The Santa Clara Broncos are having the most effective seasons in class historical past and had been a slam dunk to be picked to play within the Nationwide Invitation Match. However taking part in Wednesday evening’s NIT opener on the Leavy Heart was a pleasant twist for the Broncos.
Not like the NCAA Match, which is performed at impartial websites, the NIT’s high 16 seeds have the chance to play at house proper up till the Closing 4 — this 12 months in Las Vegas as an alternative of Madison Sq. Backyard, the place it had been held since 1938.
The Broncos drew No. 3 seed Sam Houston State, however aren’t taking part in in Huntsville, Texas, due to a scheduling quirk. Not a basketball schedule, however an educational one.
Sam Houston State is on spring break this week and declined to host the first-round sport. Bearkats athletic director Bobby Williams stated in a press release that with out the scholars and workers on campus they “wouldn't have been in a position to meet the requirements required to host an opening-round sport or create an environment worthy of the NIT.”
That’s not a difficulty at Santa Clara, which doesn’t go on spring break for an additional two weeks. The Broncos had been thrilled to get one other sport on the Leavy Heart, the place they're 14-4 this season and averaged the fourth-largest house crowds within the West Coast Convention.
The Bearkats (25-7) are having their finest season in program historical past, and aren’t strangers to success on the street. They're 13-6 away from Johnson Coliseum, together with wins at Oklahoma and Utah. However with each sport from right here on out probably being both workforce’s ultimate sport, it doesn’t damage taking part in at house.
The sport suggestions off at 6 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Herb Sendek, in his seventh season at SCU, has guided the Broncos to not less than 20 wins in every of the previous three full seasons (they went 12-8 throughout the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season). The Broncos are within the NIT for the second straight 12 months and are showing within the event for the sixth time general. Final season ended with a 63-50 loss at No. 4 seeded Washington State.
“We're extremely excited to get a possibility to proceed our season within the NIT for the second-straight 12 months,” Sendek stated in a press release. “Our gamers and workers have labored tremendously onerous all season lengthy, and I’m so happy that their onerous work has paid off with one more postseason look.
“We're very desperate to tackle a really proficient Sam Houston State workforce and sit up for a terrific match up.”
The Broncos and Bearkats each are coming off irritating performances of their respective convention tournaments that killed their NCAA Match hopes.
The Broncos (23-9) ended the common season on a seven-game profitable streak and completed third within the WCC common season standings, however misplaced 93-87 in double additional time to USF within the quarterfinals of the convention event.
Sam Houston State (25-7) was the No. 1 seed within the Western Athletic Convention Match however blew a six-point halftime lead and was upset 78-75 by No. 5 seed Grand Canyon within the semifinals. Grand Canyon ended up profitable the event and the WAC’s computerized bid, and can face Santa Clara nemesis Gonzaga on Friday.
The groups’ data are related and so they each boast their respective convention’s gamers of the 12 months, however their kinds are very completely different.
The Broncos can gentle up the scoreboard with anybody, ending fourth within the WCC (and tied for forty seventh within the nation) averaging 77.6 factors per sport. Brandin Podziemski, the sophomore who transferred from Illinois, was the WCC Co-Participant and Newcomer of the Yr, is averaging 19.9 factors, 8.8 rebounds, and three.5 assists per sport, and led the WCC with 13 double-doubles, however guard Carlos Stewart, who was additionally first-team all-WCC, and Keshawn Justice are additionally double-digit scorers.
SCU has averaged almost 84 factors over its previous 10 video games. The Bearkats have solely scored 80 factors as soon as since earlier than Christmas, and have averaged 66 factors over its previous 10 video games, going 8-2 whereas limiting opponents to barely 59 factors per sport.
Senior guard Qua Grant, the WAC’s Participant of the Yr, leads the Bearkats with a mean of 14.0 factors per sport.
The winner of Wednesday’s sport will play both North Texas (26-7) or Alcorn State (18-13) within the second spherical on Saturday or Sunday. The highest 4 seeds within the pod are Oklahoma State, North Texas, Sam Houston State and Washington State.