Brenton Knapper’s BreaKout

Amidst all the recent backcourt changes in the Santa Clara Men’s Basketball team, one of the few constants has been Brenton Knapper. But Knapper, a redshirt sophomore from Ontario, CA, has had inconsistent playing time during his tenure as a Bronco.

Brenton Knapper’s and one floater against Gonzaga, Credit: Tejas Akula/KSCU

Knapper, often affectionately referred to as BK, was a three-star recruit out of Colony High School with offers from Texas Christian and Pepperdine but elected to come to the Mission Campus.

As a first-year, Knapper redshirted and was a backup guard behind Jalen Williams, PJ Pipes, Carlos Stewart and Giordan Williams. In the offseason, he was slated to become a starter, until Brandin Podziemski committed to Santa Clara for the 2022-2023 season. Nevertheless, Knapper developed into the lead guard off the bench for the National Invitation Tournament team that year and looked to become the point guard for Santa Clara for this season.

At least until the transfer portal came calling again.

Jalen Benjamin, a Mt. St. Mary’s guard, who had scored 1,000 career points, joined the Broncos this past offseason and was among the starters on opening night. However, he has struggled with shooting and playmaking, allowing Knapper to seize his opportunity.

“I learned a lot from guys like Jalen Williams, Brandin Podziemski and Keshawn Justice,” said Knapper. “They showed me the ropes. The team felt like a family when I was being recruited. The coaches made me feel comfortable. This year I feel the same way, nothing has changed.”

This loyalty is a rare commodity in today’s age of college athletics. It would have been easy for Knapper to make a decision to play somewhere with a guarantee of consistent playing time. Even this year, BK was a Do Not Play-Coach's Decision in the opening game, leading to further questions about his role. Despite that, he was not deterred and delivered when his number was called–validating what the people around him already trust.

“My freshman year at Colony High School, they supported me from day one,” Knapper exclaimed. “Their support system helped me grow on and off the court. Having people at Colony and Santa Clara put their trust in me and know what I can do makes my confidence grow.”

That confidence was exhibited during the opening stint of West Coast Conference play, where Knapper was averaging a career-high 10 points per game in the first four games.

“BK is a guy who, from day one, has been unconditionally all in,” said Bronco Head Coach Herb Sendek in a press conference after the Jan. 11 upset over Gonzaga. “He is an integral part of our culture and he brings his attitude and selflessness to the table on a consistent basis.”

All the years of playing against his siblings growing up, getting those calls about working on his game with his grandfather and constant support from his family has led Knapper to this moment. BK, though, is still a college student who, just like us, is recentering himself with music, going to Angry Chickz postgame and putting in the work at a place he still calls home. And that home still needs a WCC trophy inside the Leavey Center.

“To win the WCC, it’s going to take a lot of toughness. There’s going to be a lot of adversity but it's about us,” Knapper told The Santa Clara. “The students coming out to support helps us a lot, without them knowing, the feeling that we have and the support we see in the stands feels amazing.”