WATCH DAY 2 RECAP WITH HIGHLIGHTS & INTERVIEWS
Broncos Visit Packard Children's Hospital
Written by Michelle Schmitt (mschmitt@scu.edu)
Inspired by some very special children he met earlier in the week, Santa Clara senior Marc Trasolini had a monster performance to help the Broncos win the 46th annual Cable Car Classic. Trasolini's performance earned him both Cable Car Classic MVP honors and West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 24.
Trasolini averaged 23.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in leading the Broncos to a 3-0 week. Trasolini connected on 68.4% of his field goal attempts – including 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc – and hit 75% of his free throw attempts, while blocking three shots per game. His 24 blocked shots lead the WCC.
At 11-2, the Broncos are off to their best start since the 1988-89 season. The Broncos are off for the holidays and will play at No. 1 Duke on Dec. 29 at 9 am Pacific on ESPN2.
After posting 24 points with seven boards in the Broncos 72-64 victory over Cal Poly Dec. 17, Trasolini teamed up with four of his teammates to visit Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford on Dec 18. The Broncos, which included Trasolini, Robert Garrett, John McArthur, Raymond Cowels III and Denzel Johnson, visited with children with cancer at the hospital in the afternoon. They played games, did crafts, signed autographs, passed out t-shirts and chatted with the children.
Trasolini walked away from the hospital feeling humbled. He said he felt blessed for the opportunities he has been given as a college basketball player and felt like he shouldn't take anything for granted. "There was the cutest little six-year-old girl who couldn't walk because of her cancer. She was so sweet. These children with cancer don't have what we have – it goes to show you how lucky we are and that was quite an experience for me," said Trasolini later in the week. "Cancer is a hard enough thing to go through as an adult. It is terrible it has to happen to these kids – they did nothing wrong. They don't deserve it."
Trasolini added that after visiting with the kids he felt like he had to make the most of his own opportunities with his team. "We have to take advantage of what we have been given," said Trasolini. "Going out in the community and helping children – it's important we do things like that."
Trasolini is a regular at community service events and earlier in the season was named as one of the 30 nominees for the Senior CLASS Award. Bronco head coach Kerry Keating had this to say about Trasolini in the community. "On our annual trip to the Great America park to spend the day with Courageous Kids (kids with cancer) Marc has been front and center each year. At 6-9 240, he is easily visible, but the kids feel his heart when he spends time with them because he is a good person, not because he is a basketball player and tall. Marc has been a fixture at our annual summer camp and relishes his role as teacher and role model, and has developed a comfort in being easily noticeable but has more so developed strength in being a role model and good citizen."
On the court Dec. 21 and 22 at the 46th Annual Cable Car Classic, Trasolini made the most of his time. He scored the team's first double-double of the season on Dec. 21 with the 70-58 win vs. Alcorn State with 24 points and 11 rebounds, adding three rebounds. He hit three threes in the 69-45 Dec. 22 victory over Wagner, scoring 23 points with five rebounds and five more blocks.
Trasolini is the team's top rebounder with 7.8 and also the team's best shot-blocker with 2.1 blocks. He is second with 16.3 ppg. He was redshirted last season after tearing his ACL on the team's foreign tour in his hometown (Vancouver, Canada).