Jalen Williams and his family react during Williams’ jersey retirement ceremony at the Leavey Center at Santa Clara University on Dec. 3, 2025. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The Santa Clara Broncos men’s basketball team hosted Utah Tech in a matchup highlighted by the halftime retirement ceremony for Jalen Williams ’22 and his No. 24 jersey on Dec. 3rd.

Williams, who played at Santa Clara from 2019 to 2022, returned to Leavey Center after winning his first NBA Championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season. His jersey now joins those of Bronco legends, including Steve Nash ’96 and Kurt Rambis ’80, in the rafters.

Jalen Williams’ jersey hangs in the Leavey Center. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)

The halftime ceremony began with a standing ovation as Williams walked onto the court. A tribute video featuring Nash, Rambis and other alumni welcomed Williams to “The Club.”

“That made it a little more real, just to be in the same breath as those guys that went here and had successful careers here, and then obviously in the pros is really special,” Williams reflected.

In his speech, Williams thanked his family, friends, the Thunder organization and the Bronco community for their unwavering support. He credited Santa Clara’s alumni network for making him feel connected wherever he plays. “Every time I’m in a different city or state, I’m always running into somebody that’s an alumni here or knows somebody that goes here,” Williams said.

Jalen Williams addresses the crowd during his jersey retirement ceremony at Santa Clara University on Dec. 3, 2025. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)

Offering advice to current students, Williams echoed the words of his high school coach: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” He emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with driven people, noting how his own family and friends have helped shape his journey.

Williams spoke about his loyalty to Santa Clara, reminiscing that it was “one of the only schools to recruit me.” He described the program as a “very special pipeline,” which is the reason that he continues to come back. “The relationships I’ve built here are really special.”

People in the student section chant “Jalen, Jalen” after Jalen Williams’ jersey retirement ceremony at Santa Clara University on Dec. 3, 2025. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

He remembers coach Herb Sendek’s persistence during recruitment. “He was at my high school all the time, he was trying to get to know me. Not every coach does that.” Though Williams had extra eligibility under COVID-19 rules, Sendek encouraged him through the process of declaring for the NBA draft.

The game itself was equally eventful: the Broncos led by 15 at halftime and extended the margin to 20 with nine minutes left in the game. However, the Trailblazers cut the lead to just seven with 1:30 on the clock.

Freshman Allen Graves ’29 ignited the Bronco faithful with a posterizing dunk over Trailblazer defender Chance Trujillo, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The celebration turned aggressive when Trujillo retaliated with a punch at Graves, sparking a bench-clearing brawl that forced officials to intervene. Trujillo was ejected from the game to the roaring approval of the crowd.

The Broncos rode their momentum to a 90-80 victory—pushing Santa Clara to 8-1, their best start since the 2019-20 season—marking a night of celebration for Williams and the Broncos.