With a reference to Bruce Springsteen’s tune “Glory Days”, I’d like to start a thread where we can share the highlights of SCU (formerly known as USC until a settlement with the Trojans forever changed the Bronco acronym) basketball history.
I’ll start with a little nugget from the 1968-69 season:
The numbers in the columns represent each team’s national ranking for every week in the season (dates of each week at the top).
You’ll notice that we were in the top 10 for most of the season, and ranked between 2 and 4 for every week from January through the end of the season.
You’ll also notice that UCLA was ranked #1 for the ENTIRE SEASON. In the post-season, our Broncos ran into the Bruin buzzsaw and lost in the West Regional final 90-52. Broncos finished with a record of 27-2. Other than the loss to UCLA that knocked us out of the post-season tournament, the Broncos’ only loss during the regular season was a double OT loss to San Jose State.
Alas, I did not get to personally enjoy that season, as I was born in August of 1969. But boy did I ever hear the stories of that exceptional season throughout my young childhood, especially from my dad who was a season ticket holder from 1956 through the 1990s. I think my dad was one of the founders of the SCU men’s basketball fans masochists club.
I’ll let others share their highlights…I believe some on this board actually played on some great teams and/or worked for the team or the athletic department, would be great to hear some insider tales.
One thing that, for whatever reason, has stuck with me about that team (which I have merely read about) - is that the Sports Illustrated article in the issue with Bud Ogden on the front states that, in a dig at our schedule, something like “Santa Clara’s basketball team stops in more unknown places than Santa Claus.”
It’s sorta funny, and a good phrase.
In modern times we would have been seeded somewhere far away from UCLA… in those days, seeds were actually regional.
You are right. We ran into the UCLA buzz saw in the regionals. My recollection is that it was 11-0 before we successfully got the ball over the half court line and they just smothered us the first few minutes of the game. I did not play and have always been just a fan, even before the Ogden-Awtrey time frame and I remember listening to many games as a child on what I believe was radio KEEN with Bob Blume (sp?) as the announcer.
Glad you got a chance to live it, @Bullpenace. I’ve had to live it secondhand.
I’ve mentioned this game before in a post I wrote in Jan 2024:
“I remember attending one of the GREATEST games in the history of Broncos hoops: Jan 29, 1977, Broncos at home vs #1 ranked (yes in the country) USF. We had just lost to USF three days earlier, 74-68. It was the most raucous crowd I ever witnessed at Toso/Leavey. We came up just 1 point short, 71-70. Kurt Rambis (who went on to be an important piece of the Lakers 1980s dynasty), Londale Theus, Eddie Jo Chavez and the rest of the guys played their guts out vs. a very talented Dons squad led by Bill Cartwright (who played center for several years for the Bulls for a good chunk of Michael Jordan’s career).”
I know I was just an impressionable 8 year old, but I remember it as the most raucous crowd I’d ever seen in Toso/Leavey, from pre-game to the very end.
You could probably give a more sober assessment than I can.
I lived in SC still, whch was my hometown and was there for that one as well. My recollection of that game was Rambis absolutely came of age as I recall him blocking 2-3 of Cartright’s shots and seemingly outplaying Cartright.
