SANTA CLARA, Calif.- Santa Clara men's basketball returns to action after a historic 2024-25 season which saw them finish in the top four of the WCC standings, and surpass the 20 win threshold for the fourth straight season. The Broncos won 12 conference games in 2024-25, their most since the 1994-95 season, which saw the Broncos crowned West Coast Conference (WCC) regular season champions with a 12-2 record. They also shattered their previous school record (318) and the WCC record (347), knocking down 372 three pointers, finishing fifth in the nation with 10.9 treys per game.
 
Head Coach Herb Sendek's squad brings back six key returners from last season, led by Preseason All-WCC selection Elijah Mahi, while adding three transfers, four freshmen, and former Delaware Blue Coats guard and fellow Preseason All-WCC honoree, Thierry Darlan.
 
Mahi returns to the Broncos this season as the team's leading returning scorer at 11.1 ppg. He led the team in 3-pt shooting last season (43.4 percent), and scored in double figures in 15 games overall including a career-high 28 points on 9-of-11 shooting (including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc) to go with seven assists against San Diego (2/8/25).
 
In addition to Mahi, the Broncos brought back the team's leading returning rebounder from last season (5.5 rpg) in redshirt junior guard Jake Ensminger, along with redshirt senior guard Brenton Knapper (5.9 ppg last season in 33 games), redshirt sophomore center Bukky Oboye, and last season's redshirts guard Christian Hammond and forward Allen Graves.
 
Darlan, on the other hand, became the first player from the NBA G League to sign with a college team when he chose the Broncos as his home back in September. Darlan spent the last season with the Blue Coats alongside fellow Santa Clara alum Jared Brownridge, averaging 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 29 games.
 
In addition to Darlan, the Broncos brought in Villanova transfer guard Sash Gavalyugov, Michigan State transfer guard Gehrig Normand, and Iowa transfer forward Chris Tadjo, all who played key rotational minutes at their previous schools.
 
The Broncos also brought in four freshmen. Guards Brad Longcor III (Quincy HS), KJ Cochran (Perkiomen School), Noah Badibanga (Elan Sportif Chalon), and center Francis Chukwudebelu (Arygle HS) will all look to compete for a spot in Sendek's rotation.
 
The Broncos were picked to finish in the top four of the WCC preseason poll for the second straight year, and will look to contend for their fourth postseason berth in the last five years under Sendek. They will open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. against Cal Poly Humboldt at the Leavey Center. Single game tickets can be purchased here.