Santa Clara Broncos Game Preview/Open Thread

The Essentials

Date: Sunday, 11/18/18

Tip-Off Time: 5:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN3...so none

Streaming: ESPN.com/watch

Radio: KOMO 1000 AM/97.7 FM and TuneIn

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Betting Line: Washington -16

Santa Clara 2018-19 Statistics:

Record: 0-2

Points For per Game: 56.5 ppg (331st)

Points Against per Game: 71 ppg (143rd)

Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 97.7 (254th)

Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 103.6 (221st)

Santa Clara Key Players:

F- Gugliemo Caruso, Fr. 6’9, 210: 6.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 42.9% FG, 63.6% FT

Caruso has been great at drawing fouls and is 6th in the country at FT Rate. Expect him to drive the ball inside whenever he touches it but he isn’t a focal point of the offense.

F- Josh Martin, Sr. 6’7, 230: 7.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 41.7% FG, 37.5% 3pt, 50.0% FT

The Seattle Prep grad is a grad transfer from Cal Poly and is an elite rebounder as a big bodied stretch 4. Expect him to be get the defensive assignment going against Noah Dickerson.

F- Josip Vrankic, So. 6’8, 205: 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.5 apg, 14.3% FG, 0.0% 3pt, 71.4% FT

The Canadian big man is a good shot blocker but really struggles on the offensive end. His minutes have been limited by foul troubles through their first two games.

G- KJ Feagin, Sr. 6’1, 190: 5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 23.5% FG, 28.6% 3pt, 0.0% FT

Feagin has averaged double digits in points per game every season of his career (with a high of 17.5 ppg last year) but has just been abysmal on offense to this point making just 4 of 17 shots and turning it over 4 times per game. He certainly has the capability of getting it back on track against Washington.

G- Tahj Eaddy, So. 6’1, 165: 12.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 31.8% FG, 23.1% 3pt, 63.6% FT

The transfer from Southeast Missouri State has been Santa Clara’s most consistent player on offense so far this season. He has taken the majority of his shots from deep so expect him to bomb it from deep repeatedly.

2018-19 Santa Clara Shot Chart

The Santa Clara offense has been one of the worst in the country to this point and it should be pretty evident why looking at the shot chart below. They’ve made 3’s on the left wing and in the left corner at a decent rate but have been far below average basically everywhere else.

Synergy Sports

The Outlook

This is the first time this season that the Huskies will face a team that is outside of the top-100 per KenPom’s rankings in what has been a brutally tough start. There’s a chance that Washington will look past the Broncos with contests against Minnesota and Texas A&M in the next few days but if they don’t then the Huskies have a good chance to roll in this one.

Santa Clara is near the bottom of the country in almost every offensive category after their first 2 games, home losses to Prairie View A&M and UC Irvine. They’re shooting 37.3% on 2-pointers and 28.8% on 3-pointers. Depressingly that last number is actually better than Washington so far. The Broncos have been good however at getting offensive rebounds and at drawing fouls so if they’re able to keep it close expect it to be because they’ve gotten second chance points and gotten the UW bigs in some foul trouble.

They’ve been better on the defensive end and are one of the better shot blocking teams in the country. Santa Clara has also been very good at limiting opponents from shooting the 3-pointer so Washington will have to win this game by getting it inside with Noah Dickerson and converting on their layups when Jaylen Nowell, David Crisp, and Matisse Thybulle drive to the cup.

You never know how a team is going to react in a neutral environment where there’s going to be a near empty crowd. You would expect with the game being played in Vancouver BC that if there’s a home court advantage it will go to the Huskies but I have no idea how many tickets are getting used for this one. As long as Washington keeps up their energy they should be able to escape without much of a problem.

Prediction

Washington Huskies- 73, Santa Clara Broncos- 59

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