New Stanford guard Oziyah Sellers proving to be the spark that the Cardinal needs

Now primed for a big role, Sellers is ready to take an even bigger jump in year three and prove himself in the college basketball scene.

Feb 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Oziyah Sellers (4) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

A Bay Area kid is returning home. After a strong career as a member of the USC Trojans, junior guard Oziyah Sellers joins the Stanford Cardinal ready to surprise people, and is hungry to make an impact on a rebuilding program.

Coming to The Farm after spending his first two years down at the Southern California powerhouse, Sellers has had to adjust to life on a new campus, both as a student and an athlete. While he has been able to adjust seamlessly to basketball and has felt good in practices, he is also feeling much more comfortable with being on campus.

“It’s been going good,” Sellers said. “I feel like I’m finally settled in. I feel like I know the campus a little now, it’s a big campus. It took me a while to find where everything is, but I feel like I’m settling in well. Being with my teammates everyday has been great, practice has been great. We had our first scrimmage this weekend and that went solid so, I’m doing well so far.”

It can be hard to establish a day-to-day routine, but Sellers has had the time to establish one for himself, now having a routine that he is consistently able to go through each and every day, ensuring that he stays locked in at all times.

“I’m in a good routine right now,” Sellers said. “We usually practice every morning so that’s the first thing on my schedule. Then, whether I’ve got class or if I don’t have class, I’ll probably get treatment, take care of my body and then get back in here sometime midday or in the evening. So I feel like I’m pretty well in my routine.”

Recruited heavily in the transfer portal, as he had 18 offers coming out of high school, Sellers felt a strong connection with Stanford, not only because of the relationship he was able to build with the coaching staff over the years, but also because of how close it is to his hometown of Hayward. With Sellers committing to Stanford in early May, it marked the first undergraduate transfer signing for Stanford since 2009.

“It was a lot that went into it,” Sellers said. “There were a lot of good schools that recruited me throughout the transfer portal process but I mean, just this coaching staff and them being real with me from the start, telling me their plans for me and stuff like that. Obviously, I knew coach Kyle since like eighth grade so kind of just that history and that relationship we already built. I knew Wayne [Hunter, assistant coach] since like sophomore year or something like that. I’m big on relationships, and then obviously I’m from the Bay Area so it’s also a bonus to play for your hometown school.”

Talent wise, Sellers brings a lot to the table, particularly on offense where he is known for his sharpshooting, but he also brings high energy, focus and leadership, which are traits that he is really focusing on bringing over in order to help the Cardinal be competitive as new members of the ACC.

“My shooting,” Sellers said on what Cardinal fans can expect from him. “That’s gonna be a big thing, but something I’ve been really improving is just my defense and energy. I feel like with this team, my energy is gonna be something that’s kind of needed for this team to be good. So energy, then just being a better leader now that I have a little experience under my belt going into this year.”

Defense was an issue for Stanford last season, with Sellers knowing that he will have to really help provide a defensive spark for the Cardinal this year. Luckily, Sellers spent time improving his strength this summer, better preparing his body to handle the rigors of getting more work on the defensive end of the floor.

“[Energy] is part of it as well as me just getting stronger over the summer,” Sellers said of how he has been working on his defense. “That just improved my overall confidence on defense, and then just really having that mentality, like the guy in front of you is not going to score on you, stuff like that. Those are things I’ve been working on.”

Sellers is the new kid on the block and is still learning the tendencies of his teammates as well, but through training camp practices so far, he has noticed the talent that surrounds the roster, and is excited to see where things go with this team and is ready to be a part of the journey.

“A lot of guys are standing out right now,” Sellers said. “Obviously, Maxime [Raynaud] being our senior on the team, he’s been a great leader, he’s stood out. And then just everybody. All the transfers, even the new guys, the freshmen and the guys who haven’t even stepped foot on the college court, they've impressed me as well. Just them coming in and being ready.”