SCU Men's Basketball - The "Fifth" Perspective

                                                                       


With two games remaining we are in a position to place fifth in the WCC.  I guess when the media predictors pick you to be ninth, fifth looks much better.  The cliff-hanger home win vs # 50 ranked USF made us think, we have something going on here.  Helps to erase some of the sting of the big scoring margin losses to the top three, after which you may have felt like you should drink a "fifth" of something.

We could fall to sixth if we lose @ LMU who would then own the tiebreaker with us.  Nothing is set and there's a lot to shake out, but worst case we finish sixth.

So, is it better for us to be fifth or be sixth going into the tournament?  My recommendation is, gimmie five...

Here's why.  IF SMC, USF, and BYU all finish at 11-5, then USF should end up in second place as they own the tiebreaker with BYU, as they beat them twice and St. Mary's split with them.  St. Mary's should fall to third as they split with USF and BYU lost to USF twice.  Got that?? 

Fifth means we will probably play USD or Pacific.  It also means if we win that one, we would most likely play BYU in quarterfinals. 
Sixth means we play either Pepperdine or Portland.  If we win that round we would play St. Mary's in the quarters.  

IMHO, I like our chances vs BYU on a neutral court vs St. Mary's who dissected us twice this season. We were in the game with BYU in Provo; where arguably we were a couple of phantom calls away from overtime.  We weren't really close with either St. Mary's efforts eventually losing by 11 at home, but were down 23 points midway through the second half.  Our records vs both is not good, but St. Mary's just seems to pick us apart where BYU has a more run and gun approach; subject to some really poor shooting spells and turnovers.  

So, I'll take Fifth on this one.  At the end of the day if we win the first two tourney games we run into the Zags.  The Fifth Estate wouldn't give us very good odds on that one...

So, I'm going with Fifth, even if I have to "take the fifth" to not self incriminate, but I guess I've already done that.  This equates to a 17 win season.  Not that anyone cares about history, but that would be only the third time in the past 19 years with more than 17 wins.   Three....Ugh.  

Ironically, the quarterfinals is the fifth Men's game of the tournament and if we get there it would be our fifth consecutive win - Karma.   


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SCU Men's Basketball - Are We in Position to Finish This Season?

                                                             

With a record of 13-12, are we in position or out of position to finish our season with a winning record? 
  
Last week's games typified our entire season.  A superb road win at Pepperdine and then a close road loss at USF.  A seesaw year that began with significant roster changes that has resulted in too many turnovers per game.

Not that history matters, but you have to go back 10 years to find a higher T.O. number.  The stat that is our Achilles' Heel this season is the points scored against us via turnovers.  In a sampling of eight recent games, four wins and four losses, the points scored against us off turnovers is 124.  More grist in league play, we are averaging more turnovers, 14.4, than assists; 11.

It's an awkward position to be in when most of your starters are playing out of their normal position.  On top of all that, four starters are in their first year in Coach Sendek's system.  I guess the result of all the roster turnover is more turnovers.  

Should be an easy coaching fix.  Right.  Imagine the situation.  Lose three starters to injury and all your point guards.  Convert your only two remaining guards, who were recruited as shooting guards to play point with no/little D1 experience.  No problem.

In business, it might be like asking your best salesperson to become your CFO...or a history teacher forced to teach calculus ?

I'm NOT trying to give the coaches a pass, even with better athletes, it's a hard thing for first year players to learn a new position at a new level of competition.  All of these growing pains are unfolding in front of our season ticket holders and fans who don't have much patience left after waiting 20+ seasons...

Paradoxically, even though our players are playing out of position, we are in a position to finish with a winning record. 

Of our five remaining games, three are at home (SMC, Pacific, USF) and two away (LMU, Portland).  Going 3-2 would be great ending at 16-14 and 8-8 in league.  We can't take anything for granted.  FYI, LMU is 10-2 at home this year.  Even with a 2-3 outcome, we finish the season 15-15 and 7-9 in the WCC. 

IF we can do 8-8 in league and the other teams achieve their expected wins, it creates a potential logjam in the final league standings and an interesting seeding for the WCC tourney.  At 8-8 we could finish as high as solo 5th.  The shakeout at the top between SMC, BYU, and USF will determine our fate as will what happens with Pepperdine, USD, and LMU.

Of the top tier teams SMC and USF have easier schedules than BYU.  My pick is for USF, SMC, and BYU to all finish 11-5.  BYU and USF could run the table and get to 12-4.  Doubtful.

We are in the mushy middle with Pepperdine (5-6), LMU (5-6) and USD (5-5).  All of them have the tougher schedules remaining.  Pepp plays away at USF, SMC, and Gonzaga.  LMU plays at home vs  Gonzaga and BYU, then away at USF.  USD has BYU twice, SMC, Gonzaga, and at USF.  Ugh...

If it comes down to us and Pepperdine for 5th place at 8-8 or 7-9, we own the head to head tiebreaker with them.  

We have a lot to play for.  We all wonder, "which SCU team" is going to show up.  The team that lost to Prairie View or the team that beat USC?  

As season ticket holders and fans, we'll be in our usual positions at Leavey helping to rally our guys to "turn it up" rather than turn it over.



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Santa Clara Athletics - What's Our Program "G.P.A."

                                                                   

Three and a half years ago, Fr. Engh's Blue Ribbon Commission on Athletics and the Trustees made the decision to invest in Santa Clara Athletics with the goal to become nationally relevant in major sports by the 2020-21 season.  

Their first major decision was the hiring of Dr. Renee Baumgartner as Athletics Director.  

Now, three + years into the makeover, I was wondering, where are we?  What is our athletics "G.P.A." - Game Performances Average?  

There's no question, the entire foundation of athletics has been turned on its ear, from a program that was on was on life support funding for 50 years, to one that has "venture fund" type capital to invest and resuscitate our Athletics' reputation.  

I can just imagine what the A.D. search committee presented as the challenges to overcome.  "We have a rich tradition of Athletic success that we wish to re-invigorate and get to National relevance.  You'll have our full support and commitment do this.  A couple of things you should know as you consider this opportunity."

Your Athletics' operating budget is the lowest in the WCC.
Your major sports recruiting budget is constrained. 
You have 40 fewer scholarships than your WCC competitors. 
Your athletics' facilities are outdated and need a make over.
Many of your coaches have to fundraise to make ends meet.
It has been 20+ years since two of your most visible major sports, Men's Basketball and Baseball's, last NCAA tournament appearance.
Your alums and fan base feel dis-connected to the program.
The students who would support you, weren't yet born the last time Men's Basketball went to the NCAA tournament.

BUT, there are also positives.  In 2015, you'll inherit a strong group of coaches and teams.  W. Soccer is a perennial NCAA tournament team and already a national power.  W. Basketball had a good 2015 -16 season earning a WNIT bid after 11 years since their last NCAA invite.  W. Volleyball made the NCAA tournament in 2015 and has 11 other NCAA trips from 2000-2018.  Lastly, M. Soccer made the 2015 NCAA tourney after a five year hiatus. 

Sounds like the "dream" job, doesn't it?  You're hired!  Now go win WCC titles and get Men's Basketball and Baseball to the NCAA tournament, preferably now, but certainly by the 2020-21 season...

I admire the dedication of all the prior coaches and what they accomplished with these constraints.

So, after all the above, what's changed?  Is our G.P.A. in major sports on track to national relevance?  Honestly, there's been massive changes, but at mid-terms, our G.P.A. is a work in progress.

Consider this.  Since July 2015, out of the seven most visible programs mentioned above, there are five new coaches; most of them in their first or second seasons.  Complete reboot.
Culturally, winning is a real coaching measurement.  Gone are the Kumbya days of "nice try."
The scholarship deltas vs other WCC schools is being whittled down, but still a long way to go.  For example, with more scholarships, Men's Golf has been able to earn their highest national ranking.  
Coaches no longer have to fundraise to make their program budget work.  
Facilities have had a big make over and are actually starting to look like a top tier D1 program.  The newly approved Athletic Excellence Center will make a major statement about where our program wants to go; much like what the amazing Campus build out has done for our academic reputation.  
Recruiting budgets now support more international travel where we can build an SCU pipeline of players. 
There is real marketing money not only for game day promotions, but to legitimize "stampede ahead" as part of our active branding strategy.
Additional Athletic support staffing has been beefed up with experienced people to provide more horsepower to make our teams more successful.

As alums and fans. we take our pot shots that we're still not winning enough and competitive with the top three in WCC MBB as well as complaints that Renee and Coach Sendek were the wrong choices - one inexperienced and the other past his prime.  

I'm as impatient as the next person, but sometimes I feel like my/our arrogance gets in the way of reality.  I'll call it the "big hat, no cattle" syndrome.  

The expectations that just because we're Santa Clara we should just be better without laying the foundation and doing the hard work it takes to actually get better.  That it's somehow easy to reverse 50 years of athletic program mediocrity in three years.

I wish it was - and I hate it that it's not.

But, the BIGGEST thing for me is that we ARE investing!  Building a foundation with real money and commitment not have just a "one and done," but sustained successes.  Mistakes and missteps are going to happen.  This is uncharted territory for SCU - actually saying out loud and trying to achieve national relevance.  

SCU is arguably best suited among the WCC teams not named Gonzaga or BYU to get it done.  It's not just big thinking that makes this happen, but big $$$$.   Our new Billion dollar campaign speaks to this overall vision.  I haven't heard of any other WCC school even dream about; let alone raising a Billion.  

I have no idea if Renee and Coach Sendek can get us there on the Athletics and MBB fronts.  I do know they're putting in the work.  

Right now our Athletic's G.P.A. is about a 2.5 or C+.  A strong foundation for the long term is happening.  However, since 2015, there's not enough winning in major sports.  Five new head coaches and staffs are working hard to build contenders.  For example, Men's Baseball, under first year coach Rusty 
Filter, doubled their prior year win total finishing with a 26-26 season.   FYI, Baseball hasn't had a break even or better season in nine years.  

Men's Basketball is still floundering against the WCC top three in what's become a "triage" season.  Three starters lost and four of the guys playing new positions.  Of our last seven games, four are on the road and three are at Leavey - including St. Mary's and USF.

There's lots of learning and studying going on and finals are approaching - "national relevance by 2020-21."

It's certainly a roller coaster, but a ride I'd rather be on than just sitting on the sidelines like the past 50 years.


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SCU Men's Basketball - Last Week was "Weak"

                                                                   

Last week was a tough one, not just for the players and coaches, but for our whole MBB program.  An all time record loss blowout by Gonzaga followed by a blown second half at home vs LMU.

It couldn't have come at a worse time.  Just when upbeat feelings of seven straight wins and some bounce back wins after road losses had Bronco fans believing again - just maybe.

It's a conundrum.  How do our young players perform so well under pressure with O.T. wins over USC and a road win at Washington State?  Followed by second half comeback wins over Pepperdine and Pacific?  Then whoosh, gone.  Program momentum capital squandered.  

Coach Sendek's pillars of "learn and improve" seemed to be taking root, then came the "root canal" of last week.  Ouch!  

There are lots of Bronco alums and fans who talk about getting MBB back to the successes of the "good  old" days.  Well, honestly, with the exception of the Nash years, maybe not that good.  Chew on this.

Since the 1970-71 season, in 48 years of Bronco MBB have exactly three WCC titles, two of them Co-Champs.  Three.  We have four NCAA appearances.  Three with the Steve Nash teams.  That's it folks.  48 years!!!

Maybe our best performances were our four NIT appearances; two of which, '88 & '89, were with a roster that was without superstars. 

Now, all of the sudden we're supposed to be a WCC top level team in Coach Sendek's third season.  Dream on...At LEAST, after 48 years of flat-lined MBB budgets, the University leadership team is investing.  We don't know if Coach Sendek and his staff can get us to a national level or not.  We'll find out in 2-3 more years.  Right now, a long way to go.  

My/our biggest hope is that the Trustees remain strong and committed for the long term.  Don't give in and don't accept mediocrity.  It took Gonzaga nearly 26 years to become relevant.  After all their NCAA run successes, IMHO it wasn't until the past four seasons that the power conference teams took them seriously.  

Our team acts like the have the "terrible two's."  As parents/coaches, we know the act.  They have wonderful minutes of being the greatest child, taught by the best parents ever, followed by hours and hours of going rogue; where nothing seems to work.  Meltdowns.  Just like the LMU game.  

The team practices the offense and defense every single day.  How do they seem to forget what to do, come completely unraveled?  Forget to play basketball?  With a short roster, is it fatigue?

That's why last week was "weak."  Whatever "will" to compete we've had in earlier games seemed to evaporate.  

On offense, instead of the ball moving, it devolved into late shot clock, low percentage efforts.  My unofficial count was 10 of those in the second half.   Of our 31 or so second half possessions:  23 points on (7-26 FG),   3Pt FG (4-17) combined with 8 turnovers.

Not a winning recipe.

I'm sure the coaches would say that with our lack of depth, the margin for error in every game is very small.  Particularly, at Guard where we have only two with neither of them playing their natural positions.  It's evident and easier to coach against us - pressure them everywhere.

They play 36+ minutes per game because they have to.  Fatigue is a factor in a very long season for first year players.  Expect more of the above.

Some impatient fans think, "well, with experienced coaches, they should be able to fix that or make adjustments."  Garbage.  Like it or not, you can't teach experience; the thing we don't have.  The biggest impact of our coaching is to accelerate the learning and development process.  Time will tell.

With eight WCC regular season games left, we need to get STRONGER.  

We need stronger game plans, stronger offense and defense, and the will to compete every game.   Get rid of the weak stuff and play with some old Bronco toughness.  



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