SCU Men's Basketball - It Was a Strong Weak

 

                                                                                                                   

While we have lot to be thankful for, the week of Thanksgiving was a tough week for the Broncos.  It was a reminder that our schedule has more quality opponents than in years past and each game is a battle.  

It was a strong weak.  Strong that we crushed TCU to go 5-0 and weak in that we were manhandled by both Fresno State and UC Irvine.  Playing three games in five days with a short roster was too tough to overcome.  Our starters averaged nearly 36 minutes in the last two games.  

Without Josip Vrankic and already short on bigs, we faced two teams with good big men and we paid the price. Our defense made a strong showing that kept us in both the Fresno State an UC Irvine games, but we just couldn't muster the "legs" to finish those games.  Shots that usually fall, didn't.  Ball movement stalled and assists were down.  Defense lapses happened as we tried to adjust.  Rebounds, our Achilles Heel so far this season, were difficult to come by.  We gave up 9 second chance points to Fresno and 16 to UC Irvine on 14 offensive rebounds.  

It didn't help that both FSU and UCI were slapper, scrappers.  Their active hands knocked away balls and shoved and held our guys trying to back door their overplaying our passing lanes.  When we did get penetration into the lane, their bigs were waiting to make shots around the rim hard to convert.

Both FSU and UCI used high ball screens to create several appealing scoring options.  Their quick guards were better at scraping our guys into their screens and creating switches and mismatches that were hard to handle.  We wound up with their guards on one of our bigs and one of our guards trying to stop their bigs rolling to the basket.  Their guards got good looks and when they missed, there was a 7' big in the paint rebounding against our guards for put backs. Tough to win those battles.

Despite al this, we had our chances to win both games; a credit to the will and fight in our team.  Their tired legs showed up late against UCI who had a 13-0 run to vaporize our 7 point lead with about four minutes to go.

The road ahead in pre-season is a mix of more very good teams and those we should handle.  However, with a short roster anything can happen.  

Hawaii presents another "big" challenge.  Ranked 197, they play 10 deep and everyone can score.  Their two bigs are 7'0 and 6'10" and are very efficient scoring inside or getting fouled.  They have four capable guards that can drive and dish.  Look for the same action with ball screens that we've seen and will see in all our games.  If we have another short roster situation tonight, this will be a tough W.  All in all, if we defend and move the ball on offense, I like our chances.   

Louisiana Tech from Conference USA comes to Leavey on Saturday with a 4-2 record.  Their two losses were against tough opponents, Alabama and NC State.  They are ranked in the top 100.  They are very good offensively led by 6'7"  275 lb Freshman Ken Lofton at 18 ppg.  We match up well in size, but one of their strengths is offensive rebounding.  Defensively they are just OK and that's our opportunity.  If we can score it as well as we did against Nevada and TCU and hold the line on offensive rebounds and second chance points, we can keep the Leavey advantage going with a W.

Should be exciting.  Hoping for a 2-0 finish this week with a strong 7-2 record and momentum moving forward.

SCU Men's Basketball - Are the Broncos The Dark Horse in The WCC?

 

                                                                                                   

Four games into the season, the Broncos are 4-0.  They ran a pre-season Mountain West Conference contender and frequent NCAA level team in Nevada out of the Gym and made the Cal Poly Mustangs look like a bunch of ponies in a 30 point drubbing.

Nevada was a bona fide solid win.  Witness one of the better second halves played by a Bronco squad under Coach Sendek.  It was a heady, forget about we aren't rebounding, we'll just outscore you, run up with 96 points.  Fun to watch.   

The Cal Poly game was reminiscent of prior seasons where slow starts, poor shooting, and defensive lapses kept weaker opponents in the game.  With Josip Vrankic sidelined against Cal Poly and scoring only 4 points against Nevada we still won both with blowouts.  The difference so far this season is that this team just plays on and has belief in each other they will recover and win.  Witness some of the in game runs like the 25-3 run against Nevada.  

The horses are off to a fast start, but it's a long race.  Our eleven remaining non-conference schedule is a blend of six teams ranked near or above us (88) and five a distance lower.  Our next two games are on the road at the SoCal Challenge and will be a good "mid-term" exam versus TCU (64) and, the always tough, Fresno State (128).  

TCU, from the Big 12, presents a good challenge for the Broncos.  They have average size, good speed, and experience starting two Sophomores, two Juniors, and a redshirt Senior.  They play nine deep with balanced success.  Cole Despie, a Bellarmine grad, is on their roster.  They are 3-0 against teams all ranked over 200.  IF we play at the level we did versus Stanford and Nevada, we have a very good chance to win.

Fresno State is our second Big West opponent.  This will be an interesting matchup.  They have a 7' Junior center who averages about 20 ppg and is getting pro scouts' attention.  He is a big presence; scoring and yanking down offensive rebounds.  The Bulldogs are 3-0, but two of those wins are versus Division 2 schools and the other against a 283 ranked opponent. Expect them to pound it inside.  Sounds easy, but these can be trap games where we overlook a team who hasn't played against two top 90 ranked teams like we have. Winnable, but will tell us about the resolve of this team being on the road.  

The other complication is we will be without Josip Vrankic again.  Still recovering from an illness; not Covid related.  His leadership, scoring, and passing will be sorely missed.  With Josip unable to play, perhaps expect more Zone.  He is our assist leader at 6.8 per game; most coming from the inside out to our shooters.  If we keep the ball moving and rebound we will be able to run and score in transition.  This should be enough to get the job done.

Getting these two wins would match our start to last year's Covid season at 6-0.  It would also put us in position to match the 2019-20 season 8-1 start; as we will come home to four straight at Leavey.

If we can pull this off in SoCal, "message sent" to our WCC opponents that SCU may not just be a Dark Horse, but the Horse to Ride and rise in the WCC!

 

SCU Men's Basketball - Tree Trimming

 

 

                                                                                                              

ICYMI, the first week of the Broncos 2021-2022 was very interesting.  After a whipsaw Covid  last season, fans were wondering what to expect from this team back at home in Leavey with people in the stands.  After week one, maybe we should expect more.

It was a "Full" week that finished with victories over the Fullerton Titans and doing some major "tree" trimming with a convincing win over Stanford.  I have to say, after opening night against Fullerton with a small crowd and a butterflies performance, season ticket holders walked away thinking - I don't know what to think?  

Friday versus Stanford provided some clues.  The crowd was there and into it.  Yes, a local team matchup, but there was a big contingent of Broncos on hand to muffle the Stanford fans.  It was a scene usually reserved for home games against the Zags or St. Mary's.  

Yes, it was Friday, but the SCU Student turnout, loud cheers and taunts was SO great.  Whether six-pack fueled or not, it got our team pumped.  We'll take that anytime!  But you know, the team earned it.  

Other than the Covid season, our team FG % for the past three years is around 45%.  With a small, two game sample size, we are shooting it at 58%.  Our points per game average is 86 versus 67 - huge.  The ball has been moving with 27 assists per game versus 15 in prior seasons. It's early, but good to see.  Some perspective: the Zags averaged nearly 56% FG shooting the entire last season!

We'd take that! 

If we are to continue to build on this early success, we need a major rebound in our rebounding.  We have been very poor rebounding the ball, giving up too many second chance points in the paint.  We've put up a pretty solid exterior D, forcing opponents deep into the shot clock in their possessions; only to have them grab an offensive rebound resulting in easy put backs wasting that effort.  Our roster doesn't have a plethora of bigs, so it will need to be a season long effort of five bodies blocking and crashing.

Tonight, against Nevada will be a stern test.  They are 63 in the Kenpom rankings.  They bring size and speed along with two 7' foot inside scorers, and a good complement of forwards and guards that can dish and score.  They lost to USD last week at home, but were without two top scorers who may be back in the lineup tonight.  SCU is ranked 106 in Kenpom, but that all goes out the window at tipoff. 

Friday against Cal Poly should be a more manageable matchup.  Similar in size, but they are always feisty against SCU and we can't have a let down.  Sort of a trap game...

Keys will be to rebound, push the ball up the court and keep the ball moving for good shots.  If we can put up the same effort near our first two starts, I like our chances for the week. 

Hopefully, we can get a crowd there to ignite more energy for our team.  So far they do seem more self motivated than in the past and trust their mates to pass it and make it.

Goal tonight is to send the Wolfpack away howling in the wind after a Bronco takedown.

SCU Men's Basketball - Will We Make a Move Up in 2021-22?

 

                                                                                         

With our schedule and roster in place, Bronco season ticket holders and fans are hoping - is this the season when we move up?  Currently, we are picked to finish 6th in the WCC.  Can we move up into the top three, and, dare I say it, a post season nod?

Our last NCAA appearance - 1996.  Last NIT - 1989.  You can do the math.  

During Coach Sendek's tenure we've done a lot of building.  A beautiful AEC, a full complement of staff in all key areas, and more consistent winning seasons.  It's been 20 years since the Broncos have had three winning seasons in a row.  Last time was under Dick Davey.  The foundation for long term success is there, but will we start to move up in 2021-22?  

For many SCU basketball fans it seems like a no brainer.  Flip the switch and we're national - right?  It's anything but that.  Not making excuses, but it's a daunting task to have a premier academic AND athletics institution.  Many think Gonzaga just rose to the top, when in reality, it took more than 20 years for them to "flip the switch" and make a post season tourney (1993 NIT) under Dan Fitzgerald.  

It was then that Gonzaga's administration had it's "ah ha" moment.  Men's basketball was their "all in" investment to raise their reputation nationally.  Credit them.  SCU was defunding athletics during the same period and the rest is history.  SCU woke up in 2015 when the Commission on Athletics' discovered what Gonzaga had long ago figured out - where the "Benjamins" are.   

The words Renee Baumgartner and Coach Sendek use to describe the new AEC is "game changer".   A no compromise facility to rival any top 20 program.  Click the link below to see videos of what facilities Villanova offers their athletes.  Now, we do as well.

Villanova Men's Basketball Facilities : Fast forward to the 3:00 mark to see the weight room

Villanova Basketball

At SCU, gone are are the days of two treadmills, old weight racks, and two metal whirlpools for all our athletes to use, hidden under, as Coach puts it, the "catacombs" underneath Leavey.  Obviously, this was not a stop for many recruits considering Santa Clara.  Now the AEC is the first stop.  If you haven't seen it - very impressive...

But will moving into the AEC move us up?  

In reality, it's a new start five years in the making.  Our Coaches can now actively recruit better prospects who are looking at major conferences.  One example of a recent committed recruit is Carlos Stewart - the number 1 ranked high school player in Louisiana...On many top school's radar.  

While that's great, a bigger opportunity may be in transfers that now, according to NCAA rules, can transfer one time to another school without sitting out a season.  We picked up P.J. Pipes and 6-10 Parker Braun using the new rule.  Both should make an impact this season. 

So, can we move up this season?  Our roster is perhaps our best blend of experience and youth.  We return about 70% of our scoring in the six veterans.  With Pipes and Braun who have experience and several talented Freshmen and the potential is there.  Ten of our fifteen pre-season games are at Leavey.  That should help getting us some good wins before league.  

The time to start a move up is now and there couldn't be better way to show payback for the AEC.  As fans, we need to see a move up or some may decide to move on.

Building the foundation for long term success is smart, but takes years.  Accelerating the build takes winning.  Not just the easy games everyone schedules, but a few upsets that are wake up calls to our opponents and, more importantly, recruits. They want instant gratification just like season ticket holders.  

It's time to get moving.  This needs to be a season where our team's "moves" on the court, moves us up into a higher tier; the top 3 in the WCC.   

SCU Men's Basketball - We Need a "Shot in the Arm"

 

                                                                                                                  

The 20-21 Pandemic season ended with a 12-8 record and the third winning season in a row.  Undeniably, a season like no other.  Game on, game off.  Our team got booted out of the County and had to live in hotels.  Covid ruled.  Terrible.

Hats off to the coaches, staff, administration, and all who had to juggle innumerable obstacles.

Despite all of the turmoil and hardships, IMO, both the team and Bronco fans wanted more.  Winning the conference was not on the table, but rising inside the conference to finish third or fourth was there.  Losses to Loyola twice, San Diego, and Pacific took their toll.  

In his five seasons, Coach Sendek and his staff have a record of 76-72.  Achieving four winning records in five seasons much better than the two wining seasons in nine from his predecessor.  Our A.D. Renee Baumgartner pledged more winning and we have that, but we don't seem to be gaining on the other pledge - national relevance.

Expectation set.  Not forgotten.

That's why I say we need a "shot in the arm."  

Literally, vaccinations will be the shot that frees the program to get back to normal.  Figuratively, we need to get on with the "stampede" mantra in our PR and be contenders.  

Will the new Athletic Excellence Center be the shot?

Can we find that Nash-like player who's shots will take us there?

Do we need take a shot at a bold new strategy?

Do we need to recommit to the Goals we are shooting at?

We need to make some noise - soon!  Right now, it's "All Quiet on the Western Front."  Not much from the "U" except the nonstop fundraising.  The last three news posts on the MBB site were last April and you guessed it - fundraising.  

Fundraising is always needed - but we need to start "raising" some banners to put in Leavey. The formula isn't rocket science.  Raising banners raises money.  

How about a reconnection strategy with fans and season ticket holders?  Maybe some words on our recruiting status?  How about an updated plan to achieve the Commission on Athletics goal of national?  

Without Jerry Smith and the Women's Soccer team coverage raising another national championship trophy, we're mute.  They just get it done.  Eleventh seed - no problem.

The task for MBB may get harder going forward.  Most everyone has improved facilities, recruiting success, and with the transfers free for all, it's very hard to keep young stars.  

It's time to take our shot.  Our shot at being relevant.  Our shot at being contenders and not just a great school with an Athletics Center.

A famous Silicon Valley executive was once asked his thoughts about an up and coming competitor who might eat into their Company's dominant market share.  He replied "Big Hat, No Cattle." 

Reminds me of what Mark Few just said, blaming their NCAA final game loss on the middling competition they play in the WCC.  Big talk, no titles.  At least the Zags GOT THERE...

It time for us to get the Bronco horses out of the corral and drive those cattle to "stampede" our way into the upper echelons of the WCC and some national cred.  

SCU Men's Basketball - Temperature Check

                                                                                                     

                                                                                     

By now, all of us are worn out with the "Covid Year" and the unending questions asked and answered about "have you had the following symptoms" - you know what they are.

With as much as I have had my temperature taken, got me to thinking it's time for a temperature check on the Broncos.

It's hard to know what to make of this season.  Game on, game cancelled, little home court, no fans, and hard to find opponents.  With nearly half of our schedule either cancelled or postponed,  it feels like the pickup games we all used to play at our favorite gym.  Anyone want to play?

But all that aside - it feels a lot like the past several seasons.  This season, we won seven of our first eight and recently have lost three of the last four.  In the 2019-20 season, we won eight of the first eleven games, then lost four of the last five.  In 2018-19, we lost four of the first five then lost another four of five mid season...

There are explanations for all of the above.  Covid, injuries, off nights; pick one.

But, if we are really trying to build a nationally competitive program and rise in the WCC, the top teams don't have these "spells."  The Covid Zags are 24-0 and by mind boggling margins.  BYU, must be something in the Utah air, is a continual top two in the WCC.  St. Mary's, the same, except for this year, where they are struggling.  

The rest of the WCC and more importantly the Broncos, are still middling around.  No doubt our overall talent is better.  But, the other "middlers" in the WCC have done just as well and in some cases, better.  Up front, we have more depth and versatility.  Sorely needed.  In the front court, we also have depth, but not enough firepower, speed, or consistency.  Opposition quick guards give us fits.  The loss of Trey Wertz (Notre Dame) and Tahj Eaddy (USC) didn't help.  It's happening all around the league except for the Zags and BYU.  Good talent leaving for better programs.  USF and St. Mary's also had some of their best talent leave...

The Broncos temperature against the Zags was our hottest all year.  Proud that we didn't play scared.  The ball was moving, the defense made it harder for their bigs, and hey, we shot pretty well.  The Zags shot around their season average except from three.  Generating 16 turnovers from the Zags showed what we could be, but what we are not, yet. 

So where has this effort and more importantly, game consistency been?  Is it because we were playing #1?  The point is, the top WCC teams seem to show up most every game.  I'm sure the Zags weren't jacked up against Dixie State, but rolled them and pretty much the entire WCC schedule with 30+ point margins.  Sure their talent level is amazing, but attitude comes from within.  Hating to lose.  I mean really hating it.  

For me, although we are seeing flashes of progress, our temperature is still lukewarm.  Some highs, beating St. Mary's away and making the Zags game not a gimmie.  Some lows like losses at home to USD and LMU with failures to close out those games.   A 6-3 mark in the WCC would have meant a lot more in the WCC tourney seedings.

We'll see which Bronco team shows up tonight in the WCC tourney.  We hope it's the hot team like last Thursday and not the lukewarm version. 

It'd be great to see our temperature rising in Vegas and into a hot start next season...

SCU Men’s Basketball - Will our A.D. Bolt to Boise?

 

                                                              

Word is out in the Boise Press that Renee Baumgartner has interviewed and may be a finalist for the Boise State job.  

Boise State would be a good move for Renee.  They have a full compliment of D1 programs and a commitment to Athletics. 

Does Santa Clara?

Fr. Engh convened the Blue Ribbon Commission on Athletics and went public with a goal of becoming Nationally relevant by 2021. The hiring of Renee and her hiring of Coach Sendek were signals that money would be there to undo the many years of decimation under Fr. Locatelli’s tenure; 25 fewer scholarships than any other program in the WCC as one example.  Meanwhile, Gonzaga seized the day and has since been eating our lunch both on the basketball court and national acclaim.  

Has anyone heard from the Chair of the Commission in the past 5 years?  A recommitment or progress update?  How about the Administration?  

While Renee made many good moves toward coaching upgrades, the AEC, and building a more capable and expanded staff, the increase in overall programs win/loss results haven’t shown up.  Men’s Basketball had a 20 win season, but other than that, it’s still Women’s Soccer that leads the way.  If she is accountable, so should others. 

It may be time to face reality that until we have an Administration and Board of Trustees that have the courage and long term vision to build a well rounded University nationally recognized in BOTH Academic and Athletics Programs, we will continue to be viewed as “mid-major” in everything.  

It’s not just about one Coach or one AD.  As a University, we seem to spend so much time being politically on message with all the issues of the day, that we overlook that words don't get results - actions do.

Instead of all the fancy PR slogans like “We’re on a Mission” and “Stampede Ahead,” we should be honest - “Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget.”