The Bronco's & The WCC - The West Coast Craziness Conference

"The Bucking Bronco"

If the WCC conference is any indication of how the NCAA tournament might play out this year - fasten your seat belts!!

WAIT A MINUTE....Portland beats both Gonzaga and BYU, then loses to then cellar dweller San Diego, while USF wins 4 of its first 5 games without Cody Doolin.  Loyola and Pepperdine also beat BYU - then WE beat both Portland and St. Mary's - AT St. Mary's - for the first time in the Kerry Keating era as a result of 2nd half shooting, where we were so HOT, we shut down the Moraga electrical grid!!

THEN - last night, we took the Zags to the final 2 seconds - before.....Well you know....

Got it?  I'm glad you do....The WCC is the "Forest Gump" conference of NCAA Men's Basketball....Cause you never know.....

Which brings me the Broncos.  My preseason league conference record prediction was
W 7 - L 11.
I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 wins shy of that.  St. Mary's aside, the Broncos have been - well, inconsistent is a little too kind. Flashes of brilliance of a team they CAN become, followed by "ruts" that even Brandon Clark and Jared Brownridge's great scoring can't dig them out of.  Are we just ONE player away from competing for a title??

Maybe this will just be a "bi-polar" season.....

I don't need to tell you, the fans, the story - you know.  Short Version - we have been unable to shoot, defend (especially the paint), and rebound with the consistency required to challenge for the middle position in the League.

I should pause here - these are my observations and recap of the stats.  After meeting with Coach Keating before the Conference games started (a subject of a future article) and despite my requests, he is unavailable during the rest of the season for comments....  So you'll have to live with mine.

Some Relevant Stats:  WCC Games Only - as of 1/29/14

1. FG% -  Offense   42.8% - 9th in WCC
2. FG% -  Defense  48.0% - 10th in WCC
3. 3Pt % - Offense   38% - 5th in WCC - we have tried 50 more 3pt shots than next highest team
4. Scoring - 69 points per game - 9th in WCC
5. Scoring Defense - 73.7 points per game - 10th in WCC
6. Offensive Rebounding - 10th in WCC
7. Defensive Rebounding - 9th in WCC
8. Turnover Margin - 3rd in WCC
9. Total Ave. Attendance - 9th in WCC

For more WCC Stats follow this link:

WCC Complete Stats

You may have to copy and paste into your browser.

On the individual side, Jared Brownridge and Brandon Clark are ranked 2nd & 3rd in points per game and have been terrific.  Brownridge is a "stone cold shooter", over 51% from the floor and 46% behind the 3pt line.  He's putting up these numbers even though EVERY opponent knows to put him in "lockdown".
Last night, the Zags used a very creative "baseline" zone to limit his touches and it worked - only 7 shots.

Most people probably thought - oh no!  We lost at the buzzer - but IMHO we lost it from the 15:44 -10:40 mark in the 2nd half - 7 empty offensive possessions and 2 critical offensive rebounds by the Zags turned into points.  Add Gary Bell's clutch shooting during that span - that was big.  We fought back - HARD - but the Zags have what all really good teams have and what we NEED - a 4th or even 5th option.- a Sam Dower.

Brandon,  just flat out competes... Making the tough shot, the right pass - full out...

Evan has been slower to get into mid season form.  Things just seem a little off - the shot, the pass, the timing of those - I wonder if the back is balking...but last night he finally played "like Evan". 

When I say "are we ONE player away" - yes, one for sure and maybe two.  Not guards...I'd love to see at least one John Bryant type in a Yannick Atanga body...Power, touch, AND agility. My wish list.

With our remaining games, I see NO "gimmies".  I'd say LMU, but we don't seem to play well in their building - weird particles or some kind of Voodoo spell...

One thing I do know - for us to grow - it needs to be an "inside job".

An Invite to "The Big Dance" - What's it Worth?

"The Bucking Bronco"

"MARCH MADNESS" - An enthralling, intoxicating, and addicting cache for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  TRUST ME, when you see the payouts, you will need a trip to rehab...

In 2012-2013, the NCAA distributed $484,000,000 to Division 1 conferences and its member schools.
That's NOT a typo - $484 MILLION...The Conferences usually decide how much each school receives each year.

Another amazing factoid, a University doesn't even have to play in the event to get paid!!! Everybody shares the pie - although, if you are a qualifier - you usually receive more money from your conference, since you earned it in the first place.

The money is distributed via 6 different funds.  Below are the 5 largest.

The Funds Breakdown  

Basketball Fund:  $188 M

Academic Enhancement:  $24.4 M

Grants-in-Aid:  $125.5 M

Student Assistance:  $73.5 M

Sports Sponsorship:  $62.8 M

All this money is used to help member conferences and schools build better athletic and support programs, which in turn fosters better competitions, and YOU GUESSED IT - make the NCAA Tournament, the holy grail of collegiate sports.

WILD, isn't it?  In truth - MADNESS...

It gets better...

An invitation in 2013-2014 is expected to be worth $260,000 - per game..  Win 4 games and get to the Final 4 - do the math..

The payouts occur each year on a rolling 6 year cycle.  Amounts are added each year to create a quasi annuity for conferences and schools.

As an example, Marquette University, similar in size to SCU, is the 9th "most valuable" program in terms of NCAA payout "units" generating between $18-20 Million for their conference over the next 6 years from the basketball fund.  Butler, # 11, half the size of SCU, will generate $16-18 Million.

Sandwiched in between those schools in the rankings is some team named - Kentucky...

As a result of Gonzaga's 14 year NCAA run and St Mary's recent success, the WCC received about $10 M last year from the above mentioned funds.  Both teams have been justly rewarded.  Gonzaga reported receiving over $800,000 from just the Basketball Fund.  To put it in perspective, that payout alone is 2.9 times more than the SCU's Men's Basketball estimated total annual operating budget.  Add on top the national PR exposure and media contracts, and the impact can be BIG - maybe a game changer.

Our last trip to the "dance" - 17 years ago - a Nash led team.

I don't know about you, but if the last time I danced with my wife was 17 years ago - well that would be another type of game changer.....

I hope the SCU Board of Trustees likes to "dance".  I hope the Commission Report will be compelling and result in an immediate call to action - not the usual "in 5 years" we hope to....

Season Ticket Holders and Boosters want a "surge" - we're tired of being wall flowers....

"Moneyball"

"The Bucking Bronco"

Today's a big day at SCU.  Not because it's a game day....we play St. Mary's tomorrow night.

So, what's the BIG deal???

TODAY, the SCU Board of Trustees Executive Committee will be briefed on the findings and recommendations of the President's Commission on Athletics. The Executive Committee are the the standing committee chairs and officers of Board, who are tasked with achieving the stated Board and University goals for the year.  It is NOT a decision date - that will come next month when the full Board meets.

However, if the officers are for it - that will be a very good sign.

Here's a preview of the information they will receive*

1. SCU's overall athletic department budget is near the bottom in the WCC
2. SCU offers the fewest number of athletic scholarships in the WCC
3. SCU Men's Basketball operating budget is one of the lowest in the WCC - 4 times            smaller than Gonzaga and is less than 1/2 of St. Mary's - Forget about BYU
4. SCU Men's Basketball budget has been flat since 2007, a modest increase this year
5. SCU's athletic department's funding is below "comparative" Jesuit Universities
6. SCU "fund raises" more scholarships than most all other WCC teams

This level of Investment has produced the following results

1. Last time SCU was awarded the WCC Commissioner's Cup:  2006-2007
2. Last Men's Basketball WCC Title"   1996-1997 Co-Champs
3. Last Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament Appearance:  1996
4. Last Men's Basketball NIT Appearance:  1989
5. Last Men's Basketball Post Season 2013:  Won The CBI Tourney

Intermixed, there have been two 20+ win seasons and of course, we graduate all of our players, common to the other WCC schools.

As an Alum, I have the utmost respect for The University deciding to invest more in Academic infrastructure.  Forbes Magazine's rankings of the University are climbing.

BUT, as a Season ticket holder - we have an opportunity to do better - and the money to do so.  Santa Clara's total Endowment is 2nd only to BYU in the WCC and is nearly 6 times larger than Gonzaga and St. Mary's.

Over the past several years, Gonzaga Athletics has received an average of about 5.5% of the University's operating budget.  If put into SCU dollars, that equates to nearly a $21 M athletic budget based upon a total University budget of $378 M.

If I'm Dan Coonan, I might be pulling a full on a Cuba Gooding, Jr. move in Jerry Maguire, "Show me the Money!"

Money alone is NOT the answer.  It must come with clear Goals and Accountability - sometimes a "difficult" thing for Universities to implement.  Well, you know, Students have to "earn" credits and specific GPA's to graduate - we shouldn't expect less of our leaders.

The Season Ticket Holders vote:  Let's invest in some thoroughbreds AND LET THE HORSES RUN!!!

*The Information above was developed from publicly available source.