Broncos face tough Bulldog lineup tonight

Santa Clara currently stands at 14-15 overall and an even 6-6 in the West Coast Conference. These two remaining games are must wins for the Broncos if they want to earn a bye in the WCC Tournament next Friday. Against Gonzaga on Jan. 17, Santa Clara suffered their worst loss of the season, a 95-53 spanking in Spokane, Wash. This time around, the Broncos look for revenge as Gonzaga brings their No. 17 national ranking and undefeated West Coast Conference record to the Leavey Center tonight at 8 p.m. Here is a look at the projected starters.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Jeremy Pargo is the reigning WCC Player of the Year and heads into tonight's game as the WCC assists leader, averaging 5.2 per game. His quickness and ability to read the floor enable him to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. "It's definitely a priority for us to stop him in transition, because he really likes to push it and really get their transition game going," said Santa Clara head coach Kerry Keating. "He's strong and he's got speed and he attacks the basket well."

Matt Bouldin leads Gonzaga in steals with 1.5 per game and is fifth in the WCC in 3-point field goal percentage. Arguably the Bulldogs' most dangerous offensive threat, he averages 13.3 points per game and is a sharp shooter from beyond the arc. "Matt really knows how to score," said Keating. "He's a very, very good player. One of the best players in our conference and will be a very good pro in the NBA."

Last season, Steven Gray was named to the WCC all-freshman team despite missing the season's first 10 games with a wrist injury. Gray is averaging 9.9 points per game this year and has started roughly half of the Bulldogs' games. He has the best assist-to-turnover ratio of anyone on the team and is shooting a solid 36.4 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks him seventh in the WCC in 3-point field goals made.

Austin Daye's lanky frame, athletic ability and versatility make him a tough player. "Daye, because of his length, has really done a good job both inside and out," said Keating. The 6-foot-11 sophomore was another member of last season's WCC all-freshman team and leads Gonzaga in blocked shots with 2.1 blocks per game and rebounds with 7.1 rebounds per game. He is ranked second and fourth respectively in those categories among WCC players this season.

Josh Heytvelt leads the Gonzaga offense with 15 points per game this season, fifth overall in the WCC. He averages 6.8 rebounds, good for second on the team and sixth in the WCC. His large 6-foot-11, 260-pound frame will enable Heytvelt to battle in the paint with Santa Clara center John Bryant. The two have been matched up against each other for the past four seasons. "He's a real big flopper on defense, so it's hard to do any moves against him without him flopping and you getting a foul," said Bryant. "He's athletic and he can run the floor very well."

Santa Clara Broncos

Kevin Foster leads WCC freshmen in scoring this season, averaging 14.4 points per game. Last game, Foster broke Kurt Rambis' all-time record for points scored in a single season by a freshman, which had stood for 32 years. Earlier in the year, Foster broke the school freshman record for 3-pointers made in a season. He is second in the WCC in 3-pointers with 74. Foster joins teammate James Rahon as one of the only two freshmen ranked in the top 10 in WCC 3-point percentage.

Calvin Johnson, a senior captain, will be playing Gonzaga for the last time in the regular season as a Santa Clara Bronco. Johnson is leading the Broncos with an assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.71. He also has appeared in 28 of the team's 29 games for Santa Clara this season and has made 15 starts. Johnson is third on the team in 3-pointers made and is averaging 2 points per game on the season.

James Rahon missed the last week of practices due to a shoulder injury sustained in the Broncos' loss at Pepperdine on Feb. 12, but hopes to be back for tonight's matchup. The Broncos have missed his offensive productivity, as he leads all WCC freshmen in 3-point field goal percentage and is fourth in scoring at 10.8 points per game. He has made a total of 52 3-pointers this year, placing him second on the all-time list for Santa Clara freshmen behind Foster.

Marc Trasolini will help Bryant inside against the Gonzaga's big men tonight. Averaging 1.4 blocks per game, Trasolini ranks fifth in the WCC. He leads WCC freshmen in blocks and recently tied teammate Bryant's Santa Clara freshman record for blocks in a season with 37. Trasolini also averages 4.5 rebounds per game and holds the highest field-goal percentage among WCC freshmen this season while shooting 64.4 percent from the field.

John Bryant is one of the leading candidates for WCC Player of the Year, leading the conference in rebounds with an average of 13.7, blocked shots with 2.55 per game and is shooting 61 percent from the field. "They have the best, most dominant low post player, probably on the West Coast," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Bryant. "Pretty much every time he touches it he's able to convert it." Bryant also averages 18 points per game, ranked third in the conference. He leads the entire nation in total rebounds with 398 and has accumulated 22 double-doubles on the season, which ties him with Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin for the nation's lead.

--Kurt Wagner