The search for the next SCU Athletics Director should be nearing final interviews with an anticipated selection by September 1st. Many positive things have happened under Renee Baumgartner, Coach Sendek, and staff in the past eight years.
While all the upgrades have created a new foundation and successes in SCU Athletics and Men's Basketball, at the end of the day our MBB NCAA ranking has not materially changed since 2010. We are still stuck in the middle at fourth and a few thirds in the WCC. Our successive 20 wins seasons are a vast improvement in winning, but the level of competition has risen faster than our ability to claw our way out of the mid-major label and into serious NCAA invite consideration.
Our new A.D. will have some "MAJOR" decisions to make as will our University Administration and Trustees if we are to compete on a level with the Zags and St. Mary's as well as other nationally established Catholic University brands. Here's a short checklist of what the above schools are doing and what we need to do to rise to the next level.
The Roster: Any analytics site that covers Men's Basketball will show that talent drives the results. Talent arrives though several means. It takes a keen recruiting eye, a network to access top level prospects in the portal and high schools along with Coaches who can develop talent and a team that can achieve NCAA level tourney results. SCU talent has improved, but we have just one player with a performance rating in the top # 20 in the WCC at # 19. The Zags have 6, St. Mary's 6, and USF 5 in the top 20.
Our Facilities are top 25 caliber. Our reputation and visibility has grown with two first round NBA picks and the coaches who developed them. It would be huge to have a top 25 team ranking to equal the level of our facilities.
NIL Money needs a Big boost and the new Santa Clara NIL exchange could help. To successfully recruit skilled transfers and top level high school prospects, NIL money is the tie breaker and trump card SCU needs to have in its arsenal. IF, we really aspire to play with the Zags we have to pay like the Zags. To get us in the game, send your $4 million check to Santa Clara Men's Basketball.
Improved Analytics in NCAA Men's Basketball has exploded; providing top level coaches with sound data driven insights into player performance by being able to review the outcome of every players' total season offensive and defense possessions and rank it versus any specific opponent, player, or other metric. More on this next article. Powerful.
Student Engagement is the "in game" energizer for top 25 teams. Their students are all in and fill arenas. SCU student engagement has improved slightly, but is woefully behind our competition.
Community Engagement is another area offering major benefits. Our WCC competitors have figured out building a loyal, local fan base that supports their teams. Winning, conference titles, and NCAA invites is the kindling to ignite local families to enjoy Division 1 competition. While we fill the stands with half time community dance teams, others fill them with paying season ticket holders.
Marketing has improved somewhat during the past eight seasons. Budgets are always a problem, but to season ticket holders it appears we act like a small program rather than plan events for what we want to become. The Zags staffs are not just staff, they're program development and delivery managers. "Kraziness in the Kennel" has achieved near "Burning Man" level type student and community support. It's the kickoff event in Spokane. At Midnight! Rightfully, their success has inspired this, but maybe we should consider something bigger. The pre-game Bistro in the AEC and the pre-season preview held in Leavey draw the same 50-75 die hard SCU Basketball fans - not 5,000.
There are no easy solutions to the above, but it could be beneficial to lay out a new strategy. Particularly, since this season we will have perhaps our most talented and experienced team in the Sendek era that has real potential to deliver another 20 wins and a post season invite. We need a 3 point shot of adrenaline in our program.
This is the season to make it happen!
