Skip to main content
KSRKSR Plus
KSBoard
Kentucky
Join KSR+

Bio Blast: Santa Clara Broncos

Brandon Ramseyby: Brandon Ramsey03/16/26BRamseyKSR

As always, we are already hard at work in the KSR Film Room preparing a full, in-depth scouting report on Kentucky’s first round opponent. However, in the meantime, we need to deliver some quick-hitters. What are the Santa Clara Broncos like stylistically? Who are their top players to watch? Can they be compared to anyone the ‘Cats have played this season? We will answer all those questions and more, but first let’s cover the logistics of the upcoming weekend in St. Louis.

Kentucky received a #7-seed and will play #10-seed Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off will be at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. That is 11:15 a.m. local time in St. Louis and it’ll be 9:15 a.m. “body clock” time for the Broncos. According to the official seed list, Kentucky was the top #7-seed and Santa Clara was the top #10-seed. KenPom would agree that the Broncos are the best #10-seed as well. The others on the #10-seed line are Texas A&M (#39), Missouri (#52), and UCF (#54). You don’t really get to complain about your matchup when you have 13 losses, but the ‘Cats weren’t done any favors when it comes to their first round opponent.

Coach Pitino Disciple at the Helm

Coach Herb Sendek has been a head coach for a long time. In fact, this is Year 32 for him and his win over Saint Mary’s on March 9th in the West Coast Conference Tournament was the 600th of his career. His career began at Miami (OH) where he led the Redhawks to a #12 over #5 upset against Arizona in the 1995 NCAA Tournament. That success in Oxford led him to North Carolina State where he took the Wolfpack to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments including the 2005 Sweet 16. However, Coach Sendek was let go following a Round of 32 appearance in 2006. He was 191-132 in 10 seasons. Arizona State quickly hired him and won 159 names over the next nine seasons including a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. Now, in Year 10 at Santa Clara, he has the Broncos in the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to his 32-year head coaching career, Coach Sendek was an assistant for Coach Rick Pitino at Kentucky from 1989-1993. He also spent time with Coach Pitino at Providence. There is no doubt that his up-tempo offensive style, and pressing defensive style, can be traced back to his roots with Coach Pitino.

Tempo, 3’s, Offensive Rebounding, and Full Court Pressure

Admittedly, on paper, this isn’t a great matchup for Kentucky. A lot of the Santa Clara Broncos’ strengths align with the Wildcats’ weaknesses. Santa Clara ranks Top 20 in offensive rebounding percentage and 22nd in defensive turnover percentage. They will pick up at 94-feet, be aggressive in the passing lanes, look to create havoc on the defensive end of the floor. Meanwhile, on offense, they also let it fly from three-point range. The Broncos feature two shooters at 40% or better, three shooters who have made at least 50 three-point shots, and seven of nine rotation players average at least one made three per game. Santa Clara is very active, and efficient, as a pick-and-roll team as well. Kentucky’s ballscreen coverage, and discipline when it guards to taking away three-point shooters, will have to be sound on Friday afternoon.

A Potential Star in the Making

Christian Hammond, a 6’4″ sophomore guard, is the Santa Clara Broncos’ leading scorer at 15.8 points per game. 6’7″ senior forward Elijah Mahi is the veteran that posts 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Both were First Team All-WCC honorees. However, Allen Graves is undoubtedly the most valuable player of this team. The 6’9″ freshman forward was voted Sixth Man of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and First Team All-West Coast Conference. He stuffs the stat sheet averaging 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 steal per game while also shooting 41.6% from three-point range. His skill level in the front court will be something for Kentucky to contend with. Graves will either make a lot of money to stay at Santa Clara or be one of the top names in the transfer portal this off-season.

There are Weaknesses

Part of the quick preparation for a NCAA Tournament opponent involves figuring out their strengths. Big Blue Nation quickly can find the Santa Clara Broncos’ three-point shooting statistics, learn that they press and force turnovers, and start to dream of Allen Graves in a Coach Pope offense. There is no denying that Santa Clara is a good team that does present some specific matchup problems for the Kentucky. However, they are a #10-seed in the NCAA Tournament for a reason. Let’s not get it twisted. The Broncos lost eight games against a schedule that does not compare to that of the Wildcats. There are some real flaws to exploit.

Santa Clara, unlike a lot of mid-majors, does feature a good deal of size across the board. They are 33rd nationally in average height. However, aside from 7’1″ Bukky Oboye who plays just 18 minutes per game, there is little to no rim protection. The Broncos’ aggressive defensive style forces a lot of turnovers, but it also leads to a lot of fouls and open driving lanes. Opponents assist on 60.5% of made field goals which is one of the highest rates in the country. They also really struggle on the defensive glass despite being strong on the offensive boards. For every strength, there is also a weakness that the ‘Cats should be able to exploit on Friday afternoon. Santa Clara is a team that deserves a ton of respect, but they also will be underdogs when the ball gets tipped in St. Louis.

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2026-05-17