'Tis The Season....

For the Broncos, quarter finals are done but the "tests" are just beginning with WCC play starting December 27th.

But wait, before that is the 48th Cable Car Classic....  This is a "bonus" year, where we can see 3 games vs 2, one of which is a home game we don't play in....  True enough.  Today's Mercury News has the details.

I like it...  The game this Wednesday is interesting.  A pre-test measuring stick before league.  Northeastern, (RPI 61) is a good team and Cal Poly just beat USF at USF...  I applaud SCU for keeping the Cable Car going. Another tradition that would be great to reestablish....

So, back to league.  Instead of Ho-Ho-Ho, the schedule looks like Whoa-Whoa-Whoa.  

In a span of 14 days we play 6 games, 4 on the road against St. Mary's, Portland, Pacific, and Gonzaga! THEN, BYU and San Diego come to Leavey....  It's like taking your final exam at the start of the quarter... 

We need to "cram".   

That's why the Orlando Classic was, and the Cable Car is important.  Playing tougher opponents.  

Measuring, grading....

I hope by January 11th, we have a GPA over 3.0...  In terms of basketball performance, that would make my "Dean's" list....

On a final note, you may have heard Yannick Atanga underwent surgery today to repair his knee.  We hope all goes well and we get to see his energy and passion return in 2015-16...

For more updates follow me on Twitter @Fcrary.

The Bronco's 2014-15 Season Outlook

Four games into the season the 2014-15 Broncos need "seasoning".

I love the early, more difficult schedule with roadies at Michigan State (#20), Tennessee, and then, maybe Kansas (#11) at the Orlando Classic.  It must be exciting and a little daunting to walk into 10,000 - 14,000 seat arenas and "game up".  

It never feels great to get whipped at Michigan State - but you are playing Michigan State.  It's where we want to be - the competitive company we need to keep playing.  An important "ingredient" of the seasoning and recruiting.

As fans and season ticket holders, we whine about playing a St. Katherine's...even the elite teams play some patsies.  Duke plays Presbyterian and Fairfield.  Louisville plays Savannah State.  You want to see some ugly box scores?  These I call "rhythm" games. You know you'll win, but the players get reps and some tempo for where it counts - league. 

What should we expect of the Broncos?  

Media prognosticators rank us as high as 6th and as low as 8th in the WCC.  No NCAA tourney, again, unless we pull a "Nash" like upset in the WCC tourney final.  Follow the link below for one version of the 2014-15 WCC outlook.


WCC Predictions


Unfortunately, at the moment, it seems that "gulf" between the top 3 teams and the others may be getting wider.  The ability of Gonzaga, St. Mary's, BYU, and now, USF (NIT last Year) to attract impact transfers shortens their "time to competitiveness" vs trying to grow new freshman or incubating redshirts.


I do like our true freshman class.  All will have an impact this year. I just worry that the learning curve for our offensive and defensive schemes is too steep for 1st year players.  It's not a lack of athleticism.  They have plenty of talent.  It might just be "too many reads" or decisions to process that creates inconsistencies - i.e. turnovers and defensive coverage errors.  

As fans, we wonder why late in a close game we tend to turn the ball over (Utah State).  Frustrating.  As the intensity rises, the game "speeds" up and decisions have to be made much faster.  Hard enough for veterans; let alone 1st and 2nd year players.

SO, here we go.  The Bucking Bronco outlook has us at 13-16 overall and 8-10 in WCC.  Upside 16-13 overall.  

Tougher schedule (a good thing) and stronger WCC.  In addition to the big 3, San Diego, USF, and Portland have more senior leadership and scoring for us to deal with as well.  Pretty much all the top 6 teams have "inside/out" threats.  

We will try to go low, but most of the time will settle for a longer perimeter shot OR, on occasion, a Hubbard elbow turnaround that looks good and we haven't had since Trasolini.  We will also try to use our guard speed to penetrate, shoot, or dish to a waiting 3 point shooter.  That can be an Achilles heel given our decision making learning curve.

Opponents will make someone other than J. Brownridge or B. Clark beat us.  

The good news is that we are getting a heavy dose of "seasoning" early...playing NCAA tourney teams and at bigger exposure venues.  

As season ticket holders and fans we just hope the marinating doesn't take too long...

We're "starving" for another post season gig!

Also, follow me on Twitter @Fcrary for more Bronco updates.

The Co$t of Being Top 25

"The Bucking Bronco"

Every NCAA team wants to be ranked vs "rank"?  

To be Top 25....

For Men's Basketball, we just need about another $4,000,000/yr.

Every year.....

We also need at least 3 years to get there. (by the time Jared Brownridge is a senior)

That would put our budget where Gonzaga was last year ($6M) and a pinch above BYU in 2013.

I know you think I'm joking, and some may be choking on those numbers, but they're real.  

Here are a few of the teams the President's Commission benchmarked for 2013 Men's Basketball spending:

Creighton - $5.0M
Xavier - $4.5M
Butler - $4.4M

Then there's stratospheric:

Duke - $15.2M
Georgetown - $9.6M
Villanova - $7.5M

The Heavyweights are printing money - profitable.  

The Middleweights - where we want to be - make money - but like to "hide" it to show a break even.

Some of the above numbers don't include other "off budget" things; such as special events, appearance fees, money guarantees for home games, some coaching salaries, etc...

Perspective:  SCU's entire Athletic Budget for all sports is less than what Duke spends on basketball.  

Still want to compete...There's more...

You need infrastructure for recruiting, marketing, promotions, program management, etc.  We're talking better facilities, more staff, and aggressive Brand building.  You need a "WOW" factor.  

We have work to do.  Envision a recruiting trip for "the guy we're maybe not supposed to get".  Awesome campus.  The buildings look good and have the aura of 150 years of academic cred.  The Mission, the gardens, the library centerpiece...Then...

You walk into Leavey.  Pretty nice, but needs help. 
Tough sell.  This is where the recruits will spend huge hours. It needs a "makeover".  Whether it's the weight room, locker room, floor or a designated team meeting space.  It needs to make a "statement". 

What would a cosmetic Leavey makeover cost?  Not sure, might be in the $1-2M neighborhood depending on how extensive, but it needs to be in the immediate plan.

Still interested?

Why $4M more?  Because we're behind in the race.  I have seen actual teams line item budgets to get that estimate. We are more than 25 scholarships behind in athletics.  (Men's Bball is OK here).  You have to spend more just to catch up. That means we need to spend more on Marketing and Communication than others to get "We're on a Mission" on the radar.

We need to build momentum.  Do something bold.  Maybe, fill Leavey for home games?

How about free tickets for local Alums, all students and faculty, surrounding high school students like Bellarmine, Mitty, Presentation, St. Francis, etc.. for certain games.  Or buy one get one free...

Still listening?  

The SCU Trustees were.  But the numbers they heard were bigger...I'm just talking about a visible sport like Men's Basketball.  They heard the real TOTAL amount for SCU Athletics to compete in the WCC and nationally...

That number is nearly TRIPLE our current athletics budget...

They didn't flinch...they want what we as fans want.

Their voice has been heard and now it's our turn...

The season starts tomorrow.  We, the season ticket holders and fans, have a part in this as well.

To support, be visible, vocal, expect and be catalysts for change.  

We hope the investment return shows up as additional banners hanging in Leavey.  A deserving return on an investment and most importantly, a return to a winning Bronco tradition...



Next Up:  Season Outlook - don't miss!

"Who Let The DOGS Out" - The Zags Kennel Kraziness

"The Bucking Bronco"

What does "Brand Marketing" look like?  Check out this full day of fan appreciation and activities when Gonzaga opens their doors for the Men's Basketball season....For a scrimmage!

This is what can happen when 15 years of performance, creativity, money, and a marketing plan come together...

Click on the links below.

Zags - Kraziness in The Kennel

Zags Sold Out Scrimmage

I'm not jealous - I'm UPSET....Spokane???

Let's hope OUR "new day" starts soon.... 

Will the Real Dan Coonan Please Stand Up?

"The Bucking Bronco"

We all remember the classic game show, "What's My Line".  After 20 questions, the audience discovers who the real person was from a panel of impostors.

So, what does this have to do with A.D. Dan Coonan?

Well - He may not be who you think he is?  Huh?

He is, of course, our Director of Athletics.  

There is the Dan we, in the chairbacks, see at Leavey, working the attending fans and in some cases, like Gonzaga games, the crowd. Ever smiling, energetic, upbeat, engaging, and selling the Brand. 

There is the Dan that has run athletics for the past 10 years who was trying to elevate a program that has SO MUCH potential.  But was such a low priority for the University that he never had an opportunity to have an audience with our Regents or Trustees.  The fear was that he might expose the elephant in the room which was the "little secret" about the lack of scholarships.

There is the Dan that people feel is just too nice, a caretaker, a schmoozer, not enough visceral DNA or vision to drive the University brass to see the real value to the U as a whole, to a stronger athletic program. (Butler's endowment grew more than 30% after their NCAA tourney runs)

There is the Dan that fans wonder if he holds his coaching and program staffs accountable for measurable results.

There is the Dan who has the vocal repertoire to toe the party line spin, even after a 0-16 Men's Basketball record in the WCC, to say it was followed by a post-season tournament Championship.

That's the Dan I thought I was meeting last February, but during our interview he "morphed" into another Dan I hadn't seen.

This Dan accepted the A.D. job having an inkling that it was underfunded, but believing it would change. 

This Dan could barely contain himself with the idea that the President's Commission would enable a "new day" in SCU athletics.

This Dan owned the perception that he doesn't hold staff as accountable as he could. "I task coaches to compete for conference titles knowing full well they don't have near the scholarships of those they compete with."  (He has a "binder" full of measurements, so many that they might be immeasurable?)

This Dan bluntly states, "All I want are the resources to compete on the same level as our WCC opponents and be accountable for those results."  This will be true for all coaches, especially Men's Basketball - because of its visibility.

This Dan was actually invited and presented to the Commission and the Trustees.  The "elephant in the room" was not only exposed, but dissected.  

This Dan has a clear vision and Brand, "We're on a Mission."

This Dan wants so badly to raise the level of  SCU's athletic's performance that he has endured 10 years of being "muted" by the University.

So, back to my question.  Will the real Dan Coonan please stand up?

Fast forward to today.  The Commission has presented, the Trustees approved and more importantly - money IS coming.

If this is truly a "new day".  The real Dan Coonan will finally get his chance to shine - the chance he has waited 10 years to get.....


Next Post:  The Cost to Compete.....You won't believe it...

I

Coach Keating Interview Part 3 - The Future of SCU Men's Basketball

"The Bucking Bronco"

For Season Ticket Holders, this is another Deja' Vu moment.

For us, the new "future" of Men's Basketball was supposed to have started seven years ago when Coach Keating arrived.  So, the future should be here by now, shouldn't it???

Turns out, maybe it is...As I reported, the Trustees unanimously voted to implement the recommendations of the President's Commission on Athletics.  It means, FINALLY, coaches will get funding to level the playing field with WCC and our "peer" schools as bench-marked by the Commission.

We're not talking "transfusion" type funding, but the spigot is open and Men's Basketball will be a very visible centerpiece.

I BELIEVE THIS DECISION BY THE TRUSTEES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN SANTA CLARA ATHLETICS HISTORY.....

I cannot recall ANYONE at ANYTIME stating SCU Athletics was not only important, but strategic.....AND investing....

I know we've all heard time and again "how great it's going to be".  Well, for the first time, real money is involved and not just hype.... Different?  Hope so.

The stakes for the University are enormous.  In Education, as in Business, it's all about the "Benjamins".

Endowments need to grow to fund important initiatives.  And I have a sneaking hunch our Athletic alums are in possession of some of those Benjamins....A potentially potent source.

What Coach Keating had to say about the future I found - well, surprising....

Let me say, upfront, Coach Keating has fire.  He's like a rare strain of Tabasco that when mixed with other ingredients can become combustible.  We've all seen it....He wants SCU to be in the conversation as one of top WCC teams to threaten Gonzaga.  I have to say, we've played GU pretty tough WITHOUT the resources, so WITH more resources....

IMHO, he may feel like he's been racing in the Indy 500 with a Prius.  By the time you get up to speed, the race is over.  WE, as Season Ticket Holders believed he HAD the Indy car and have expected more...

So here we are...The Future...

Coach said, "What I'm most proud of, is that even after our two worst seasons with key people out, we came back the next year and won 24 and 26 games and two postseason titles.  In fact, our only two fully healthy senior class seasons resulted in post season championships."

Granted, as Season Ticket Holders, these are not the titles WE had hoped for, but something the Players will always cherish.

Coach Keating told me, "If we get the one more guy, the guy maybe you're not supposed to get, I believe we can win the league in 3 years with the freshmen class we have now".  Of course in 3 years it will be their senior year.

I'm glad he feels like that.  Maybe we can make a run at it.  But certainly, sources say, he has an expectation to get to the NCAA Tourney with an At-Large bid within that same time period.

The timing seems perfect.

The University is investing more money to resource Men's Basketball.  The current freshmen should, under Coach's plan, develop.  We'll hopefully add some higher "star" recruits - maybe the guy you're not supposed to get....So, it's out there.  A plan that has details AND a specific performance goal - from Coach Keating himself.

He goes on to say, "No NCAA Coach has won all 4 postseason titles and although they're not the top ones, we've won 2."  Fire...Ambition...

As Season Ticket Holders, we hope Dan Coonan and the University leadership team agree.

Gotta love it....

Now - hopefully - get to see it....Happen.

Next Post:  My interview with A.D. Dan Coonan

The "President's Commission on Athletics Has Spoken"

"The Bucking Bronco"

June 2014 was a BIG month for Santa Clara University.  

The President's commission on Athletics presented their findings and recommendations to the Board of Trustees who "unanimously" endorsed and directed the University to implement a plan to increase our visibility and competitiveness on a National level.

As a wrote last December 5th, the commission's makeup had some real "street cred".  Their research extensive, their criticisms frank, and their vision of the opportunities "significant".

The Trustees agreed.  Athletics across the board needs to be improved.

NOW, this is the moment, we as Men's Basketball Season ticket holders have been waiting for....

It feels like to me, that we have been buying our season tickets with a 401K attitude...  "I'll buy them again as if it's an investment for something better in the future"....

The FUTURE is here....

Why is this time different?

Try these.

The Trustees run the University and they have "directed" the University to implement and report.   A first.

Athletics has been tasked with developing a plan and timetable to meet the goals stated above to upgrade SCU Athletics and particularly Men's Basketball.

Athletics is now a key component in the University's strategic plan versus an "honorable mention" in the past.   Another first.

The University will fund as part of its operating budget, the shortfall in Athletic scholarships SCU has been suffering from for a long time, estimated to be, as I reported earlier, about a 30% delta to the rest of the WCC teams.  The wallet is out - and the moths are fleeing.   Another First.

Pretty Strong....And long overdue.

We as season ticket holders HOPE all these "firsts" translate into a first place in the WCC or our first NCAA bid in over 20 years.... Both hard, but hey - goals are goals....

The Stevens family generous gift  of $ 7.7 million for Soccer is the catalyst for hopefully more gifts to come.
Soccer, particularly the success of Jerry Smith's women's program, can serve as a model for Men's Basketball.   The Steven's gift will upgrade our Soccer field, lockers, and stature as a top tier National stage player.  Well earned and deserved.

We all dream that Men's Basketball can get there.....

SOUNDS FANtastic!

I'm just a little queasy on two points......

MY FIRST:
If Athletics is developing the plan and timetable - will they go too easy on themselves to meet the Trustees goals??  Hope not - fox in the hen house issue...

MY SECOND FIRST:
Where in the University structure will Athletics report?  Critical.  A key signal.   In most National programs it's to the University President.  The "buck" stops here importance...

At the end of the day - it's all good....

Money is coming, measurements of success will be reviewed, people become accountable for results - and FANS and SEASON ticket holders loyalty becomes recognized and acknowledged....

The first half of the NEW Santa Clara Athletics focus has begun - and the clock it ticking......