Furnari: This season may be the first stepping stone

By Chris Furnari

Some might call Santa Clara's basketball season disappointing. Some might call Kerry Keating's first year a failure. But there are still some who would say it surpassed expectations.

The Broncos lost 16 games this season, something no first year head coach wants to do. But 11 of those losses weren't your average losses. The Broncos lost those games by two possessions or less, which might as well count as a win for a first year head coach.

The latest two-possession loss to Gonzaga in the WCC tournament was certainly the most heartbreaking. Not only did the loss oust the Broncos from the tournament, but the game marked the last time four seniors -- Brody Angley, Mitch Henke, Okechukwu Mbanugo and Josh Higgins -- will ever suit up in a Santa Clara uniform.

Despite the loss, they can take pride in the fact that they took a ranked opponent in Gonzaga down to the wire, in what could prove to be their toughest game of the tournament.

The Broncos played perhaps the hardest they have all season, and although they fell just short of the win, Bulldogs Head Coach Mark Few commended their efforts.

"I thought for long stretches of that game, Santa Clara played harder than us," said Few.

Regardless, the West Coast Conference is no longer a one-man show. It's no longer Gonzaga stomping on everyone. The WCC is finally becoming a legitimate conference.

No longer is the target only on Gonzaga's back. The target may very well now be on Saint Mary's back and in a couple years on Santa Clara and San Diego's backs.

This year, the WCC will undoubtedly send two teams to the big dance, but who knows how many teams could be sent in the next two or three years.

WCC officials announced today that they are moving the tournament to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. They also announced a new commissioner, Jamie Zaninovich, only the second since 1984. These two moves alone seem to be great starting points for the attempts to improve the image of basketball in the WCC.

Santa Clara is right in the middle of it, too. With Keating entering his second year at the helm next season, and the Athletic Department's commitment to providing more financial support, the Broncos could soon be the target everyone is aiming for.

Sure, the 11 two possession losses hurt now, but they are the first step in what will soon be one of the best basketball programs in the WCC.