Bronco trip to Kentucky 'learning experience'

By Chris Furnari

During winter break, the Santa Clara men's basketball team had the chance to travel to the University of Kentucky and play in Rupp Arena, a venue familiar to the throngs of fans that create a 'pressure situation.' Rupp Arena is also home to one of the most storied traditions in college basketball. And, not coincidentally, it's a difficult place for any visiting team to secure a victory.

But if you ask men's basketball head coach Dick Davey, he'd tell you he has one main goal for every game his team plays: to win.

"The bottom line is winning," said Davey. "Besides that, it's about how we performed in a pressure situation."

Dick Davey's goal was simple. Despite losing the contest 74-60, the Broncos took many positives away from a game that had all the capabilities of ending with an ugly outcome.

"It's a learning experience," said Davey. "It's a good chance to play in an adverse situation where people aren't rooting for you."

However, the final score does not reflect just how close the game actually was. Within the first four minutes of play, the Broncos built a 9-3 lead behind a deft shooting touch from senior guard Danny Pariseau. Halfway through the first half, the Broncos were trading baskets with the Wildcats, who have won seven NCAA championships in their history.

The Broncos went into the locker room down by two points at the half, in the midst of surprising a Kentucky squad that was hoping to cruise to an easy victory.

And although the Broncos remained tough in the second half, the game slipped away with just under eight minutes remaining. The score began to lose emphasis for Davey, the long-time Bronco coach, who instead focused on the positives of the long trip.

"It was discouraging when in the part of the game where a team wins it, we didn't perform," said Davey. "We hope that next time when we get to that point, we have learned from taking a trip like this."

Bronco players expressed similar sentiments.

"Playing in Rupp arena is similar to playing in Spokane," said junior guard Brody Angley. "The cheering section is right up on you in both environments, so it was definitely a good experience in that it prepared us for what we're going to see later on."

Aside from the in-game experience, the Broncos also benefited financially from making the trip. According to Athletic Director Dan Coonan, away games such as the one played at Kentucky can have paydays that range from $45,000 to $60,000. This money benefits the entire athletic department and supports both the school and the budget.

Both Davey and Coonan confirmed plans for similar games in future years.

"We definitely want to have more games like this, but we just don't know who as of yet," said Coonan.

It's not by chance that both home and away games against tough opponents are scheduled, either. This season was no different. The Broncos arranged one of their toughest schedules yet, playing teams such as non-conference opponents Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Stanford and, of course, Kentucky.

According to Davey, the purpose is two-fold: not only does it help prepare the team for tough conference games, but it also increases their chances of making the NCAA tournament.

"We try to play power teams in the preseason in order to boost our RPI and strength of schedule," said Davey. "Hopefully it helps us make the tournament even if we don't get the automatic berth from winning the WCC Tournament."

So far, this approach has proven effective for the Broncos, as they are off to one of the best starts in Davey's 15-year career at Santa Clara. The Broncos are 11-5 overall, with their most recent win coming in the conference opener against St. Mary's.

RPI only helps a team gain an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament. It's highly unlikely that the Broncos would receive an at-large bid, simply because the WCC is comparatively weak versus other conferences. The WCC's lone automatic berth is awarded to the team that wins the conference tournament.

"At this point, it looks like we are going to need to win the conference tournament in order to advance," said Davey. "We at least need to play in the championship game."

Ideally, Davey says, tough non-conference opponents will have prepared his team for the rigors of conference play, and, ultimately, for their competition in the conference tournament.

"I like the adversity of a tough game situation," said Davey. "If you can perform under stress, the experience is positive."

Games such as the one in Kentucky not only provide this sort of experience, but they also help build team camaraderie.

"I think it's fun for the guys to be able to say they played at a famous venue," said Davey.

Angley agreed, citing both the 2004 North Carolina game and Kentucky as some of his more memorable and favorite match-ups as a Bronco. In the North Carolina game, the Broncos upset a heavily favored Tar Heel squad 77-66. North Carolina won the national championship that year.

Of course, these games don't come without their fair share of heckling.

"When you are playing in a shade of blue and your colors are red, it's hard not to stick out," said Angley.

Contact Chris Furnari at (408) 551-1918 or cfurnari@scu.edu