SANTA CLARA — The dunk was filled with energy. The response was filled with vitriol.
With roughly a minute left in regulation, Santa Clara guard Brenton Knapper related with ahead Allen Graves, who was already streaking to the rim. Graves took one dribble, leapt, cocked again his proper arm and unfurled a one-handed slam on the top of Utah Tech’s Likelihood Trujillo. It was the kind of dunk that elicited each viable adjective, from imply to vicious to nasty.
The primary wave of oohs and aahs was for the dunk. The second wave was for Trujillo’s response, a punch that related with Graves’s face that ignited a late-game kerfuffle and ended with Trujillo being ejected. It was the defining second of Santa Clara’s 90-80 victory over Utah Tech, a victory that offers the group an 8-1 report for the primary time because the 2019-20 season.
The Broncos haven’t been to the NCAA match since 1996 once they had been led by Steve Nash. They’ve had a successful proportion of .600 in six straight seasons, however the odds are perpetually not of their favor since they share the mid-major West Coast Convention with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
“All we can do is play the next game and try to win as many as we can,” stated head coach Herb Sendek. “There’s nothing more or nothing less that we can do: keep working as hard as we can to learn, to improve and try to win as many games as we possibly can. … That’s all anybody can do.”
The Broncos have been led offensively by redshirt sophomore Christian Hammond, who has had an atypical developmental timeline.
Hammond, who missed Wednesday’s sport as a consequence of damage, acquired minimal taking part in time as a real freshman, averaging 12.4 minutes per sport over 19 video games. As a substitute of taking part in as a real sophomore, Hammond made the troublesome choice to make use of his redshirt.
“They told me it was going to benefit me, and it was just up to me if I was going to make it worth it or not,” Hammond instructed The Unofficial WCC Hoops Podcast.
Hammond did, in truth, make the 12 months value it. Via eight video games, Hammond is averaging 16.6 factors, 2.4 assists and three.9 rebounds per sport on 50.5 p.c taking pictures from the sector and 42.4 p.c taking pictures from past the arc. On Nov. 15, Hammond poured in a career-high 27 factors in a 98-83 victory in opposition to Nevada.
“He’s advanced on a broad base,” Sendek stated. “Not only is he flourishing offensively right now, but he has established himself as a tremendous defensive player. He is a key stone to our defensive force. I think he’s a complete player. He impacts winning in a multitude of ways.”
Hammond’s irregular developmental path pales compared to that of junior guard Thierry Darlan, who grew to become the primary G League alum to play in a collegiate sport.
Darlan, hailing from the Central African Republic, started his basketball profession at 16 with the NBA Academy in Senegal earlier than taking his abilities to the G League, spending the 2023-24 season with the NBA G League Ignite and the 2024-25 season with the Delaware Blue Coats.
In September, Darlan was dominated eligible by the NCAA to play faculty basketball regardless of technically having been knowledgeable. Together with Darlan, fellow G League alums London Johnson and Abdullah Ahmed will play subsequent season for Louisville and BYU, respectively.
The NCAA’s choice to permit Darlan and Johnson to make the pro-to-amateur leap has been met with criticism. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino joked on social media that he has “first dibs” on two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, whereas Michigan State’s Tom Izzo harshly criticized the choice.
Darlan was named to the WCC Preseason Workforce (together with teammate Elijah Mahi) however has been coming off the bench to start his collegiate profession. Via 9 video games, Darlan is averaging 5.7 factors and 4.7 rebounds over 20.6 minutes per sport.
“The supposition by many was because he was going from the G League … to college that somehow he would be immune from going through a normal transition,” Sendek stated. “Actually, that’s an unfounded supposition, and it’s not honest to him. All of us undergo some measure of a transition anytime we expertise one thing completely new.
“It’s no different for him, but he has maintained a great attitude. He has enriched our culture a great deal, and he has contributed to the good start that our team is enjoying. I think his best days are ahead of him.”
Regardless of their scorching begin, the Broncos have by no means really been at full energy.
Redshirt sophomore Gehrig Normand, a switch from Michigan State, harm his foot on the primary day of follow and has but to play. Sophomore Chris Tadjo, a switch from Iowa, underwent season-ending surgical procedure. Redshirt junior Jake Ensminger, who earned a spot on the 2023-24 All-Freshman Workforce, has missed Santa Clara’s final two video games.
Santa Clara has discovered contributors within the absence of Ensminer, Normand and Tadjo. Graves, a redshirt freshman, is averaging 9.4 factors and 6.2 rebounds per sport. Redshirt sophomore Bukky Oboye, who’s listed at 7’1″, is averaging career-highs in minutes (17.0) and factors (9.8). Redshirt freshman Sash Gavalyugov, a switch from Villanova, is contributing 7.9 factors per sport whereas taking pictures 34.9 p.c from deep.
When requested concerning the Broncos’ strengths via 9 video games, Sendek pointed to the group’s angle and energy. So far as space’s they’ll enhance?
“We have to get better at everything,” Sendek stated. “Nine games into the season with a relatively new team — and a very young team — there’s no area that we have polished sitting on a mantle saying, ‘We’ve got that down.’”
