LOS ANGELES - Santa Clara men’s basketball (12-6, 4-1) faces a two game road trip, first at LMU (9-8, 1-4) on Thursday at 7 p.m., then at Gonzaga (14-4, 5-0) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, while Anthony Passarelli will have the audio only call live on Sidearm Streaming. Both links can be found above.
The Broncos are coming off an undefeated 2-0 week which included a last second victory over Oregon St. on Thursday, and a dominating second half en route to a victory over USF on Saturday. Tyeree Bryan was the hero Thursday, with a game-winning tip in, while Carlos Stewart Jr. had a season high 25 points in the second half alone on Saturday. The Broncos had at least four players in double figures in both games, marking the 8th and 9th games in a row accomplishing that feat.
The Broncos have five players ranked inside the top-33 in the WCC in scoring as Bal leads the way with 13.7 ppg (14th in WCC). Junior guard Elijah Mahi is second on the team with 13.3 ppg (17th in WCC), Carlos Stewart Jr. is third with 12.6 ppg (20th in WCC), Christoph Tilly is fourth on the team with 12.2 ppg (25th in WCC), and Tyeree Bryan rounds out the pack with 10.9 ppg (31st in WCC). The Broncos rank second in the WCC (46th nationally) with 28.22 bench points per game, and first in the league and 33rd nationally with 9.9 three pointers per game.
Santa Clara has also proven to be among the top rebounding teams in the league, ranking second in the WCC with 12.28 offensive rebounds per game (84th nationally), and third in the league with 38.94 total rebounds per outing (50th nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger and senior forward Johnny O’Neil lead the way with 5.6 rebounds per game which ranks 16th in the WCC.
Mahi ranks third in the league and 81st nationally shooting 52.5 percent from the field, and Bal ranks third in the WCC with 2.22 three pointers per game and second in the WCC with 40 total three pointers made.
LMU checks into Thursday’s game currently eighth in the WCC standings with a 1-4 mark in league play and sit at 9-8 overall. Led by Stan Johnson in his fifth season at the helm, the Lions are averaging 70.4 points per game and led by a trio of scorers that are averaging more than 12.0 per game in Jevon Porter (13.7), Caleb Stone-Carrawell (13.5) and Will Johnston (12.1).
Santa Clara holds a 97-64 lead in the all-time series, including a 45-30 mark in road contests. The Broncos have won five-straight over the Lions and have taken six of the last 10.
For more information, click on the game notes link above.
STREAMING INFO
Both games against LMU and Gonzaga will be streamed live on ESPN+, and streamed live on Sidearm Streaming here.
Broncos At A Glance…
Among the Best Nationally:
Santa Clara’s offense has been on a tear as of late. Since Dec. 10, 2024, the Broncos are averaging 88.1 points per outing, which ranks ninth-best in the nation during the span.
Nine of the Last 10:
Since losing to Washington in the Acrisure Invitational Championship Game, Santa Clara has gone on an impressive streak, winning nine of their last 10 games. The lone loss was an overtime thriller at San Francisco (97-94). The Broncos have shot 48.3 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range while averaging 85.6 points during the streak. Five players are averaging 12.6 points or more during the stretch led by Carlos Stewart Jr. and Adama-Alpha Bal, who both are averaging 14.5. Elijah Mahi (13.4), Christoph Tilly (13.1) and Tyeree Bryan (12.6) round out the group.
In the Net:
The Broncos rank 66th in the latest NET Rankings - one of six WCC programs that rank inside the top 80: Gonzaga (11), Saint Mary’s (34), Oregon State (58), SCU (66), Washington State (76) and USF (77).
Scoring Success:
Santa Clara ranks third in the WCC with 80.9 points per game behind Gonzaga (87.8) and Washington State (81.9). That mark ranks 58th nationally in NCAA D1.
Bal-Balling Out:
Adama-Alpha Bal has been red hot over the last few games, scoring in double figures in seven straight contests, and averaging 16.7 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting, including a 39.6 percent clip from 3-point range. He is also averaging 4.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds during the stretch.
Three-Point Shooting:
Santa Clara leads the WCC and is 33rd nationally in 3-pointers per game (9.9). They have hit 10 or more treys in 12 games, including nine of their last 11 entering Thursday’s contest, and are 9-3 when doing so. SCU’s season-high was 15 vs. Pepperdine.
Balanced Scoring:
Santa Clara currently has four players averaging 12.0 points or better: Bal (13.7), Mahi (13.3), Stewart (12.6) and Tilly (12.2). They are one of just two programs in the WCC with four or more individuals averaging at least 12.0 ppg alongside Washington State.
In total, five Broncos are averaging double figures with Tyeree Bryan adding in 10.3 ppg.
On the Boards:
The Broncos rank second in the WCC with 12.28 offensive rebounds per game (84th nationally), and third in the league with 38.94 total rebounds per outing (50th nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger and senior forward Johnny O’Neil lead the way with 5.6 rebounds per game which ranks 16th in the WCC. Santa Clara has won the rebound battle in 13 of their 18 games, and are 11-2 when doing so. The Broncos are averaging 38.9 boards per game, good for third in the WCC and 50th nationally.
Los Back to Form:
Carlos Stewart Jr. had a sluggish start to the season, but has looked back to his usual self as of late. The Baton Rouge product has scored in double figures in five-straight games, including a pair of 20-point outings, and has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 13 games overall. Stewart leads the team in 20-point outings with his most recent coming in SCU’s last outing against USF. The senior knocked down 5-of-8 3-pointers and finished with 25 points, scoring all in the second half, in the winning effort.
Stewart Jr. leads the Broncos in scoring (15.8) and assists (3.6) through five league games. His 15.8 ppg is tied for 11th best in the WCC. He is shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range, which ranks third-best in the league.
Tilly Time:
Christoph TIlly has scored in double figures in 13 games (tied for the team lead) and saw his streak of consecutive double figure outings end at 10 against Oregon State (7 points) before tallying 10 against USF. The big man also has three 20-point outings with a season high of 21 vs. Bradley.
Ensminger Efficiency:
Despite a rough shooting start to the year, Jake Ensminger is tied for the team lead in rebounding at 5.6 per game (16th in WCC), and has tied his career high 11 rebounds twice this season: vs. TCU (11/28) and in his first start of the season vs. Fresno State (12/7). He most recently recorded nine rebounds vs. Bradley, 10 vs. Kennesaw State, and 10 vs. South Dakota.
O’Neil Stepping Up:
Johnny O’Neil has also shaken off his rusty start and has lately become a major threat from 3-point range. The Miami Shores, Fla. native is shooting 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from beyond the arc in league play. He also leads the team in rebounding in WCC play with an average of 6.8 per game.
Mahi Making Moves:
Elijah Mahi has made the most of his opportunities in his first season with the program and is
currently second on the team in scoring at 13.3 ppg. The big man started eight straight games prior to missing two games due to injury He opened the year by scoring in double figures in the first four games of his Bronco career.
He has since tallied 10 double figure scoring outings , and three 20-point games. He is coming off a huge week where he logged 21 points against Oregon State and 17 against USF.
Triple Threat:
In Santa Clara’s win over Bradley, Elijah Mahi (23), Christoph Tilly (21) and Carlos Stewart Jr. (20) all topped at least 20 points. It is the first game that SCU has had three players score 20 or more since Dec. 18, 2018 in a double overtime win over USC.
No Off Days:
Santa Clara’s non-conference strength of schedule is currently ranked 44th nationally out of 364 teams. They have the third-toughest non-conference schedule among WCC teams behind Gonzaga (8th) and San Francisco (38th).
Rising up in the Ranks:
Herb Sendek is tied for 54th in NCAA D1 history with 565 career victories with Gale Catlett. He needs five more to move into a tie for 53rd.
Bench Production:
Santa Clara is averaging 28.2 points from their bench players, which ranks second in the WCC and 46th nationally.
Dishing it Out:
Santa Clara ranks 62nd nationally in assists with an average of 16.2 per game. The Broncos tallied 31 assists against South Dakota, which ranks the third-most in program history, and the most since Feb. 16, 2017 when the Broncos dished out 32 against Pepperdine.
Mahi Making Moves:
Junior forward Elijah Mahi has started his SCU career with a bang, scoring in double figures in six of the first eight games to open the season. The Toronto product tallied 22 points at Nevada and had 13 points vs. TCU, 19 points against Washington, a career high 23 points in vs. Bradley, and 14 points in his last outing vs. Kennesaw State. Mahi is second on the team in ppg (12.7) which ranks 18th in the WCC.
Sustained success:
The Broncos have won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons and four if you exclude the 2020-21 covid season.
Bal Back:
After flirting with the NBA Draft, Adama-Alpha Bal is back for one more season and looking to build off the success he built as a first team All-WCC performer in year one. Bal has been as advertised, leading the team and ranking 14th in the WCC in scoring (13.6) and is tied for the team lead with three 20-point outings. Bal opened the season 24 points vs. Saint Louis turned in a season-best 27 points against Bradley and most recently had 20 points in the win over South Dakota.
Familiar Faces:
In addition to Bal, who was a First Team All-WCC selection last year, the Broncos brought back six other key rotation pieces. Among them, All-WCC Honorable Mention last season Christoph Tilly, and All-WCC Freshman Team selection sophomore forward Jake Ensminger. In addition, the Broncos return senior forward Johnny O’Neil, senior guard Tyeree Bryan, junior guard Brenton Knapper, and senior forward Camaron Tongue, all key rotation pieces for the Broncos last season. The Broncos returned four of their five starters and 72.8 percent of their scoring from 2023-24.
Added Experience:
The Broncos also bring back senior guard and former Bronco standout Carlos Stewart Jr. As a sophomore at Santa Clara, Stewart Jr. was a First Team All-WCC selection, avg.15.2 ppg. The Broncos also added West Valley College transfer Elijah Mahi, who joins the Broncos after leading West Valley College to an undefeated 33-0 season in 2023-24, capturing the state championship title, and being named California Player of the Year and winning MVP in the state tournament.
Bayou Boys:
Santa Clara has not one, but two Gatorade Louisiana Basketball Player of Year winners on the roster - Stewart (2020-21) and freshman Allen Graves (2023-24).
Preseason Poll:
The Broncos were picked to finish third in the WCC preseason poll, while Bal and Stewart Jr. were named to the Preseason First Team All-WCC.
Career Marks:
Carlos Stewart Jr. tied a career high 5 assists in the season opener against Saint Louis, while Camaron Tongue scored a career high 18 pts. Christoph Tilly made a career high two three pointers in the victory, and Elijah Mahi scored a career high 23 points vs. Bradley. Johnny O’Neil posted a career high 14 rebounds against North Dakota State. Elijah Mahi had a career high 10 rebounds against McNeese State, and Jake Ensiminger tied a career high 11 rebounds twice vs. TCU, and most recently vs. Fresno State. Tyeree Bryan added a career high five steals against the Bulldogs. Most recently, Adama-Alpha Bal tied a career high six three pointers vs. Kennesaw State, and Johnny O’Neil had a career high six assists vs. South Dakota. Carlos Stewart Jr. pulled down a career high 8 rebounds at USF and had a career best six assists. Most recently, Johnny O'Neil tied a career high four steals vs. USF.
Pipeline to the Pros:
There are just five NCAA D1 men’s basketball programs that produced top-20 picks in the 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts: Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Baylor.....and Santa Clara.
The Broncos have produced back-to-back first round selections in the form of Jalen Williams (12th overall to Oklahoma City in 2022) and Brandin Podziemski (19th overall to Golden State in 2023). Additionally, former Bronco forward Keshawn Justice was signed by the Utah Jazz in October 2023 and is currently a member of the Salt Lake Jazz.
After becoming the first Bronco to hear his name called in the NBA Draft since Steve Nash in 1996, Williams more than lived up to his lottery pick hype, finishing runner-up in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors and was named to the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge. He was even better in year two, averaging 19.1 ppg while starting 71 games and was once again voted to the Rising Stars Challenge.
Podziemski was the first WCC player taken off the board in 2023 and also turned in a fantastic rookie season, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors and being named to the Rising Stars Challenge. Podz became the first Golden State rookie since Stephen Curry (2009-10) to tally 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and five or more in a single game, doing so on Dec. 12 against the Phoenix Suns.
Both Williams and Podziemski were also named to the USA Select Team in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
