in Phoenix, AZ.

The event will be similar to the San Jose Tip-Off, occurring last year on December 21. In that event, Stanford faced another former Pac 12 rival, the Oregon Ducks. After Stanford's game against Oregon, San Diego State played Cal, with the Ducks and Aztecs emerging victorious on that night.

In the Hall of Fame Game event, Stanford will take on Colorado, as well as Arizona taking on San Diego State. This is great for the Cardinal, who get to play in a fun classic with some top teams. This game is perfect scheduling from Kyle Smith and the Stanford staff.

Arizona will likely be a preseason top-10 team while San Diego State is a regular tournament team, and although Stanford and Colorado aren’t at the same level of prestige just yet, both teams have been good programs, over the years.

It's also a great way to continue another Pac 12 rivalry. The Cardinal and Buffaloes have met up many times, but the Buffs have clearly been the better team recently. Colorado has won the last seven matchups, dating back to 2019-20. However, this is a perfect opportunity to get revenge. 

Colorado had a poor inaugural season in the Big 12, where they finished 14-21 with just a 3-17 record in conference play. If there is any chance that the Buffs are at their lowest, it is now. With seven transfers out the door and just two incoming, it is hard to have high expectations for Colorado, who will likely be projected to finish near or at the bottom of the conference.

To make an early prediction, Stanford will be solid favorites. With the returning production of Ryan Agarwal, Chisom Okpara, and Benny Gealer, as well as nine underclassmen who all could see time in the new Cardinal rotation, Coach Smith’s young roster will surely be able to compete next season.

Although they lost Oziyah Sellers and Derin Saran via the transfer portal, along with star Maxime Raynaud to the NBA Draft, they're bringing in Jeremy Dent-Smith and AJ Rohosy who have some upside for coach Smith to play with.

Colorado isn’t returning enough talent, losing most via the transfer portal. They will be fairly unproven going into 2025, and with many new faces with unproven resumes, the Buffs likely won’t be elite next season, especially not during the earlier parts of the campaign.