Thirty something years ago in a gym far away, Santa Clara head coach Dick Davey found a great soccer player who wanted to play basketball, but couldn't get a look from Division One schools. In 2016, coach Ludwig saw a smallish 5'10" sophomore from Arizona who believed his work ethic could lead to a pro career. He arrived on campus a 6'6" shooting guard and led SCU to its first post season in over 25 years. Last year, coach Sendek and his staff found a great baseball player who wanted to play basketball, but didn't get the chance at Illinois and chose SCU to prove he had the game to play at the next level.
Each of these Bronco's, Steve Nash, Jalen Williams, and Brandin Podziemski, shared a common perception similar to Santa Clara: one of being overlooked, undervalued, and unappreciated in Men's Basketball. No more. Their grit, talent, and achievements have given Santa Clara something sorely missing - trajectory.
Trajectory is position and momentum toward an upward path. A progression. Clearly, that's happening. Twenty win seasons, top three in the WCC, and back to back post season NIT invites.
Fans and season ticket holders wonder, what happens now that these greats have moved on? As we all hope - more.
More didn't seem to be on the horizon after this season with seven departures via the transfer portal, graduation, and the NBA. All last year's starters gone. That's where the boost from the great players above has kicked in.
Think about it. There are many high school recruits and D1 players who feel the same as our initially overlooked NBA players. Santa Clara offers a bona fide path, facilities, and coaches to help players maximize their potential. Santa Clara is now a beacon for those players. Our phones are ringing and talent is committing. Many believed the transfer portal would hurt SCU, but after two consecutive first round NBA draftees its actually become a great pipeline.
Seven players lost - seven gained. Our roster will have three seven footers, six players 6'6" to 6'10", and the balance 5'10' to 6'5". We will have speed, experience, depth, and enough firepower to replace what we lost from last season. As a testament to this roster, the schedule will be one of strongest in the Sendek tenure. More on that next article.
A big challenge for this upcoming season will be all the newcomers learning Coach Sendek's system. The competition for minutes will be fierce which is a big advantage with a deep roster. The team will face tough practices every day as the players compete for floor time.
While NIT's are an improvement, it's NCAA bids we covet.
Trajectory can get us there. It all starts with keeping our momentum. A third NBA potential player or players is the type of momentum we all can't wait to see!
