With our schedule and roster in place, Bronco season ticket holders and fans are hoping - is this the season when we move up? Currently, we are picked to finish 6th in the WCC. Can we move up into the top three, and, dare I say it, a post season nod?
Our last NCAA appearance - 1996. Last NIT - 1989. You can do the math.
During Coach Sendek's tenure we've done a lot of building. A beautiful AEC, a full complement of staff in all key areas, and more consistent winning seasons. It's been 20 years since the Broncos have had three winning seasons in a row. Last time was under Dick Davey. The foundation for long term success is there, but will we start to move up in 2021-22?
For many SCU basketball fans it seems like a no brainer. Flip the switch and we're national - right? It's anything but that. Not making excuses, but it's a daunting task to have a premier academic AND athletics institution. Many think Gonzaga just rose to the top, when in reality, it took more than 20 years for them to "flip the switch" and make a post season tourney (1993 NIT) under Dan Fitzgerald.
It was then that Gonzaga's administration had it's "ah ha" moment. Men's basketball was their "all in" investment to raise their reputation nationally. Credit them. SCU was defunding athletics during the same period and the rest is history. SCU woke up in 2015 when the Commission on Athletics' discovered what Gonzaga had long ago figured out - where the "Benjamins" are.
The words Renee Baumgartner and Coach Sendek use to describe the new AEC is "game changer". A no compromise facility to rival any top 20 program. Click the link below to see videos of what facilities Villanova offers their athletes. Now, we do as well.
Villanova Men's Basketball Facilities : Fast forward to the 3:00 mark to see the weight room
At SCU, gone are are the days of two treadmills, old weight racks, and two metal whirlpools for all our athletes to use, hidden under, as Coach puts it, the "catacombs" underneath Leavey. Obviously, this was not a stop for many recruits considering Santa Clara. Now the AEC is the first stop. If you haven't seen it - very impressive...
But will moving into the AEC move us up?
In reality, it's a new start five years in the making. Our Coaches can now actively recruit better prospects who are looking at major conferences. One example of a recent committed recruit is Carlos Stewart - the number 1 ranked high school player in Louisiana...On many top school's radar.
While that's great, a bigger opportunity may be in transfers that now, according to NCAA rules, can transfer one time to another school without sitting out a season. We picked up P.J. Pipes and 6-10 Parker Braun using the new rule. Both should make an impact this season.
So, can we move up this season? Our roster is perhaps our best blend of experience and youth. We return about 70% of our scoring in the six veterans. With Pipes and Braun who have experience and several talented Freshmen and the potential is there. Ten of our fifteen pre-season games are at Leavey. That should help getting us some good wins before league.
The time to start a move up is now and there couldn't be better way to show payback for the AEC. As fans, we need to see a move up or some may decide to move on.
Building the foundation for long term success is smart, but takes years. Accelerating the build takes winning. Not just the easy games everyone schedules, but a few upsets that are wake up calls to our opponents and, more importantly, recruits. They want instant gratification just like season ticket holders.
It's time to get moving. This needs to be a season where our team's "moves" on the court, moves us up into a higher tier; the top 3 in the WCC.
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