Santa Clara Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

Kerry Keating is almost starting from scratch in his third season as the Broncos’ head coach, but he has some talented young players with which to work.

The loss of the WCC Player of the Year, 6-10 center John Bryant, will hurt the Broncos’ inside scoring and rebounding, but his departure also allows Santa Clara to be more of a transition team, and it should play at a faster pace this season.

With no seniors on the squad and 10 of the 14 players on the roster being freshmen or sophomores, it is unlikely Santa Clara can challenge for the WCC championship this season, but if Keating can keep the current players at Santa Clara, he could be a contender in a year or two.

Keeping the players at Santa Clara is an issue, though, because four players left Santa Clara after Keating’s first season, and three more departed after his second.

The recent personnel losses were more significant because they were players Keating recruited, and those players contributed last season when the Broncos improved considerably over the final few weeks. The departure of freshman James Rahon was particularly distressing because he was the top 3-point shooter on a team that will need more perimeter threats.

But Keating still has guard Kevin Foster, who is not shy about shooting and was effective enough to share the conference Newcomer of the Year award last season as a freshman.

Foster, the team’s leading scorer last season, is an aggressive player who has the look of a star.

If the Broncos find a suitable point guard, he could lead the WCC in scoring.

He joins two other players who saw significant playing time last season as freshmen—guard Troy Alexander and forward Marc Trasolini.

It will be up to Trasolini to replace some of the inside scoring and rebounding lost with Bryant’s departure, although he should get assistance from one of the six newcomers—junior college transfer Troy Payne, a versatile 6-6 player.

The Broncos would like junior forward Ben Dowdell to return to the form he showed as a freshman after falling off significantly in virtually every statistical category last season.

Much of the Broncos’ success will depend on the development of the freshmen, because they will play a lot.

Niyi Harrison, a strong, athletic 6-7 forward, and Robert Smith are the two most likely to help immediately. Smith could even be the starting point guard before the season is over, and if he plays well, the Broncos could finish third in the WCC.

NOTES, QUOTES

• G James Rahon left Santa Clara after his freshman season and transferred to San Diego State. He started 17 games last season as a freshman, and was the Broncos’ No. 3 scorer, averaging 11.4 points.

• G Perry Petty transferred to Texas-Pan American after his junior season, his only year at Santa Clara. He started 11 games in 2008-2009 and led the team in assists, at 2.9 a game.

• After playing just six of their 17 nonconference games at home last season, the Broncos play 11 of their 17 nonconference games at home this season. Two of those games—against Menlo and Dominican—are against non-Division I teams, and that should help the young Broncos build a little early-season momentum.

• The Broncos have a good group of incoming freshmen, and they already have two touted players committed for next year—F Chanse Creekmur and C John McArthur.

Last Year:   16-17, 7-7 in the WCC, fourth place

Head Coach:   Kerry Keating (31-33 career), third year at Santa Clara (31-33)

Quote To Note:   “He gives us that speed and on-ball defensive ability at the point position that we’ve really needed.”—Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating, on freshman PG Robert Smith.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Junior college transfer Troy Payne is a versatile 6-6 forward who may not score a lot of points but can help in a number of ways. He’s a good defender who can guard a number of positions, and he can rebound. The most highly touted of the freshmen is PG Robert Smith, who was recruited by some Pac-10 schools. He could be the Broncos’ lead guard before long.

Niyi Harrison is a strong freshman who should get significant playing time immediately, and G Ray Cowels should see the court as a freshman, too. C Chris Cunningham may take a little longer to develop, but he has improved a lot in recent years.

Key Early-season Games:   Santa Clara will have trouble in its road game against San Diego State (Nov. 19) and home game against UNLV (Dec. 5), and the Broncos need to stay competitive in those games to prevent this young team from getting down on itself. The Nov. 28 home game against Fresno State and the Nov. 22 road game against Pacific should give a pretty good indication of what the Broncos have.

Program Direction:   The Broncos are in a holding pattern as Kerry Keating tries to impart his stamp on the team.

The large number of turnovers via transfers has prevented the program from gaining stability, but the recruits are among the highest rated in the WCC and the sophomores have shown promise, so there is reason to believe the Broncos are headed in the right direction.

The team will try to play at a faster pace this season, which is another transition in the program that could take some time.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Robert Smith, SG Kevin Foster, SG Mike Santos, SF Troy Payne, PF Marc Trasolini.

Roster Report:  

• G Troy Alexander had hand surgery last January and was rehabilitating the hand and injured shoulder into the school year, but he expects to be ready for the regular season.

• F Decensae White was expected to help considerably after he transferred from Texas Tech, but he played just 10 games last season before being suspended for off-court reasons. He left the team at the end of the season, finished up his spring term at Santa Clara and then left school.

• F Marc Trasolini had mononucleosis last spring but played for the Canadian national team in the Under-19 world championships in July, averaging 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. Canada finished seventh.