EYEBRONCO: Watch Marc Trasolini Talk About His Return and the Team's Goals
SCU-SLU Game Notes (Player Bios and Stats Included)
EYEBRONCO: Coach Keating Talks During the Preseason at WCC Media Day
SANTA CLARA'S CBE CLASSIC HOME PAGE
Santa Clara (1-0) will travel to the Midwest mid-week for a Wed., Nov. 14 match-up at Saint Louis. The 5 pm Pacific game, part of the Edward Jones CBE Hall of Fame Classic, will be telecast on FoxSports Midwest nationally (see local/cable listings). Santa Clara will return next week to host six games in four days, including three of its own, to finish play as part of the CBE Classic.
It is the fourth meeting between the two teams with Santa Clara holding a 2-1 advantage over the Billikens. The two teams haven't played in 21 years. All three games have been won by five points or less with Saint Louis winning 64-60 in the two team's only meeting in Saint Louis on Dec. 11, 1990. The Broncos topped the Billikens 69-66 on Dec. 30, 1975 as part of the Bruin Classic in Los Angeles. In their last meeting in Santa Clara, the Broncos won 81-76 on Dec. 30, 1991
The Broncos opened the 2012-13 season with a 106-66 victory over Simpson College on Nov. 10, turning the ball over just twice. They were led by senior Kevin Foster, who scored 27 points (7 of 15 from three). He added a career-high nine assists and four rebounds. Marc Trasolini also made a splashy return after missing last season with a torn ACL. Trasolini scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Robert Garrett scored a career-high 14 points and Brandon Clark dished out a career-best eight assists.
In its season opener, Saint Louis' Dwayne Evans led four players in double figures with 21 points as the Billikens defeated USC Upstate 76-59 at Chaifetz Arena on Nov. 9. Cody Ellis had 15 points, while Jordair Jett chipped in 14. Mike McCall Jr. registered 14 points.
Santa Clara was 8-22 last season, including 0-16 in the West Coast Conference. Saint Louis is coming off of a 26-8 season where it advanced to the NCAA tournament. It defeated Memphis in its first game of the NCAA tournament, 61-54, before falling 65-61 to Michigan State. It was 12-4 in the Atlantic 10 as well.
SLU announced Aug. 24 that head coach Rick Majerus is dealing with a health issue that will prevent him from coaching this season. Jim Crews was named interim head coach for the 2012-13 campaign.
Look and Listen
The St. Louis game will be broadcast on television on Fox Sports Midwest with Pat Parris and Scott Highmark making the call. Tip-off is set for 5 pm Pacific. The SLU game will be broadcast live on the internet at www.SantaClaraBroncos.com and on a tape-delayed basis on the radio with the broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific on KDOW 1220AM. Anthony Passarelli is in his sixth season as the Broncos' play-by-play announcer. Out of the listening area, KDOW is streamed online at www.1220kdow.com.
Last time out
Santa Clara defeated Simpson 106-66 in its first home game of the year on Nov. 10. Santa Clara scored 106 points, its first time over the century mark since it scored 101 points in a 101-86 victory over Pepperdine on Jan. 21, 2008. Against Simpson, the Broncos had four players in double figures including Kevin Foster (27), Robert Garrett (14), Marc Trasolini (13) and Raymond Cowels III (12). It was the first time it had four in double figures since it played at BYU on Jan. 14, 2012.
It scored 14 threes for the second time under Coach Keating. the last time it scored 14 threes was against UC Merced on Nov. 11, 2011. The school record is 15 threes vs. Gonzaga on March 5, 2001.
It also had just two turnovers. But believe it or not, it wasn't its best effort under Coach Keating or in school history. Turning the ball over just once in the final seconds to shatter the school record for the fewest turnovers in a game, Santa Clara fell 74-72 to Portland on Feb. 29, 2012 in the first round of the WCC Tournament. The previous school record was three turnovers by SCU in a 77-62 victory vs. No. 19 Alabama on Dec. 28, 1996 .
The Broncos collected 27 assists - the most since it collected 25 vs. USF in an 87-55 win on Feb. 25, 2008. It was the seventh-most assists in school history with the school record being 35 assists vs. LMU on Jan. 31, 1975.
That Was Then, This Is Now ...
Santa Clara was 8-22 and 0-16 in the WCC last season. It lost 18 straight dating back to its 75-55 win over Eastern Michigan on Dec. 29, 2011. The losing streak started with a last-second miracle shot by Wagner on Dec. 30, 2011 as the Broncos fell 64-62 in the 45th annual Cable Car Classic Championship game. It was the longest losing streak in school history and it was also the first team to go winless in league play. The last team to lose each of its WCC regular season games: Saint Mary's went 0-14 in 2001.
Foster Named WCC POW, On Cusp Of History
Kevin Foster, named to the 2012 West Coast Conference Preseason All-WCC a couple weeks ago, has been named the WCC Player of the Week in the opening week of the college basketball season.
Foster opened the 2012-13 season in impressive fashion, scoring 27 points and dishing out nine assists with four rebounds and two steals with no turnovers in a Broncos victory over Simpson University -- a team playing its fifth game of the season. Foster sank seven three pointers, and was 9-of-17 shooting overall in 24 minutes of action vs. Simpson.
Foster is 18 points from breaking the school's long-time career points scored record held by Kurt Rambis since 1980. Rambis scored 1,735 points from 1976-80. To break the record Foster, currently No. 4 all-time with 1,718 points, will have to pass Brian Jones (No. 3 with 1,722 from 1996-01) and Harold Keeling (No. 2 with 1,732 from 1981-85) as well. Note: the Santa Clara media guide for years published 1,725, 1,735 and 1,736 as Rambis' career totals (dating back to the 1981). Looking back at his four-year totals, Rambis scored 1,735 career points (413 his freshman year, 371 his sophomore year, 422 his junior year and 529 his senior year).
Foster is No. 3 all-time in career three pointers in the West Coast Conference as well, already holding the school record with 318. He topped Steve Nash's school record of 263 threes (1992-96) early last season. Foster needs 46 threes to break Jeff Fryer's WCC record from 1987-90 when he played at LMU and scored 363. No. 2 is Jared Stohl who scored 336 from 2007-11 at Portland.
Trasolini Named As Senior CLASS Award Nominee
Setting the bar high both on the court as a fifth-year co-captain and off the court academically, graduating Cum Laude last March with a 3.62 grade point average in Finance, Santa Clara forward Marc Trasolini has been named as one of 30 candidates nationally for the Senior CLASS Award, one of the most prestigious awards in college basketball.
"Looking at the list of 30 candidates, I feel blessed to be included in such a prestigious group of young men," said Trasolini. "My parents always taught me to be as well-rounded as possible. This award really captures that idea. While sitting out last year with an injury was extremely tough for me, there have been many opportunities that have come out of it, whether it's graduate school or getting an additional year of personal and physical maturity at Santa Clara. I feel like I am in a great position and I am ready to have a terrific final year with my four fellow seniors."
Trasolini also praised Bronco head coach Kerry Keating and his staff for standing by him in the last 14 months. "I am very grateful to have had the support of Coach Keating throughout the past year," added Trasolini. "When I was injured last year and throughout my rehab, he really instilled the confidence in me to believe and come back even stronger this season. I am ready to have the best year this school has seen in a long time."
Trasolini is in his third quarter of work on his MBA in Santa Clara's Leavey School of Business.
Trasolini is returning for his fifth season on the court after sitting out last season after tearing his ACL in Sept., 2011 on the team's foreign tour to Canada. Trasolini averaged 12.8 ppg, 0.9 bpg and 6.1 rpg in 26.4 mpg during his junior year (2010-11), helping lead the team to the post-season CIT title. Trasolini is No. 24 on the all-time points scored list with 1,113 points and is No. 4 with 124 career blocks.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
What is a Billiken?
The Billiken was born Oct. 8, 1908, when Kansas City art teacher and illustrator Florence Pretz patented a design for an elflike creature with pixie ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair on his pointed head. Reportedly, the image came to her in a dream.
Within a short time, Pretz sold her patented image to the Billiken Company of Chicago. Initially manufactured as a bank and statuette, and later as a doll, this good luck charm soon became a national craze. By 1911, the Billiken's likeness adorned everything from marshmallow candies to hood ornaments.
Like many other fads, the Billiken might have faded into obscurity if it were not for Saint Louis University law student John Bender, who also happened to be the coach of SLU's football team during the height of Billikenmania.
Regardless of how the story is told or whether his mysterious origins are ever finally resolved, the Billiken remains a good luck charm for Saint Louis University's sports teams and always brings smiles to the faces of SLU fans.
Legend has it that the Billiken has three kinds of luck - good, better and best. Buying a Billiken gives the buyer good luck. To have one given to you is better luck. The best luck comes if the Billiken is stolen.
