CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As his team practiced at Duke, ahead of its , Stanford coach Kyle Smith found himself having a bit of a fan-boy moment.

Feb. 15 game against the Blue Devils

“We had Coach K at our practice,” Smith said this week. “So, I might have been a little distracted.”

Stanford and Cal played their inaugural basketball seasons in the ACC conference in 2024-25, and while much of the the teams endured, the players and coaches saw far more positives about their new league home.

attention surrounding that centered on the cross-country travel and extended road trips

“I think it’s given us the exposure that Cal needed,” said in the conference tournament on Wednesday. “It’s been a heck of an experience. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Bears guard Andrej Stojakovicafter the team’s season ending 78-73 loss to rival Stanford

Stanford’s Jaylen Blaes drives past Cal’s Andrej Stojakovic for two of his 21 points during a 78-73 second-round Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday night. (Andrew Hancock — ACC)