Countdown 10/22/13

17 days remain...

Non-Conference Schedule Analysis - Santa Clara

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All times Pacific.

I'm a big fan of the Broncos' non-conference schedule. For a team that wants to improve upon a CIT Championship last season, ideally by making a better tournament this year, this slate offers a number of chances to pick up good wins. It also provides fans in Santa Clara with seven home games, two of which are almost guaranteed to be blowout victories. Those two games are its only flaw; the Broncos failed to schedule enough D-I teams. No

1. November 8th at 7:00 PM at the Leavey Center
Bethesda Flames, National Christian College Athletic Association

The Broncos' first game of the real season is against a team that isn't in D-I, D-II, D-III or the NAIA so, they'll be 1-0.

2. November 12th at 8:00 PM at the Leavey Center
San Jose State Spartans, Mountain West Conference
Last Season: 9-20 (3-14), T-8th Western Athletic Conference.
Last Season vs. WCC: Loss at home to Santa Clara.

Countdown 9/23/13

47 days remain...

Take a quick look at Santa Clara's four incoming freshmen.

Countdown 9/4/13

66 days remain...

Countdown 8/24/13

77 days remain...

Waste some time this weekend with a throwback game from the 1993 NCAA Tournament.

This game comes from the NCAA Vault, so I can't embed it on the page but you can view it here.

Countdown 8/21/13

80 days remain...

Kevin Foster didn't make it to the NBA this year but he is playing professionally. Foster will be playing professionally in Istanbul with Beşiktaş where he projects to be the starter at shooting guard. Beşiktaş competes in the Turkish Basketball League and the Eurocup, the second tier of basketball in Europe behind the Euroleague. Deron Williams played with Beşiktaş during the 2011 NBA lockout.

Countdown 8/6/13

95 days remain...

I have to get this video out of the way before the Harlem Shake becomes even more ancient. Also, posting this video today is appropriate for me because I will be flying Southwest tomorrow. Accompanying me will be all of the clothes I own; if Yannick Atanga can fit in an overhead bin so can my filled-to-the-brim bags.

Offseason Personnel Movement Around the WCC

The landscape of college basketball is ever-changing. Some of that change, conference realignment or selfish reasons for transferring, can be negative. Some though, like natural roster turnover due to graduation, is a necessary part of the college game. Regardless of whether the change is good or bad, we have to deal with it. Unfortunately, that can be really difficult. How are you supposed to keep track of players when so many are graduating, transferring in/out, coming off redshirts/redshirting or arriving for their first year at college?

Well, this is how. I've amassed all the information on the personnel movement happening at WCC basketball programs this offseason. It's all here, listed school-by-school. Take a look at who won't be back on your least favorite team next season (because you should already know who won't be back on your favorite team). You'll also find all the new recruits, the players who will be returning from a redshirt season or two year mission, the transfers, the dismissals as well as any coaching/staff changes. Plus, there are some charts to help you understand just how much each team is losing in terms of production.

Players listed under the "going" section are shown with the year they were listed as during the 2012-'13 season. Players listed under the "coming" section are shown with the year they will be for the 2013-'14 season.

Senior Series: Kevin Foster

Santa Clara and Kevin Foster between the 2008-09 season and the 2012-13 season were a match made in heaven. The two were at times good and at times bad. In 2012-13 the Broncos won 26 games and the CBI title. In 2010-11 they won 24 and the CIT title. In 2009-10 just 11. 2011-12 saw a mere eight wins and 0-17 record against WCC competition.

Kevin Foster finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leading scorer, good enough for second place all-time in the West Coast Conference (67 points behind Hank Gathers). Standing in second place all-time is great, but Foster missed 771 shots that could have vaulted him well into first place. His 39.0% career field goal percentage made him one of the most inconsistent great players in recent memory.

There is the Kevin Foster that won the 2011 CIT MVP and 2013 CBI MVP as he led the Broncos to postseason glory. Then there is the Kevin Foster who missed the last 12 games of the 2012 season due to suspension. Despite the problems, losses, inefficiency and inconsistency these two were made for each other.

Senior Series: Marc Trasolini

It may not be on the level of Saint Mary's with Australians or Gonzaga with the rest of the world but, Santa Clara knows how to find really good British Columbians. The 6' 9'' Trasolini hails from Vancouver (Steve Nash is from Vancouver Island). Vancouver is not just where he is from but also why he was playing for the Broncos this past season.

During the offseason after his junior (2010-11) year the Broncos made a trip to Vancouver for a series of exhibition games. What was supposed to be a happy homecoming for Trasolini quickly turned into a disaster. Just two minutes into the first game, against Trinity Western University, Trasolini tore the ACL in his left knee. He was sidelined for the entire 2011-12 season.

Senior Series: Raymond Cowels III

Santa Clara's Raymond Cowels III was Mr. Consistent over his four years as a Bronco. His freshman year average of 7.3 PPG is less than one point below his career PPG average. The only reason his numbers aren't higher is a slight sophomore slump.

The 6'4'', 215lbs, guard from Minneapolis spent his time at Santa Clara mostly out of the spotlight. Guys like Ben Dowdell, Marc Trasolini and Kevin Foster received the most accolades. Trasolini and Foster were, however, far less consistent than Cowels. He missed just one game over his entire career, in order to attend his grandfather's funeral.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament 2013

This year's edition of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament will feature two of  Kevin Foster and Brandon Davies will be in Portsmouth, part of Virginia's Hampton Roads, along with 62 of the best seniors from across the nation.

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, or PIT as it will be henceforth referred to, is a 60 year old showcase for the best of college hoops' senior class. 64 players are spread among eight teams that battle it out over four days for the tournament championship.

This year's field includes some high profile players, including recently crowned National Champion Peyton Siva of Louisville, along with the two aforementioned WCC stars and Kenny Boynton of Florida, Durand Scott of Miami, Abdul Gaddy of Washington, Anthony Marshall of UNLV, Rotnei Clark of Butler, D.J. Cooper of Ohio and Mark Lyons of Arizona.

The PIT, though not necessarily a big event for fans, is a major part of the transition to the NBA for college players. None of the players I listed above are high on any draft boards but, thanks to the PIT, they could well get there. Last season 15 seed Norfolk State went from unknown to March darling with a round of 64 upset of 2 seed Missouri. Kyle O'Quinn, the star for the Spartans of Norfolk State, went from unknown to PIT MVP to playing in 53 NBA games this season for the Orlando Magic.

In the past players like John Stockton, John Lucas, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Tim Hardaway  have made their way from the NCAA to NBA stardom and the journey has gone through Portsmouth Virginia.

Brandon Davies' team, K & D Round's Landscaping, plays its first game at 4:00 PM PDT on Wednesday. Kevin Foster's team, Portsmouth Sports Club, plays its first game at 4:00 PM PDT on Thursday.

There will be live streaming for all PIT games this year. For more information on the PIT as well as streaming information click here.

CBI Champions!

CBI Championship Series Game Three

 Santa Clara Broncos 80 at George Mason Patriots 77

Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia.

Santa Clara finishes the season at 26-12.

For the second time in three years Santa Clara finishes the season with a win. Two years ago the Broncos won the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). This season they win the College Basketball Invitational.

Only four teams get to finish their season with a postseason win. Santa Clara, along with East Carolina (CIT champs), Baylor (NIT champs) and the to-be-determined NCAA Tournament champs, is one of those teams. 

The 2012-2013 Santa Clara Broncos become only the fifth WCC team to finish the season with a win. San Francisco did it three times, twice by winning the NCAA Tournament (1955 and 1956) and once by winning the NIT. The other? The 2010-2011 Santa Clara Broncos that won the CIT.

BYU has won two NITs, in 1951 and 1966, well before becoming a WCC team.

Kevin Foster had 24 points, Marc Trasolini had 20, Evan Roquemore had 19 and Raymond Cowels III had 9. Foster hit a big three with 1:13 left to give the Broncos the final lead of the game, he also scored the final point of the game on a free throw. Marc Trasolini was dominant early in the second half, scoring eight of the Broncos' first 12 points, as the Broncos rallied from a 33-37 deficit at the break. Evan Roquemore hit clutch free throw after clutch free throw in the waining minutes to keep the lead with Santa Clara. Raymond Cowels III scored all nine of his points in the first half, which kept the Broncos from falling out of striking distance.

This was the last game for seniors Kevin Foster, Marc Trasolini, Raymond Cowels III, Niyi Harrison and Kyle Perricone. 

One Last Game

Friday, April 5th, 4:00 PM PDT

CBI Championship Series Game Three

Santa Clara Broncos at George Mason Patriots

Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia.

George Mason hails from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots are 22-15 on the season, 10-8 in CAA regular season play, 9-6 at home and are currently on a one game winning streak.

Santa Clara is 25-12 on the season, 9-6 away from home and currently on a one game losing streak.

TV: AXS TV

(Honestly, I don't know anything about AXS other than Mark Cuban owns it. Find out if you have it here.)

Radio: KDOW 1220 AM in the Bay Area (at 7:00 PM).

Online: Free live audio from Santa Clara Athletics and live video from Santa Clara Athletics ($9.95).

 

For the fifth time in the six year history of the CBI a third game is needed to determine the champion. Santa Clara won game one on Monday, at home. George Mason came back to win game two on Wednesday, at their practice facility. Today's game three will be held at the regular home of George Mason, the 10,000 seat Patriot Center.

Not much was going well for the Broncos in game two. A poor shooting night combined with an inability to follow the rules (as decided by the officials) resulted in a 66-73 loss. Considering the 37.5% shooting, 32 fouls, -6 rebounding margin and making only 5 threes, the Broncos did pretty well to keep the scoring margin so close. That bodes well for this game. George Mason, in game two, was a completely different team than in game one. However, the Patriots were pretty much the same team they had been all season long. The Broncos happened to have one of their worst games of the season on the same night that George Mason had one of it's most regular games of the season.

 

If the Broncos' offense can return to form tonight on a real basketball court (game two was at the practice facility/volleyball arena), anything short of a stellar performance by the Patriots should come up short. 

Wins

Gonzaga 32-3

Saint Mary's 28-7
Santa Clara 25-12

For the second time in as many years, and the second time ever, the WCC is home to three teams with 25 or more wins.

Over the recent history of the conference, let's say the past six years, it was Gonzaga and Saint Mary's job to break the 25 win mark. Those two schools managed to do that in each of the past six seasons (only Kansas and Duke can say the same).

Last season, when this record was first set, realignment deserved the credit. BYU joined Gonzaga and Saint Mary's with 25+ wins. This was to be expected, as you see BYU had managed to hit 25 wins in the previous four seasons (along with Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Kansas and Duke). It was a record, that is true. But, it felt almost like a first year coach who succeeds with the players recruited by the previous coach.

This season it is different. It is not BYU that joins Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in the 25+ club. It's Santa Clara. A team that, two years ago, fell one win short of setting this record. Interestingly, this season, it is BYU that falls one win short of setting a new record.

CBI Championship Series Game One

CBI Championship Series Game One

George Mason Patriots 73 at Santa Clara Broncos 81

Leavey Center, Santa Clara, California.

George Mason falls to 21-15 on the season. 

Santa Clara improves to 25-11 on the season.

Next game at George Mason on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 at 4:00 PM PDT.

It was an off night by recent Broncos' offensive standards. Santa Clara shot just 44.2% from the field tonight, compared to 48%, 48% and 51% in the first three of its CBI games. That proved to be enough though, thanks in part to a 10-24 night behind the three point arc and another large scoring output from senior guard Kevin Foster. 

Santa Clara vs. George Mason

Monday, April 1st, 7:00 PM PDT

CBI Championship Series Game One

George Mason Patriots at Santa Clara Broncos

Leavey Center, Santa Clara, California.

George Mason hails from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots are 21-14 on the season, 10-8 in CAA regular season play, 12-8 away from home and are currently on a three game winning streak.

Santa Clara is 24-11 on the season, 15-5 at home and currently on a three game winning streak.

TV: AXS TV

(Honestly, I don't know anything about AXS other than Mark Cuban owns it. Find out if you have it here.)

Radio: KDOW 1220 AM in the Bay Area.

Online: Free live audio from KDOW and live video from Santa Clara Athletics ($9.95).

Here we have a game between two former Cinderellas for whom the clock struck midnight long ago. Santa Clara's Steve Nash led 15 over 2 upset of Arizona is pretty much forgotten save for the times (like this year) when a 15 beats a 2 in the NCAA Tournament. George Mason opened the door for mid-majors to run to the final four when the Patriots did so in 2006. Neither team has had nearly the same level of success in the years since, but now they're playing for a national championship.

Santa Clara in the CBI Championship Series

Monday, April 1st, 7:00 PM PDT

CBI Championship Series Game One

George Mason Patriots at Santa Clara Broncos

Leavey Center, Santa Clara, California.

George Mason hails from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots are 21-14 on the season, 10-8 in CAA regular season play, 12-8 away from home and are currently on a three game winning streak.

Santa Clara is 24-11 on the season, 15-5 at home and currently on a three game winning streak.

TV: AXS TV

(Honestly, I don't know anything about AXS other than Mark Cuban owns it. Find out if you have it here.)

Radio: KDOW 1220 AM in the Bay Area.

Online: Free live audio from KDOW and live video from Santa Clara Athletics ($9.95).

The Broncos are on the brink of their best season, based on win total, since the 27-2 mark from 1969. One win puts them at 25 and they'll get two chances to get that one win. The CBI abandons the typical single elimination format for the championship and takes on a best of three series style.

The first of the three games will be in Santa Clara. Games two and three (if necessary) will be at George Mason, in Fairfax, Virginia. 

This young tournament's past champions are Pittsburgh, Oregon, VCU, Oregon State and Tulsa. Other than this year's Broncos the only WCC team to participate in the CBI was last season's San Francisco Dons. USF lost their opener to a Washington State squad that went on to fall to Pittsburgh in game three of the championship series.

Six of the ten schools that have played in the CBI Championship Series have gone on to play in subsequent NCAA Tournaments.

CBI Quarterfinals: Santa Clara 86 - Purdue 83

Santa Clara Head Coach Kerry Keating opened the post game press conference by saying, "I told Matt [Painter, Purdue Head Coach] how much I appreciated that they played."

Purdue, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, is a school with over 30,000 undergraduates and a completely self-sustaining athletic budget of $60 million. The Boilermakers have more Big Ten basketball championships than any other school in the conference and they boast winning records against all members of the conference.

The Boilermakers did not need to play in this tournament in the way Santa Clara did.

But, they played, and the Broncos weren't phased. Mackey Arena isn't exactly Cameron Indoor after all. Santa Clara led from the get go, busting out to a 7-2 lead by the first media timeout. During those early minutes the Boilermakers had four turnovers and five missed field goals.

Purdue got the offense going after that first break. The Boilermakers would close the gap to one possession on multiple occasions, but just couldn't get past that hump.

Santa Clara at Purdue

College Basketball Invitational Quarterfinals

Santa Clara Broncos at Purdue Boilermakers

Monday, March 25, 2013. 4:00 PM PDT.

Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana.

Purdue hails from the Big Ten, is 16-17 on the season and went 8-10 in the Big Ten regular season. The Boilermakers are on a one game winning streak and are 12-6 at home.

Santa Clara is 22-11 on the season, went 9-7 in WCC regular season play, 7-6 away from home and is on a one game winning streak.

Online: Live video from Purdue Athletics. Live audio from Santa Clara Athletics.

Santa Clara features an experienced and efficient offensive attack. Purdue features an inexperienced and inexperienced offensive attack. Per KenPom, Santa Clara is the 47th most experienced team in the country while Purdue is 310th. The Boilermakers roster has seven freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and two seniors. The Broncos roster has five seniors, five sophomores and two juniors.  The Boilermakers score 0.96 points per possession, the Broncos score 1.06 points per possession.