Santa Clara Basketball Hangs Onto Hope

An inside look at Santa Clara basketball’s most unprecedented season to date 

Santa Clara’s Head Coach Herb Sendek chose one word to describe his basketball team:  resilient. While the Broncos are off to one of their best starts in franchise history––for the second year in a row––they have already endured a great deal of adversity this season.

“The way they’ve handled all the challenges is truly remarkable,” said Sendek. “We’re very proud of them.” 

In the midst of an unprecedented National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball season, nothing is for certain. Schedule changes, lack of fans and inconvenient travel have all become norms for college athletic programs. Santa Clara is at the forefront of teams that have had to alter their season plans due to COVID concerns. They were moved to Santa Cruz in December to play their home games due to Santa Clara County’s prohibition of contact sports, and will play there until further notice.

“It is tough leaving home,” senior forward Josip Vrankic said. “Moving from Santa Clara to Santa Cruz was a big adjustment. From day one, we knew this season was going to be like no other.”

The team currently resides in a confined “bubble”––with coaching staff and players living in a hotel. This isolated style of living is a strenuous reality for student-athletes across the country. 

“Being away from our families [and living in hotels] is mentally draining,” fellow teammate DJ Mitchell said. “Basketball and each other is all we really have right now keeping us sane.”

With only two new players joining Santa Clara’s squad this season, the team is especially close. Much of their bonding typically happens during pre and post game meals. Due to their protocols however, the team can no longer enjoy that activity together as a group. They’ve all had to lean on each other in new ways. From multiplayer video games to group Zoom meetings, interactions with teammates this year are valued like never before.

“Before the season started, we did a lot together, but we have had to adjust,” said Vrankic. “We recently had a Thanksgiving potluck and a Christmas dinner together. It is the little things that keep us going––finding ways to interact with each other.” 

Finding healthy opponents to play is also an ongoing struggle. With more than half of the Broncos’ schedule being postponed so far, every game has escalated importance. 

In the games Santa Clara has played, they have been impressive. The team's winning streak out of the gate marked the first time this century the Broncos have won six consecutive games to start a college basketball season.

Coach Sendek’s squad realizes the work many individuals have dedicated to make the season possible. From the Santa Clara University Athletics department to the team’s temporary facility managers in Santa Cruz, the effort does not go unnoticed. 

“Everyone has had to go the extra mile to make the season happen for us,” Sendek said. “We’re extremely thankful.”

The next part of the Broncos’ schedule includes games against familiar West Coast Conference (WCC) foes. As always, the real test will be conference play which begins on Saturday Jan. 9 at  Saint Mary’s. 

 “Conference games are a different beast,” Vrankic said. “The familiarity with opponents makes game preparation all the more important. Some teams in our conference have only played a few games, so it has been an adjustment studying new things.”

The rest of the season’s schedule may be difficult to predict, but this team’s resilience is sure to forge ahead.