SCU Men's Basketball - Cougars, Cardinals and Bears - Oh My!

                                                                                            



We found out something big about the Broncos during Tuesday's victory against Washington State .  Something that's been missing for a long time.  I'll call it GRIT.  Edgy, rough, bordering on Chaos Theory.  

Recent times past, against strong opponents, we've played like young colts; not Broncos.  A bit weak in the knees and insecure in our on court abilities.  Not now - not this team.  How/why the change?

Maybe there is a bit of Chaos Theory going on; where small changes lead to unpredictable big changes.  Is it Trey, Tahj, Willie, Keshawn and Josip maturing?  Was it last year's USC overtime thriller and a strong finish to the WCC season that gave them belief?  

My take, it's the new guys.  They play with a "tude" we desperately need.  It's been brewing in practice for the past six weeks.  Hi, I'm David Thompson and I want your minutes.  He's not big, but he plays big.  Affectationatley nicknamed the "sewer rat."  Or, DJ Mitchell's play, setting a "just try and stop me" example.  Keep going.  The Williams - Jalen and Giordan who have shown they can "shoot" you to the bench.  They are itching to get into the action.  
Chaos Theory at work.

Tuesday night was part game plan, but mostly mayhem.  Different than in the past, WE not only caused it, but thrived in it.  No stopping, more pressure, more defensive "stands."  A turnover by us, a steal, a block, a big rebound, an injured player returning and delivering a clutch three.  Making free throws at crunch time, the Bronco Corral end zone free throw antics, and watching the whole team, all in with their teammates.  Who wins a game against a good opponent with 21 turnovers AND your two most experienced players scoring only five points?  These guys.

A tougher mid-term exam comes this Saturday at Stanford.  Big, talented, young, and wants prove it.  They don't want to lose in their own backyard.  No matter the outcome, it will strengthen our resolve.  Click the link below for the Stanford season outlook.

Stanford Season Outlook

As fans and season ticket holders, you've got to like a full roster of guys who can play with mayhem.  I'd love to see us keep it going all season, so our opponents have to go full Butch Cassidy, declaring "who are these guys."  

They're colts, that are becoming Broncos and we all need to "ride" together to see what this team can become.

SCU Men's Basketball - "Sluggish" Won't Do vs The Cougars

                                                                                               

The Bronco's opened last Tuesday against the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs and on Thursday against the Cal Poly Mustangs.  

Most programs have a schedule that's a soft opening.  Even Duke played mighty Fort Valley state.  It's solely for getting the team "reps" - floor time.  That was all we were wanting from the UCSC game.  

Here's what we saw.  The coaches used their starters off and on for about 20 - 24 minutes.  The newcomers each saw 15-19 minutes of their first real game action.  

Questions were answered.  What about all the newbies?  Here's the rundown.  DJ Mitchell impressed.  Active, competitive, a power dunk high flyer, with an edge.  As for the two Williams, Jalen and Giordan, they played well and showed we have real depth.  Freshman Jaden Bediako also impressed, albeit against a much smaller lineup.  IMHO, the best thing about the "slugs" game was the ball was always moving in an up tempo game plan and open shots were everywhere.  

Different story when the Mustangs rode into Leavey.  The game started the same way as we did vs UCSC - good passes and two dunks.  One by Caruso, the other by DJ Mitchell onto an 8-0 lead.  
The next four minutes were flashbacks to last season, where we were plagued by turnovers and missed shots.  In that span, five fouls, three turnovers, and four misses resulting in an 11-2 Cal Poly run to lead by one.  
To our credit, the defense was aggressive and kept us in the game. We won't get away with the reach fouls going forward that lead to early foul trouble on three starters.  We found out we DO have a bench who compete with a "dive on the floor" mentality lead by David Thompson with a head first, fumble recovery type move, to force a game changing turnover and enable a nice run.  Vrankic and Caruso were able to impose their will deep into the second half for a 14 point win.  Shoulda, coulda, woulda, been a 20+ win, but there was no folding in this team a la Prairie View last season.  

For the next two games "sluggish" won't do.

Washington State will be a good early litmus test.  They have experience, decent size, and are coached by former USF head coach Kyle Smith, who would love to avenge last seasons loss at Leavey.  After that loss, USF fell into a four game tailspin and a post season snub that wasted a 21 win season.  They also have freshman DJ Rodman - yes the son of, on their roster.  
Forget about last year's SCU win away.  This will be a whole different deal.

Saturday away at Stanford will be another test of what our team can become.  Stanford has a combo of young and experienced talent and a strong defensive mindset.  A "W" would be great, but the experience playing better teams should help in prep for the WCC league play.
  
We should be close to full strength.  Keyshawn Justice, according to some G2 is a game time decision.  He did practice a bit,  but I'm sure the Coaches don't want to risk any longer term problems.   He can be a key piece for us this year and I hope he's ready to go.  

The team will be amped and ready to run.  The "corral" will be ready to taunt at every free throw.  All of us need to be loud and the sixth man for our team, because sluggish just won't do in this one!

SCU Men's Basketball - Who Are These Guys?

                                                                                         

With the season starting next week, and, so many newbies to the program, lots of you are asking, "Who are these guys?"  

It's easy to read their bio's on the SCU website, but that doesn't give any hint as to what we can expect from our players in the flow of the game.  It's very hard to quantify how high school stats translate to the college level.  For example, Miguel Tomley (Fr).  He averaged 29 ppg in his last high school season in Canada and dropped 66 on a team in one game!  I guess he can really shoot it - but will he at this level?

In any case, here's my completely uneducated preview and introduction of the roster from what I've seen in practice so we know who's "that guy."  

I'll start with the bigs, because in the WCC this season, it's "go big or go home."

Jaden Bediako - 6' 10"  Freshman, Ontario, Canada

# 2 ranked prospect in Canada.  Likely to spell Willie Caruso and Zeke Richards.  Runs pretty well and shows some good defensive instincts.  Will work on college level post moves and short range spot jumper.  

Juan Ducasse 6' 9"  Sophomore, Montevideo, Uruguay

Missed all last year with a knee injury.  Has experience playing in high level international competition but will be his first year in Coach Sendek's system.  Versatility will be a big plus.  Has legit 3 ball range, can move and pass in up tempo scheme.  May Split time with Keyshawn Justice and DJ Mitchell.  A player to watch.


Donovan (DJ) Mitchell 6' 8" Junior, Clovis CA, transfer from Wake Forest

All around talent.  Shooter, rebounder and defender.  Should contribute right away.  Can drop a three, pull up in traffic and hit, and slash/finish at the rim.  Anxious to be on the court after his redshirt year. Could become one of the go-to leaders.

The guards.  Depth a plenty.

Jalen Williams 6 '6" Freshman, Gilbert, Arizona

Just as he's grown 8 inches since a HS Soph, his game is growing as well.  Will spell Tahj Eaddy, Trey Wertz, and others.  A threat anywhere.  Seven foot wing span.  Sneaky good  shooter and should be a factor in the up tempo game.  Lots of upside possible with JW.

Miguel Tomley 6'3" Freshman, Surrey, BC, Canada

Will spell Tahj and Trey at guard.  Has a rep as a great shooter and hopefully will become a deadly outlet for a three off the dribble or in transition.  If he can shoot it as advertised, he will will be a huge boost for a team that last year had big scoring lapses.


Giordan Williams 6' 3"  Freshman, Long Beach, CA

Will spell everyone in the rotation.  Confident scorer.  Will be an asset in the up tempo game.  Another three ball and finisher outlet.  As he adjusts to D1, he could be a valuable role player.


David Thompson,  6 '0" Junior Transfer from San Jacinto College, CA

Versatile, can play all Guard positions.  Will bring some needed toughness to the roster.  Not afraid to step up and shoot or defend.  Could be a very valuable contributor in the depth chart in the up tempo style and provide more defensive legs - sorely need from last year.


And there's more.  

The scoring "core" five are back.   Vrankic, Caruso, Eaddy, Wertz, and Justice who gave us over 82% of our points.  We will be the only team in the WCC with no seniors or grad transfers. 

The team will have had two scrimmages prior to opening on November 5th.  All the practice effort is nice, but as coaches say, you learn more about your team in a scrimmage than any practice.

With 13 of the first 15 games at home in Leavey, we'll find not only who these guys are, but more importantly who they become, a team stuck in the middle or who knows - a team on the rise! 


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SCU Men's Basketball - Did Our Team Pass Summer School?

The 2018-19 season for the Broncos started and ended the same way.  We came up "short" against Prairie View A&M and then San Diego in the WCC tournament.  All things considered, a 16-15 record wasn't bad, but short of some expectations.

Not only did we come up short against some beatable teams, we had a roster that was the "shortest" in the WCC.  For most games there were only 7-8 scholarship players and our two "longest" players were oft injured and one lost for the entire season.  

Well, in 2019-20 we won't be "short", we'll be L-O-N-G.  

We have a full scholarship roster with every player recruited by Coach Sendek and his staff.  We will be both deep and long.  Five players listed at 6' 9" or better.  Three more players 6' 6" to 6' 8."  Six who can play guard and some that have actual point experience. 

There are no seniors on the roster and six newcomers to Coach Sendek's system.  Four true freshmen - Tomley, Bediako, J. Williams, G. Williams.  Two transfers - D.J. Mitchell and David Thompson.  Add Juan Ducasse, who is listed as a sophomore, but is really a freshman since he was injured and hasn't played or practiced until this summer. 

The players arrived on campus and immediately started summer school both in the classroom and on the court.  Summer school on the court is limited to skill/strength development and some game situation time.  Did they pass Coach Sendek's summer school? 

Convos with the Coaches say - yes.  No one likes getting a "C", but the coaches love this groups "C" for competitive.   Last season, practices at times were sort of walk throughs; harder to develop players, who were competing against walk-ons vs this year, when the guy you're going against in practice wants YOUR minutes and is determined to get them.  In Coach's system, practice and game performances earns court time.  

There's a lot of "A" for attitude as well.  They show up, ready to go and devote lots of study hours in their Library (Gym) to get better.  It looks and feels different.  Even Coach Sendek, usually understated and matter of fact, was excited about this roster at the Coffee with Coach series.

Predicted game style will be up tempo all the way.  Push the ball on makes and misses and beat opponents up and down the court.  Not as much set offense, but more opportunistic.  We have 11 three ball shooters on this team; not like last year when you had a few.  We can go-go-go because we actually have legit depth.  No more wearing out Trey and Tahj every game.  Bring on Thompson, Williams, Williams, Tomley etc, etc. 

Same on defense - more fresh bodies and more size to deny the freeway to the bucket that happened at times last season.  Less worry over a foul here or there.  Get after it.

Season practices have started and include two closed scrimmages versus other teams.  Summer school is nice, but the real team G.P. A.* will start being measured on November 5th.

In non-conference, we will play 13 of 15 games at Leavey.  The WCC schedule will be once again school or "be schooled" with Gonzaga again the top dog.  

With 21 games at Leavey, it's time for us to show up as well.  We need to get our "C" on and cheer this young team on to new heights.  The new Athletic Excellence Center raises the stakes on our quest to be National.  We'll find out if this team and us, as season ticket holders and fans, can rise to the occasion!




* G.P.A. = Game Performance Average

SCU Men's Basketball - If We Build It - Will They Come?

                                                                

In December, 2013, the President's Blue Ribbon Commission issued a report to the SCU Trustees that, point blank, gave us an "F" for failure to fund Athletics over the past 20+ years.  We were near the bottom in almost every category compared to our WCC and National competitors.  The commission's analysis showed that success in Athletics provided substantial leverage that could impact many University strategic priorities.

Gee, ya think?  Gonzaga figured that out 25 years ago.  We all know how that turned out.

Fast forward to now.  BIG changes have occurred, but with the exception of Women's Soccer, we're still chasing national relevance in major sports and, particularly, in Men's Basketball.  

The May 1st groundbreaking of the Schott Athletics Excellence Center may finally  be the "tipping point" to the trajectory of Men's Basketball.  UP. 

The 2013 commission agreed to amp up funding.  But there was another idea, a BIG idea, costing BIG money.  

Who would be so bold?  Well - Herb Sendek.  

Rumor has it, the convo came up during his interview with Renee and then at a retreat during Coach Sendek's first year.  What do we need to attract the best possible student athletes that would allow us to challenge for titles in the WCC and post season?  

How about a "top 20" level facility that will change the current notion that SCU is a prodding along, mid- major program.  An athletics' center that can stand up next to anything that Villanova,  Gonzaga and others have to offer.  

Three years and $38 M later, rising from the dirt that was an athletics program on life support, is one of the boldest statements ever in SCU Athletics history.  The new center, is the half court, hail Mary "Schott" that we mean it; national relevance. 

The "U" and Trustees are "all in."  Blue Ribbon Commission 2.0 led, again, by John M. Sobrato will be happening in parallel.  Why?  To measure progress and, I hope, go faster.  If you're going to be competitive, you must beat your competition.  All WCC teams are investing.  It's not good enough anymore to keep pace, you have to try to "lap" the field. 


Of course, there will be rampant naysayers.  Can't blame them.  Wrong A.D., coaches, schedules, etc, etc.  It's a big bet.  Buildings before more scholarships to other sports, but at least we're taking chances!  One thing we know, the limp along strategy wasn't working.

If we build it, will they come?

Does it mean that all of the sudden we'll be stealing recruits from Duke?  Uh, no.  But, we will be able to offer a no compromises program for the athletes that fit the SCU profile.  

In the end, it's all about winning, not whining.  Been there, done that.  

Coach Sendek has called his own number at crunch time.  Can he deliver?   I like the game plan - now we just need to see it succeed on the Court at Leavey...


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SCU Men's Basketball Season: "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"

                                                                        


Our 2018-19 season ended the way it started; with a resounding "thud."   The losses to USD and Prairie View were both symbolic and symptomatic of a team that played great at times, but had this penchant to self destruct.  

The Good - three upset wins against USC, USF, and Washington State.  The Bad - meltdowns against Prairie View, Idaho State, and USD in Las Vegas.  The Ugly - the two loses to LMU.  Despite all the roster triage, we left two more wins on the table. 

Among the thousands of alums, fans, and season ticket holders who follow the Broncos and this column, there's a camp that will say "considering" the loss of K.J. Feagin, Matt Hauser, and the injuries that shrunk our roster to seven scholarship players, this was a really good outcome.  I'm not in that camp.  

This was a talented team capable of better; but needed more.  More depth, more experience and more rest.  We played 20 of our 31 games with only eight scholarship players.  In the past 10 years, there have been just three other first year players who have logged more minutes in their first season than our only two guards.  

When you factor in transfers, we had eight first year new to the program players.  This steep learning curve reared its head in the five above mentioned losses; three of which we held significant halftime leads.  Our inconsistency was bi-polar; not chronic and very hard to stomach.

We didn't have one "go to" leader to stand up and take charge when we needed it most.  Say what you will, but IMHO, at crucial times this team lacked the will or stamina to compete when severely challenged.

OK, Freshman and Sophomore lineup, prone to errors, I get it.  BUT, what I don't get, is the lack of aggressive response and fundamentals when in the process of squandering big leads?  After twenty, maybe thirty games into the season, shouldn't our offense have "learned" to execute a play and get a good shot from one of our scorers?  Many times, when we did get a good shot, we missed repeatedly.  How about get the ball in bounds or up court or down low to a well positioned player instead of resorting to late in the clock dribbling one on ones?  How about a defensive stop or key rebound?  

That's where you need someone to step up.  We had plenty of guys, who in the moment, tried to be that go to.  In some cases, we made big plays, but during the tsunami of losing leads with LMU, we didn't have the "one" to settle us down.  Grab a key rebound, draw a foul to get free throws, make a great pass for a score. 

For all our offensive sins, most turnovers in the WCC, it was our defense that wavered most of the year.  Last in steals and from 7th to 9th in overall rebounding categories.  The most glaring example may have been our last game at LMU.  Ahead 19 at half and by 14 with 11:41 to go, we went 6 minutes without a point.  With 7:24 to go, we turned it over four times AND gave up seven offensive rebounds to lose by two....Bi-polar.

Hard to watch.  As bad as The W.tv is, this was worse.  You can't coach experience, but you can motivate effort.  Just review what USD did to us last Friday in the WCC Tournament and what they did to BYU the next night.  Yes, they have more experience, but they also had a lot of heart in the face of back to back to back games.

All in all, a 16-15 season was just OK.  Could have been better and certainly worse.  The impatience level for alums and fans for us to get better is very high.  Coach Sendek and his staff have produced two winning seasons in their first three years.  Next season, for the first time, the coaches will have their own hand-picked roster and will need to "own" more winning and challenge the WCC top three.

It was a year of WOW and WOE.  We've seen "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly."  I'm ready to see a different movie - something along the lines of the "Rocky" theme; where we learn to punch our way into the mix in the WCC and beyond.  

SCU Men's Basketball - Sixth - The Hard Way

                                                                           

In Las Vegas, you can bet the odds on just about anything.

While nothing has been easy in the WCC this season, falling from fifth to sixth in the Tournament seeding lowered our odds to advance and do some late season damage.  LMU just seems to have our "number."

Our tournament outlook, to use a Craps' term, is a "hard six."  At fifth we would have played the winner of Pepperdine/Pacific; against who we were 4-0 in league.  If we had won that game, we would have faced USF in the quarterfinals. 

Sixth means we will probably play USD; who should handle Portland.  Then, IF we get by USD, we have to go through BYU AND St. Mary's to advance.  That's why I call it a "hard six."  

Since 2007, we are 4 - 56 vs BYU and SMC.  With Coach Sendek, we are 1-13.  Long odds. 

BTW, the odds of a "hard six" happening in dice is < 3%.

USD is a tough out.  They are healthy and are  4-0 against USF and LMU.  In our win vs USD, they were without their starting point guard, Isaiah Wright, who is averaging 20ppg in his last two games.  Wright is not the only Isaiah to worry about.  Their "go to" player is senior 6' 7" forward Isaiah Pineiro.  He's a load at 19 points and 10 rebounds a game.  They start four seniors and a sophomore.  Experienced.  

To get by USD, we'll need to put together our two best "first half's" since our second half performances have been very inconsistent.  A winning formula for us will be to shoot it at our season average and to have more assists than turnovers.  

It would be great to get another shot at BYU on a neutral court. 

Eventually, one team will get the chance to meet Gonzaga in the final.  My sleeper pick is LMU.  They beat USF in San Francisco and have the best defense in the WCC; allowing only 59.5 points per game.   

The tournament will be the measure of how much we have "learned" in 30 games.  We all know, this season to date, we've been short on many things.  Guards, roster depth, rebounding, experience, and consistency to name a few.  

That's why we have "long odds" to make a run in the WCC tourney; where nothing is easy and we'll have to overcome the "hard six" seeding to feel like we're a team and a program on the rise.