After back to back twenty wins seasons and NIT selections, was this Santa Clara Men's Basketball coming out party as a legit rising mid-major team? For the second consecutive year, we finished third in the WCC, ahead of USF and BYU, and in front of pre-season "experts" picks of LMU and Portland; who placed fourth and seventh.
So much for all the experts and stat rags predicting outcomes. Witness the NCAA tournament. The highly touted NET ranking system, used to make tournament selections, was about as accurate as a WCC referee making the right call on a charge or blocking foul. Awful.
Facts are the WCC and, in particular Santa Clara, is better than the talking heads think. In addition the "gap" between the perennial top teams, Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and the rest, is narrowing. Our late game losses to the above loom large as our potential for an NCAA bid went down with two hail Mary's three pointers against the Zags and the Gaels. As good as this season was, those losses, as well as, meltdowns versus Pacific, San Jose State, and USF in the WCC quarterfinal were the "cons" - consequences to not making the NCAA Tournament.
There are those who say Coach Sendek is too "old school", set in his ways, doesn't make enough in game adjustments, and that the rest of coaching staff is sticking around because they're aren't opportunities for them to move on and grow. Truth is, they like what's happening at SCU even though there are offers of bigger coaching opportunities.
There are those who look at our records, momentum, and four consecutive winning seasons against better competition and feel we are on the right track. Twenty-Five years between post season invites that begin with an "N" are evidence of consistent progress. Of course, for some it's too slow.
Amongst the "pros" mentioned above, there's been the recruiting and development of NBA pros. The progression we as fans and season ticket holders have witnessed with Jalen William's, the # 12 pick and now Brandin Podziemski testing the NBA draft waters has been fun to watch. BTW, it's been 27 years since Steve Nash began his NBA career. These successes make us want more.
In today's college basketball, there are LOTS of players who fly under the radar that have seen what Jalen and Brandin have accomplished. They now view SCU as a place where they can stand out and develop with a team rising and a WCC conference that competes at a higher national level.
It makes a difference. Our phones are ringing with prospects vs us making all the calls. The AEC and the SCU campus are powerful drawing cards; giving our coaching staff more options than ever in this "transfer portal" world. SCU student turnouts and noise levels have improved as well.
We could have a many as five roster spots available if Brandin formally enters the draft after the May NBA combine. Holt, Bediako and Giordan Williams have entered the transfer portal. Brandin will test the NBA and Carlos Marshall is likely to look for Pro opportunities abroad.
Odds are with more "Pros" and fewer "Cons" we will again be a very good team and looking to challenge the top two teams in the WCC. Those are the kind of odds we should all look forward to!
More on the 2023-2024 roster next column.
