Since the start of the week, and as for the girls with a match relocated to Paris between South Carolina and Notre Dame, the university season is officially launched!
For Maxime Raynaud (2m14, 112kg), Victor Wembanyama’s former teammate at Nanterre and one of the 42 French players who are registered on the starting line for the NCAA season, it started very high and very strong.
For his third return to Stanford University, the young 20-year-old pivot quite simply achieved two career records, in points and rebounds in his first match, with 23 points on 11/19 on shots (0/1 to 3 -points), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 interceptions, 3 blocks and 5 loose balls in 30 minutes in Stanford’s victory against the small Cal State Northridge university (88-79).
First a swimmer before becoming a basketball player, Maxime Raynaud took time to devote himself fully to the orange ball. And, in the prestigious university nestled on the Bay, between San Francisco and San Jose, he still spends a lot of time studying since he is involved in a double computer science – mathematics… course.
On its dynamics of a golden Euro
“I was thinking especially about NASA before leaving, when I didn’t yet know if I wanted to go pro,” Maxime Raynaud recently told for The Team. “ It’s still a dream. But now the priority is to play basketball, in the NBA. I think the turning point was at Stanford with the rhythm and intensity of the basketball program. The Under-20 Euro this summer confirmed all that. »
Hero of the final won by the Bleuets this summer near Heraklion in Crete, with 26 points and 5 rebounds, Maxime Raynaud is in any case on an ultra-positive dynamic for his junior season within the Cardinals. Just like Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher or Tidjaune Salaün who are already projected there at different levels, Maxime Raynaud is thus increasing his odds in view of the next NBA Draft.
We will also highlight the great performance of Missouri defector Mohamed Diarra who finished with a double-double (10 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks in 27 minutes) in North Carolina State’s victory against The Citadel (72-59).
Photo credit: Stanford
