SANTA CLARA MEN’S BASKETBALL
Last season: 20-13, 10-6 (fourth in the West Coast Conference and reached the semifinals of the WCC Tournament)
Coach: Herb Sendek, ninth season, 140-107.
Season opener: Monday at Saint Louis, noon
Projected starters: Senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal (14.4, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists), senior forward Johnny O’Neil (11.0 rebounds, 5.5 rebounds), junior center Christoph Tilly (9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds), senior guard Tyeree Bryan (8.2 points), senior guard Carlos Stewart (4.7 points, 2.2 rebounds)
Key reserves: Junior guard Brenton Knapper (6.1 points), sophomore guard Christian Hammond (3.7 points), senior forward Camaron Tongue (4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds), redshirt freshman center Bukky Oboye (1.0 rebounds), redshirt sophomore forward Jake Ensminger (4.1 points, 4.8 rebounds)
Strengths: Sendek has all of the pieces he needs to take Santa Clara to its first NCAA tournament since Steve Nash’s senior year all the way back in 1996. Between leading scorer Adama-Alpha Bal and prodigal son Carlos Stewart – he spent a year at LSU after two seasons in Santa Clara – the Broncos have the makings of one of the best backcourts in the conference. Having a front line that stands 6-foot-9 and 7-foot will only hellp too.
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Weaknesses: As an above-average team by almost every metric, which just so happens to return most of its starters and brings back an all-conference player from two seasons ago, there isn’t much to dislike about the Broncos. But what can the Broncos expect from 6-foot-1 Carlos Stewart after suffering a major knee injury in Baton Rouge last season?
Outlook: Santa Clara, which played in the NIT in 2022 and ‘23 but hasn’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 1996, has everything it needs to push SMC and Gonzaga in the new-look West Coast Conference that, for the time being, now includes Washington State and Oregon State. The Broncos have multiple players who can all shoot well from 3-point range, and Bal is an all-WCC caliber lead guard. A showdown in Vegas against Arizona State and a home game against Stanford are the highlights of SCU’s non-league schedule.