SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara men's basketball junior guard
Adama-Alpha Bal announced via social media that he will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.
A native of Le Mans, France, Bal had an outstanding season with the Broncos after transferring from the University of Arizona. The junior played in 30 games and averaged 14.4 points per outing, which ranked seventh in the WCC. He tied for the team lead with 21 double figure scoring outings, including nine 20-point efforts. Bal also dished out 3.1 assists per game, which ranked ninth-best in the league.
Bal was an All-WCC First Team selection and was also voted to the 2023-24 NABC Division I All-District Second Team. He posted a career-best 28 points on the road against Pepperdine and had a knack of putting up big numbers against Pac 12 opponents with 20 point outings against Oregon (25), Stanford (23) and Washington State (23). Perhaps his biggest moment of the season though came on Jan. 11, when he scored 17 points, including the game-winning bucket inside the final seconds, to help the Broncos knock off No. 21 Gonzaga inside the Leavey Center.
Bal is looking to make it three-straight years that a Bronco has heard his name called in the NBA Draft. Jalen Williams (12th overall in 2022) and
Brandin Podziemski (19th overall in 2023) were both first round selections. Santa Clara is one of just five NCAA Division I programs to produce top-20 picks in the last two drafts.
The 2024 NBA Draft will extend to two days for the first time and will be held June 26-27.
