I tend to agree with Buckets but I will say I think we’ve done a good job at cleaning up with the little things as the season progresses. I strongly believe a rematch against a UMN wouldn’t result in a blowout.
Last year’s team would have been -10 at half. 12 points created off turnovers kept us alive in the 1H.
The start to this 2nd half has been near perfect. Suffocating defense, motion on offense, crisper passing, and I hate to say it…no Darlan. He has so much potential, but he’s often hurting the team when he’s on the court. It’s like he’s more concerned about proving to scouts that he can play in the NBA instead of playing sound team basketball.
Finally this team found the kind of run we know they have in them. Keep the Dons from making a run of their own and head back to the dorms with a W.
A Tale of Two Halves.
Cochran should get a lot more minutes. He’s an absolute sharpshooter, we all know that. But he’s shown his skills on the defensive side as well.
I’m glad HS figured out that the Broncos are performing better when Darlan isn’t on the court.
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Darlan is tough because I think he does raise your ceiling if he can figure it out. But 23 games in, you’re probably right, probably not happening this year.
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Dons vanquished for now. It’s a great day to be a Bronco.
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Great win. With regard to Cochran - this was by far his best game. Of those who have played more than 200 minutes he has the lowest shooting percentages in all categories along with a 1:1 assist/turnover rate….. Given all that I still prefer him to Darlan with the exception that Darlan can rebound better.
Hammond and Graves continue to impress….
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Good work on your research SC7. Turnovers and points off turnovers were a key metric tonight.
Thanks! Great game tonight, Hammond really lit it up in the second half, but nice to see us playing winning basketball even if we have a hard time rebounding (second time we have done it, first vs SMC).
For any who are interested I will be in LA for KSCU with radio coverage if ESPN+ has any issues. Hopefully they keep it rolling!
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Broncos 2nd half was right up there with any half this season. The defense was terrific and loved the intensity, hustle plays, etc…..Solid contributions from 8 players, albeit Darlan who still can’t find consistency on the floor, even on the glass. Our guards made Beasley work limiting his opportunities as a scorer, especially in the first half.
Bench…..Graves, Sash, and Cochran were outstanding. Loved Hammond’s patience and that 5-10 floater of his is something else. Bukky makes me nervous as he just can’t help himself with the reach and some silly fouls. I can live with the fouls near the bucket as that’s what he’s paid to do. All in all…..very solid win. Go Broncos!!!
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@Broncomusings I am going to respectfully but vociferously challenge you on the value of assist/turnover rate. To me, that statistic is really only meaningful for point guards, and to a lesser extent to guys like Ensminger who are a bit of a hybrid.
Many of Cochran’s touches have been of the catch-and-shoot variety, so he’s not going to log a bunch of assists. To be fair, Darlan isn’t logging a bunch of assists either, but Darlan’s touches often end up with him putting the ball on the floor with some, let’s just say, inelegant dribbling.
Cochran has turned the ball over 12 times in 269 minutes on the court. Darlan has committed 39 turnovers in 451 minutes: a rate nearly TWICE that of Cochran.
I’ll also challenge a bit on the rebounding. Darlan is often defending frontcourt players, putting him in the key and closer to most missed shots. Cochran is often defending on the perimeter, where fewer rebounding opportunities happen.
Lastly, we can throw out all of the statistics in the world, but sometimes the eye test is the most telling. On that point, Cochran is, from my amateur eye, far ahead of Darlan. Especially given that Darlan has two years of experience as a pro.
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Operative word being “paid”? 
Sorry, still acclimating to this new world where college players are getting paid.
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Santa Clara is up to 37% from 3P land in conference play. Much, much improved. And every player who can shoot threes at some clip has been tossing it in at better than 34%–above the Mendoza line, so to speak. Sash, who started out really rough, has been the best shooter from beyond the arc since conference play began. Cochran, who is just a 28% shooter from three this season, is up to 37.5% in conference.
I’m not an advocate for SCU taking more threes than they do, but I’m glad that the gap between the number they take and the number they make is starting to stabilize.
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Me too…. It’s a brand new world with college athletics.
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We’re 10-0 when we shoot >35% from 3 this year btw…
We wilL lose half the roster to higher bidders next season. Thats the world of NCAA sports - hence very appropriate to reference the getting paid part.
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@BballFemme: Do you think Cam might go into coaching after his playing career eventually ends (hopefully not for a long time 
)? Part of me thinks he might be really good at it.
Femme…..It’s nice to see your posts even with Cam moving on to the next stage of his basketball career. I enjoy hearing about former players returning to campus to see their former teammates and check in on the current squad. I believe he and BK were part of the same recruiting class if not mistaken, and probably stay in touch.
I recall your comments about Cam preparing Allen Graves too. You see that same toughness in Allen as you saw with Cam. Cam should be proud watching him play and significantly contributing as a RS freshman. Cam said “He’s ready!”. He wasn’t kidding!!
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What a wonderful return to campus he got to enjoy as a whole. From the coaching staff to the team - he said it was a fantastic visit and it got a little emotional for him and BK. They were roomates the entire four years. (Yes, they were recruited same year). He and Elijah Mahi are extremely close too. Cam was able to go back to the Village with the guys and enjoyed a reunion with Jake, Elijah, BK and himself.
And yes - he is so happy and proud for Allen. Cam always used to say - “if I had Allen’s size - look out”. lol But he gives Allen credit as a redshirt Freshman - he showed grit every practice and took everything Cam was dishing.
I asked about the new “sorta lax” and looser rope for the guys this year. (Especially on defense). I had suspected since Garson was the defensive coach - that maybe his departure had something to with it. But the players are convinced the addition of last year’s managers as assistant coaches this year, has really impacted the “flexibility” Herb has shown this year - over prior years. Theyre making more game adjustments they would not have made in years prior. The players also shared that practices are a little more “fun” and they are allowed a lot more freedom in their roles this year over years past. If that is the case - giving more leeway and trust to the squad as a whole - appears to be having a favorable impact.
He did catch some jokes about USF being the game he came back to see! lol
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