SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Two seniors from the 2016-17 Santa Clara men's basketball team will play professionally next season.
In addition to former guard Jared Brownridge inking a deal to play for Pallacanestro Mantova in Italy, Nate Kratch, a three-year starter at forward, has signed to play next season for Aris Leeuwarden, which competes in the Dutch Basketball League.
Kratch was a member of the Santa Clara program for five years, playing in all 129 games the last four seasons, earning 2016-17 honorable mention All-West Coast Conference honors when he ranked third on team in scoring (10.8 points per game), first in rebounding (6.5 pg) and second in 3-point shooting percentage (41.9).
#FlashbackFriday | A few senior year shots of Nate Kratch, who signed with @Aris_Leeuwarden last week! #StampedeAhead #SCUBroncos pic.twitter.com/pgrDgEym1H
— Santa Clara Hoops (@SantaClaraHoops) August 11, 2017
A native of Watertown, Minnesota, Kratch started 86 career games, including 81 of his final 84. He ended his career ranked eighth on the school's career blocks list (79) and 10th in rebounds (697).
Kratch earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in the spring of 2015 and has since been enrolled in graduate school where he maintains 3.92 GPA in counseling psychology.
Kratch helped the Broncos (17-16, 10-8) advance to the WCC Tournament semis for the first time since 2011 and post the best regular-season turnaround in the league. They recorded a five-game improvement (17-16) compared to 2015-16 when they were 11-20.
Will Burkett, the third senior on last year's squad, is serving as a graduate assistant on the coaching staff beginning in 2017-18.
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