Broncos now 73 on Ken Pom ahead of Cal and USF and Stanford
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There’s a level of paradox to this kind of win for a team like Santa Clara - given where we are as a mid-major that is largely off the radar:
If we go on the road and beat a ‘major’ program on their home floor, it’s almost axiomatic that said major program will be perceived as '“one of the worst teams they have fielded in years” because, of course, they just lost at home to Santa Clara by 20+.
Time will tell where this XU team ends up, but at least one poster on their board suggested this is the worst team since Tay Baker was the coach - 1979. Their SB Nation review notes their KenPom ranking of 107 is their lowest since Jan 12th, 2013. I suspect this team ends up being forgettable but not historically bad on their end.
On a happier note, we’re up at 73 on KenPom, next to good names like Notre Dame, Georgetown, Providence - the kinds of programs we dream that our Catholic school could emulate. I do think 3 NIT trips and Jalen Williams in particular have moved the needle into the 21st century rather than the tired Nash references (though there was one last night). We’re inching up the ‘respect’ ladder.
I am interested to see whether this intensity can be replicated in quieter environments such as our many neutral sites and, sadly, many home games. The crowd at Cintas will be the largest and most engaged we see, beyond New Mexico - and it’s a long time before the passionate and compact gyms at USF, SMC and the (less compact) Kennel
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You WANT Xavier to finish high in ratings. Helps Santa Clara whose been just outside the bubble the last four yrs.
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Darlan was the perfect late addition. He impacts the game without needing the ball, and his perimeter defense really bothered Xavier — finishing with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, and a steal. He’s still developing offensively, but if he can knock down open threes, defend at a high level, and rebound like that, he’s going to be a major asset.
I thought Bukky looked incredibly composed for someone getting his first significant minutes in a big environment. His block on that three-point attempt was my defensive play of the game. At this rate, we might have two guys challenge John Bryant’s single-season block record of 84.
Also, Knapper was really good last night — attacking when he needed to, showing a quick first step, and finishing strong around the rim.
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As usually the token optimist, I find my role a bit reversed for once. I’m trying not to get too high on this team until we see where we’re at when December comes.
This was a great win on many fronts. But we have to bring this energy consistently. Time will tell.
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Blowing out an unfamiliar team on the road across a few time zones is great, no matter how bad they are at the moment. And the Broncos proved me wrong.
There was a lot to like, but a couple of concerns:
11 turnovers maybe isn’t a lot, but, man, some of them felt like lazy ball handling and bonehead decision-making. Stuff you’d see from a half-time matchup of St. Martin’s 6th graders. They had 14 against McNeese, which felt like 24. I’d like to see them do a better job of taking care of the ball.
Didn’t like Bukky fouling out. No reason for it in a blowout game. Maybe as he gets more PT, he’ll plays less loosely when the game is tighter. On the other hand, we’ve been complaining about no-touch defense, so if the end result is what happens when the boys are more aggressive, so be it.
Sad I won’t be in town for either Nevada or Idaho State.
With regard to the fouling - if I may make my singular complaint:
When leading by say 15+ on the road, the worst possible thing a team can do to potentially let the other side back into the game is exactly this - on the other side’s first possession of the 2nd half, commit a technical foul giving them 2 shots (which were made) and the ball, and then let in a 3-point shot.
The Broncos did exactly that yesterday.
It didn’t end up hurting them, but it was a textbook, Mt. Rushmore lead-squandering maneuver.
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I forgot to add that tidbit. I thought that moment could have turned the game.
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Minor request on game threads going forward: if the betting line is going to be included, can we also include the over/under?
By the way, when I bet my +3 wager, the O/U was at 155.5 
What a gut punch if you bet the over (I did not bet the total)
And a nailbiter if you bet the under
Maybe we can get a sponsorship for WakeUpSwig
OOC Game 4: Nevada: Powered by Draftkings!
Xavier fan crashing your board for a minute. Props to Santa Clara, you guys looked legit last night. I’ve been watching Xavier hoops for 30+ years and, honestly… this might be one of the weakest teams we’ve rolled out. Between NIL chaos, a completely new roster, and zero returning points from last year’s tournament team, it’s been rough.
Our reported NIL budget for this roster was around $6M, and it still feels like we showed up at the auction with Monopoly money.
Curious: does anyone know what Santa Clara is working with in terms of NIL budget? Because whatever it is, you’re getting way more value out of it than we are. Good luck the rest of the way.
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Welcome Dabott! Others here would know NIL specifics much better than I.
In terms of value, one thing that is special about this team so far (though only 2 real games in) is that the vast majority of production has been from homegrown talent. Hammond, Ensminger, Mahi, Graves, Oboye, Knapper, Cochran, and Chukwudebelu were all recruited out of high school or JC. The only players in the box score who transferred in (“transferred” in Darlan’s case) are Gavalyugov who basically didn’t play at Villanova and is effectively and eligibility-wise a RS frosh and Darlan. Even Darlan was this close to committing to Santa Clara before he decided to go to G-League Ignite. And as you could see, Darlan is talented but not like inserting LeBron into college hoops–Santa Clara would be 3-0 without Darlan.
So much basketball still to be played and this team could yet disappoint (and almost certainly will somewhere along the line). But Sendek has sort of found his niche as a whisperer for long and strong guards and an identifier of underutilized high major talent.
And only one scholarship player on SCU runs out of eligibility after this season (Knapper) and only three more run out after next season (Ensminger, Mahi, Darlan). So Santa Clara has looked better to this point than I think anyone here reasonably expected given the turnover and the youth.
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I’ve heard this season basketball team NIL is between $3.5-$4 million
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At one of the pregame chalk talks either Coach Madry or Ludwig said Mahi as of right now doesn’t have an extra season. Last year’s ruling for JUCO players may not apply in Mahi’s case the coach said.
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If he has a great season, ala JW and BP, it may be moot anyway. Given his size and moves, he could potentially land as a 2nd round pick in the NBA draft.
I believe the budget was approx 3.5-4 mil. Hence losing Tilly to Ohio.
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That’s a decent sum and no way Tilly should have gotten 1/3 of it. Happy for him that it all worked out. He was a total project as a freshman, but he clearly worked to get better.
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Jeff Faraudo did a decent writeup of the Xavier win with quotes from Sendek and Hammond:
And here’s a nice article from Basket Under Review, the newest project from a group of the online college basketball pundits, notably the Three Man Weave guys. It includes quotes from Sendek and Knapper:
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We were all concerned about whether this team could gel together. I was pleased to read this excerpt from the article:
Sendek has been gratified by the players’ chemistry on and off the floor. “Our guys have done a really nice job of coming together. They’re very close,” he said. “They celebrate for each other; they cheer for each other. I really like the dynamics right now. We’re getting contributions from everybody, given their roles. At the same time, we’re very much still a work in progress. We have a whole season in front of us.”
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