SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Coming off their best win of the season, Santa Clara men’s basketball (13-7, 5-2) returns to the Leavey Center this Thursday to host Washington State in a primetime matchup on CBS Sports Network. Tip is slated for 8:00 p.m. PT. John Sadak and Darren Collison will have the call live in Santa Clara for CBS while fans can also tune into Anthony Passarelli and Henry Caruso for the audio only call on Sidearm Streaming.
Last time out, the Broncos took down No.16 Gonzaga 103-99 for their first win in Spokane since Feb. 12, 2007 and third win over a top 25 opponent since 2022. The victory marked the most points anyone has scored against Gonzaga at the McCarthey Athletic Center, and the first time defeating Gonzaga in back-to-back seasons since 1999-00 and 2000-01. The Broncos hit 18 three pointers, which ranks second most in school history, and were led by WCC Co-Player of the Week Tyeree Bryan, who was responsible for seven of those threes, and poured in a career high 35 points. Bryan was also named one of five recipients of the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honor, becoming the first Bronco to ever win the weekly award (2009-10).
The Broncos come into the matchup with the Cougars boasting five players averaging double figures in scoring. Senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal leads the way with 14.0 ppg (11th in WCC). Junior center Christoph Tilly is second on the team with 13.2 ppg (16th in WCC), Carlos Stewart Jr. is third with 12.0 ppg (24th in WCC), Elijah Mahi is fourth on the team with 11.9 ppg (25th in WCC), and Bryan rounds out the pack with 11.1 ppg (32nd in WCC). The Broncos also excel in bench production, ranking second in the WCC (and 54th nationally) with 26.80 bench points per game.
Santa Clara has also proven to be among the top rebounding teams in the league, ranking third in the league with 38.85 total rebounds per outing (53rd nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger leads the way with 6.0 rebounds per game which ranks 16th in the WCC.
The Broncos lead the WCC in 3-point defense, allowing league opponents to shoot just 27.1 percent. The Broncos have held four opponents under 25 percent from beyond the arc (San Diego, Oregon St., San Francisco, and LMU).
Santa Clara leads the WCC and is 29th nationally in 3-pointers per game (10.1). They have hit 10 or more treys in 13 games and are 10-3 when doing so. The Broncos also lead the WCC in 3-pointers per game in league play with 10.9 per outing. Bal (2.4), Bryan (2.1) and Stewart Jr. (2.0) all rank inside the top 10 in the league in 3-pointers per game.
Washington State is 5-2 in league play and 15-5 overall ahead of Thursday’s contest. The Cougars defeated San Diego (65-61) and Portland (92-70) last week and their lone blemishes in WCC play were against Pacific (95-94 in overtime) and at Gonzaga (88-75). Led by David Riley in his first season at the helm, WSU features the second-best scoring offense in the conference at 81.6 ppg and is 12th nationally in shooting percentage at 49.4 percent. Defensively they are allowing just shy of 75.0 ppg. Junior guard Nate Calmese leads the team and is third in the WCC in scoring (17.3) as one of four Cougars averaging 12.0 ppg or better.
For more information, click on the game notes link above.
STREAMING INFO
The game will be streamed on CBSSN, while Anthony Passarelli and Henry Caruso will have the audio only call here.
Broncos At A Glance…
A Night to Remember:
Santa Clara’s win over No. 16 Gonzaga will go down as one of the defining games of the Herb Sendek Era. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
- most points (103) ever scored by an opponent inside the Kennel
- 18 3-pointers are the second-most SCU has ever tallied in a game and the most Gonzaga has ever given up in Spokane
- first road win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 4, 1993.
- first time SCU has defeated Gonzaga in consecutive seasons since 1999-00 and 2000-01.
- second win ever over a ranked Gonzaga team (last season was the first)
Player of the Week:
Tyeree Bryan’s sensational 35-point performance against the Bulldogs earned him WCC Co-Player of the Week honors - the first weekly award of the season for a Bronco and the first since Carlos Marshall, Jr. earned POTW honors following the opening week of play in 2023-24.
Bryan was also named of the five honorees for the Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week Award. He is the first Bronco to ever be honored since the award’s inception in 2009-10.
Against Top-25 Programs:
Santa Clara’s win over No. 16 Gonzaga was their third win over a top 25 team in the AP Poll over the last four seasons. Prior to that, you had to go all the way back to Nov. 19, 2004 to find SCU’s last ranked win.
Feb. 8, 2022 Santa Clara 77, (22) Saint Mary’s 72
Jan. 11, 2024 Santa Clara 77, (21) Gonzaga 76
Jan. 18, 2025 Santa Clara 103, (16) Gonzaga 99
The win in Spokane was Santa Clara’s first against a ranked team on the road since Dec. 4,1993 when Steve Nash and company took down Jason Kidd and the Cal Golden Bears, 80-67. While historically considered a road game, the game itself took place away from Cal’s usual home base of Harmon Gym (now Haas Pavilion) and was played in nearby Oakland Coliseum. The last time Santa Clara defeated a team in their home gym was Dec. 2, 1972 against BYU in Provo, Utah.
Big Time Ty:
Tyeree Bryan’s 35-point performance is one that will go down as one of the all-time greats in Bronco History. The Orlando native knocked down 7-of-12 from beyond the arc (tied for the third-most in program history) and was 13-of-21 overall (48.1). He also pulled down seven rebounds, dished out four assists and had a pair of steals. Bryan’s 35 points are tied for the second-most ever scored by an opposing player inside the Kennel, and is the most by a Bronco since Brandin Podziemski scored 38 against Pacific Jan. 28, 2023.
Scoring Success:
Since Dec. 18 when Santa Clara tallied their first of four consecutive 90 point games, the Broncos have averaged 86.0 ppg, which ranks 14th in the nation over that span.
In the Net:
The Broncos rank 62nd in the latest NET Rankings - one of six WCC programs that rank inside the top 80: Gonzaga (20), Saint Mary’s (27), Oregon State (60), SCU (62), USF (69) and Washington State (80).
Three-Point Shooting:
Santa Clara leads the WCC and is 29th nationally in 3-pointers per game (10.1). They have hit 10 or more treys in 13 games and are 10-3 when doing so. SCU has twice made 15 or more with 15 against Pepperdine and a season-high 18 on the road against Gonzaga.
The Broncos also lead the WCC in 3-pointers per game in league play with 10.9 per outing. Adama-Alpha Bal (2.4), Tyeree Bryan (2.1) and Carlos Stewart Jr. (2.0) all rank inside the top 10 in the league in 3-pointers per game.
Balanced Scoring:
Santa Clara currently has five players in double figures. Bal leads the way with 14.0 ppg (11th in WCC). Tilly is second on the team with 13.2 ppg (16th in WCC), Carlos Stewart Jr. is third with 12.0 ppg (24th in WCC), Elijah Mahi is fourth on the team with 11.9 ppg (25th in WCC), and Tyeree Bryan rounds out the pack with 11.1 ppg (32nd in WCC).
On the Boards:
The Broncos rank second in the WCC with 12.05 offensive rebounds per game (89th nationally), and third in the league with 38.85 total rebounds per outing (53rd nationally). Sophomore forward Jake Ensminger leads the way with 6.0 rebounds per game which ranks 16th in the WCC. Santa Clara has won the rebound battle in 15 of their 20 games, and are 12-3 when doing so.
Los Closing In on 1000:
Carlos Stewart Jr. is just 22 points shy of joining the 1,000 point club. He will be the second 1,000 point scorer on the roster joining Johnny O’Neil.
Tilly Time:
Christoph Tilly has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 11 games, and the lone exception was a nine-point outing. The big man ranks second on the team and 16th in the WCC at 13.2 ppg. He is coming off a big week against LMU and Gonzaga where he averaged 21.0 ppg with a career-high 25 points at LMU and 17 against Gonzaga. Tilly leads the team in WCC play with an average 15.2 ppg, good for 10th in the league.
Ensminger Efficiency:
Sophomore Jake Ensminger has started the last 10 games for the Broncos and has established himself as the team’s top rebounder. The Ulm, Germany product is averaging 6.0 per game for the year (16th in WCC). He posted a season-best 11 boards vs. Fresno State and 10 against Kennesaw State, South Dakota and on the road against LMU. He is coming off a nine-rebound night against Gonzaga.
Mahi Making Moves:
Elijah Mahi has made the most of his opportunities in his first season with the program and is
currently fourth on the team in scoring at 11.9 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 in total with three 20-point games.
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 ranks 54th in NCAA D1 history with 566 career victories. He needs four more to move into a tie for 53rd with Steve Fisher.
Bench Production:
Santa Clara is averaging 26.8 points from their bench players, which ranks second in the WCC and 53rd nationally.
Dishing it Out:
Santa Clara ranks 58th 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.
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 and Gonzaga.
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. Christoph Tilly had a career high 25 points at LMU while Tyeree Bryan had a career night in Spokane, scoring 35 points, hitting seven threes which is tied for the third most in program history.
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.
