Aug. 7, 2008
Santa Clara University's Brody Angley '08 announced Wednesday he will be in Switzerland this year after signing a professional contract to play basketball in Massagno, Switzerland for the Sam-Basket Massagno Club. The club is on the Swiss-Italian border.
"From a kid growing up I wanted to always play at the highest level I could. This is not the NBA, but it's the next best thing for me. I get to do what I love and play it a little bit longer," said Angley. "It was a sit and wait thing after graduation and this is the best situation for me."
"My mom is pretty thrilled. I actually had been thinking I might have this opportunity earlier and I promised my Dad a long time ago that I would bring my little sister over for a visit if I did go overseas to play," said Angley, the son of Jamie and Angelina Angley. So Robin, the 21-year-old little sister who attends Chico State, will come over for two weeks during Christmas break.
"We are really excited for the opportunity Brody will have playing in Switzerland," said Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating. "Having recently graduated and finished a stellar career here at Santa Clara, we are anxious for Brody to be able to continue doing what he loves - to play - while seeing a new part of the world and exposing himself to new cultures!
"This is part of what we want for our players here at Santa Clara: the chance to play after college and have a degree in hand while doing so," added Keating. "I'm sure Brody will be a great ambassador for the Broncos while there; we all wish him the best of luck! Have fun Brody!"
Angley, a senior captain who named to the 2008 WCC First Team after collecting Honorable Mention honors in 2007, had a tremendous final season on the Mission Campus for the Broncos. The point guard from Redding, Calif. averaged a career high in points (11.5 per game), rebounds (4.1 per game) and assists (5.3 per game). He placed second in the WCC in assists and was one of the top rebounding guards in the conference. He notched over 10 assists in a game four times and scored 20+ points four times as well.
He ranks in the Top 10 all-time in Bronco history in seven different statistical categories. Angley finished third in assists (506), second in game started (111) and minutes played (3,670), tied for second in games played (122), fifth in steals (173), eighth in three-pointers made (124) and eighth in three-pointers attempted (353). Feb. 2 against Portland, he became the 26th player in school history to reach 1,000 points and he finished with 1,074, good for 22nd all-time. His 164 assists in 2007-08 were the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. He also became the eighth player in program history to play over 1,000 minutes in a season with 1,090 minutes, setting the single season record.
The basketball rules might be bit different and he doesn't know any of his teammates, but Angley is excited. "I am really excited to go to a different place. Experiencing a whole new culture, a new place and to see so many new things will be wonderful," said Angley who said they speak Italian in that area of Switzerland.
Angley, who graduated in June with a degree in Economics, will miss his Bronco wing-man, Mitch Henke, and his Bronco teammates. "The last four years of my life I have been with Mitch. It will be a change wherever he ends up," said Angley. "Hopefully we will be able to travel to each other's places and see what is going on where the other lives and hang out then. People ask us that all the time - `how will it be without each other'? We will always stay in contact, but it will be a change for both of us. I won't be able to wake-up in the morning and say `Mitch, wanna go eat or go work-out?' When we see each other though, I am sure it will be like we are right where we were before."
Angley had a message for the 2008-09 Bronco basketball team as well. "They need to take advantage of the time they have here," said Angley. "They have to value what they have got because they won't realize what they have now until they have gone on after graduation. It's a special place to be. Hopefully when they graduate they won't have any regrets."
Angley has been traveling some this summer, but each time he comes back to Santa Clara he sees a slimmer, trimmer rising-senior center John Bryant. "Every time I come back, it's such a change with John (dropping weight). He has set some high goals personally and I believe he can do it. He is going to have a huge senior year and along with him and Calvin, they are going to lead the team to good things."
Angley also thanks both coaching staffs for preparing him for the chance to play professionally. "I was in the office throughout the whole process and asking Coach Keating and his staff for assistance," said Angley. "They were very helpful. Both coaching staffs helped prepare me for the next level. I hope when I am done I am able to give back to them what they gave to me."
