WCC Basketball Team Preview: Santa Clara Broncos

Santa Clara finished with a record of 21-13 last season, and they had a very balanced scoring attack. They had some really strong offensive performances, including a 103-99 win over Gonzaga. While the Broncos have lost an awful lot of production from last season, they've done a great job rebuilding during the offseason.

Incoming Transfers

In addition to a great recruiting class, the Broncos have also acquired several highly-touted players from the transfer portal. 6'8" forward Chris Tadjo comes over from Iowa, where he played in 11 games as a true freshman last season. Rated as a four-star transfer, Tadjo is a huge addition to the team and will likely start in the front court for Santa Clara this season. The Broncos have also acquired two promising pieces at guard. Sophomore Aleksander Gavalyugov made a name for himself playing for the NBA global academy, and the point guard transfers over from Villanova after his true freshman season. Finally, Michigan State transfer Gehrig Normand was a four-star recruit out of high school, and he brings a lot of potential with him to the Broncos' backcourt.

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Freshmen Class

Additionally, Santa Clara has a lot of talent coming into this season's freshmen class. The headliner is 6'4" guard KJ Cochran, a four-star recruit by both 247 and on3 who averaged 21 points per game his senior year of high school. With the addition of transfer Gehrig Normand it's unclear if Cochran will start right away this season. However, he should certainly be in the mix for significant playing time as a true freshman.

The other big name in their 2025 class is Francis Chukwudebelu, a 6'10" center who turned down offers from both Auburn and Alabama. Though it's unclear how much of the floor he'll see as a freshman, Chukwudebelu should certainly provide a solid option for the Broncos down low.

Finally, Santa Clara will be returning a key piece from last year's squad in Elijah Mahi. A forward who averaged 11 points per game last season, it was a huge win for coach Sendek to get him to tick around for his senior year.

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Wrap-Up:

Santa Clara should have more talent than most teams in the WCC. Though the Broncos have lost four of their five leading scorers from last year, they've had a phenomenal offseason. Thry might fly under the radar pre-season, but this is a team that could have NCAA tournament potential.

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