Stanford men’s basketball rising senior Maxime Raynaud got the opportunity to practice with the France men’s national basketball team ahead of this summer’s Olympics in Paris. Raynaud entered the transfer portal after head coach Jerod Haase was fired, but upon getting to know new head coach Kyle Smith and realizing that throwing away a degree from Stanford would be a mistake, the 7-foot Frenchman withdrew from the portal and will be back for his senior season.
Raynaud is coming off a strong junior season in which he averaged 15.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game on 56.7% shooting from the field, 36.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 78.4% shooting from the foul line. He took a major step forward from his sophomore season in which he averaged 8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
As Raynaud looks to be the centerpiece of Stanford this upcoming season and build on the success he had as a junior, getting the chance to practice against guys like Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) is huge. Those are two of the better big men in the NBA. Raynaud has practiced with them before and already has a good relationship with them. The opportunity for him to foster his relationship with them can only be a good thing for his basketball development. Those guys are big, strong, and physical inside. Much tougher competition than what he faces in college.
In addition to being a great opportunity for Raynaud from a basketball standpoint, it’s also neat that he gets the chance to help his own country prepare for an Olympic games that they will be hosting. Hosting the Olympics is a big deal and to play a part in your home nation hosting is a special experience. Raynaud takes a lot of pride in being from France and I’m sure that side of things isn’t lost on him at all.
Overall, it’s great for Raynaud and Stanford that he got this opportunity to practice with Les Bleus (The Blues) ahead of this year’s Olympic games. He got the chance to improve his game against some of the best big men in the world and also represent his country. I look forward to learning more from Raynaud about what that experience was like and how he feels it will help him for his senior season.
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