Stanford basketball announces official signing of top European prospect

The Kyle Smith era on The Farm is off to a great start and it looks like things will only continue to get better.

Feb 10, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; The Stanford Cardinal logo on the video board before the game between the Stanford Cardinal and the USC Trojans at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

In the first year under new head coach Kyle Smith, the Stanford Cardinal have started hot and fast, beginning the season 4-0 for the first time since 2019. And in the midst of a dominant run thus far, the future of the program continues to get brighter as Kristers Skrinda, the first recruit that Smith landed at Stanford, has officially signed with the Cardinal, meaning that he will join the team starting in 2025-26.

Skrinda, who hails from Riga, Latvia, was listed as a four-star recruit on On3 but only got an offer from Stanford. Committing to the team in late September, Skrinda signed his financial aid agreement, meaning that he is now locked in to join the program. A 6’10” forward, Skrinda is strong on both ends of the court, with the ability to stretch the floor on offense while also being an exceptional rebounder on defense.

“Kristers is a modern-day frontcourt player that should fit in seamlessly to our schemes offensively and defensively,” Smith said on Skrinda. “His attitude and desire to be a part of our program is unmatched. His ability to stretch the floor and knock down threes, coupled with the ability to grab rebounds, should help off-set the departure of Maxime. At his size, his skill allows him to play both forward spots and will give our team a plus-sized wing who can also play big in our five-out sets.”

Currently playing club basketball for Rigas Zelli, a team in the Estonian-Latvina Basketball League, Skrinda also attended Riga State Gymnasium No. 2, a prestigious grammar school, where he shined for the school.

At the international level, Skrinda represented Latvia at the FIBA U18 Eurobasket in Finland where he proved to be a superstar, averaging 17.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while also shooting well over 40% from the three point line. He also proved to be an effective free-throw shooter, shooting 96% from the line in the tournament. 

By the end of the tournament, Skrinda ranked 10th in scoring and second in rebounding while finishing as the tournament’s co-leader with five double-doubles.

A strong talent in the European basketball scene, Skrinda’s signing proves how committed the Cardinal are to their strategy of targeting more international players for the roster and bringing a different type of culture to The Farm.

“Culturally, Kristers is a great representative for our global outreach,” Smith said. “Stanford’s international reputation was a big factor in Kristers decision-making process. We could not be more happy to welcome Kristers to the Farm!”

In addition to his four-star ranking on On3, he is also rated as a top-100 prospect, No. 91 overall, and is considered one of the the top prospects in all of Europe. Also winning a silver medal in the Latvian Basketball League as well as being named MVP of the Latvian U17 finals, among other career accolades, Skrinda is used to playing on the biggest stages. Joining a Stanford team looking to become a major threat in both the ACC and the entirety of college basketball, Skrinda’s addition is exactly what this program needed.