Contenders and Pretenders

WCC Game of the Week

January 26th, 2013

Santa Clara Broncos 64 @ San Diego Toreros 50

This is what the WCC Game of the Week should be like every week, important.

Santa Clara came into this game at 15-6 on the season but with a disappointing 3-3 record in conference play. San Diego was 11-10 but sat at fourth in the standings with a 4-2 record in the WCC. The Broncos had one of the WCC's most impressive non-conference seasons. Honestly they probably had the most impressive season not counting the Zags'. San Diego was picked to finish fifth in the standings by the coaches in the preseason poll (one point ahead of Santa Clara). They did absolutely nothing to warrant that early praise with their non-conference play. The Toreros 7-8 record at the end of that portion of the season was tied for worst in the WCC with Portland. However, Portland played a much, much, much tougher slate of games.

Just look at this.

 Then at the start of WCC play things changed, at least appearance wise.

Santa Clara dropped three of their first four. Two of those games were acceptable, Gonzaga and BYU, but the third was concerning. A road loss to Loyola Marymount. The Lions currently sit at the bottom of the WCC standings with that win as their only.

San Diego ran out to a 4-0 record in conference play. The surge pushed their record above .500. During that span they played Portland, San Francisco, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. Of those teams currently Pepperdine is the only team not below .500, the Waves are 10-10.

Early in the season things don't look right if you just take what's on the surface to be correct. San Diego's WCC record was a mirage, as was Santa Clara's.

Today's game between these two teams proved that to be true. Santa Clara owned the game and they did so on the Toreros floor. In the standings these two teams are tied for fourth at 4-3. But now that they're sitting right next to each other it's obvious which team is better. Santa Clara is 16-6 while San Diego is 11-11.

Santa Clara needed to make a turnaround and this game should be a big mental plus for them going forward. They're pretty much out of the NCAA bubble picture unless they pick up multiple wins against Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and BYU. They are however still solidly on the NIT bubble. More than that though, Santa Clara is a legitimate contender to win the WCC Tournament. This win keeps them in position for a bye. It also pushes San Diego out of that position.