SC 7 p.m. Friday night at Walt McPherson Court

Usually it takes a U in front of SC to bring out the fire and passion -- for and against -- of fan-dom but a simple SC will work for Spartan devotees on Friday evening. That's when the Broncos -- those %&$@# El Camino-ites -- travel cross the valley to hopefully play a sacrificial lamb role.

Furthering our animal theme, we don't usually support the roundup of wild horses but we'll definitely be joining such a cause a couple of nights hence and are desirous of utilizing the term 'corralled' in the post-game headline.

The UCLA touch that Coach Kerry Keating was supposed to import to Santa Clara basketball is still in transit. The former UCLA assistant coach is coming off an 11-21 season -- his best talent Kevin Foster was injured -- and currently stands 4-4 after most recently falling to visiting UC Santa Barbara.

As for team stats, the Broncos are shooting 45% overall while allowing opponents to go 47%. Keating's squad checks in at 36% from long range to 43% for opposing teams (that's a significant differential). Santa Clara is averaging 72.9 points a night while allowing 76.6.


Santa Clara starting five

Robert Smith (6-0, 185)

the nominal point, he averaging 2.6 assists a contest, 6.3 points a game and ranks third on the team in rebounding at 3.8 each time out

Kevin Foster (6-2, 219)

out last season due to injury, the husky backcourter is averaging a team-leading 17.8 ppg., shooting 39% overall, 40% from three and 70 of his 110 shot attempts have been from long distance -- he's the creator on offense as he is also averaging 3.7 assists a contest but also committing 3.6 turnovers each time out

Troy Payne (6-6, 210)

primarily a defender, he offers very limited shooting range and is just 7-17 at the foul line -- let's see if Keating matches him with Adrian Oliver

Ben Dowdell (6-7, 225)

he's shooting 53% for the season (with no trey attempts) yet just 60% at the foul line -- his primary numbers: 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds a contest

Kevin Trasolini (6-9, 235)

seemingly a bruiser inside, he's the Bronco second-leading scorer and boarder at 12.3 ppg. and 6.3 respectively -- the conundrum is he has just 23 free throw attempts on the season and is shooting just 54% on his free throws yet he inexplicably has attempted 22 treys with a 36% make rate

Off the Bench

Raymond Cowels III (6-4, 205)

he, third in the lineage, is quite appropriately the best three-point shooter on the squad at 43%

Freshman Evan Roquemore ((6-3, 165) is at 9.9 ppg in 23 minutes of play per contest but remarkably has earned a tops-on-the-team 44 free throw opportunities in spite his height, weight and half of his shots from the floor coming beyond the three-point line

The Broncos definitely have some players necessary to seesimply to determine how they doing what they are.


Games to date

11/12 CSU Bakersfield W, 82-77

11/15 @ USC L, 86-73

11/18 Rice W, 66-65

11/21 Bethune-Cookman W, 75-61

11/23 Northern Colorado W, 87-84

11/26 in Las Vegas vs. Arizona L, 82-59

11/27 in Las Vegas vs. Ohio L, 78-72

12/04 UC Santa Barbara L, 80-69


The Bronco roster (by position and alphabetized)

* Yannick Atanga Forward 6-8 210 Freshman
* Raymond Cowels III Forward 6-4 205 Sophomore
* Chris Cunningham Forward 6-8 230 Sophomore
* Ben Dowdell Forward 6-7 225 Senior
* Niyi Harrison Forward 6-7 220 Sophomore
* John McArthur Forward 6-9 225 Freshman
* Troy Payne Forward 6-6 210 Senior
* Marc Trasolini Forward 6-9 235 Junior

* Phillip Bach Guard 6-4 195 Junior
* Julian Clarke Guard 6-3 192 Freshman
* Kevin Foster Guard 6-2 219 Sophomore
* Beau Gamble Guard 6-0 185 Freshman
* Nate Mensah Guard 6-3 195 Senior
* Kyle Perricone Guard 6-3 195 Sophomore
* Evan Roquemore Guard 6-3 165 Freshman
* Michael Santos Guard 6-5 205 Senior
* Robert Smith Guard 6-0 185 Sophomore