WCC play up next for Santa Clara

By Gabe Taylor

With West Coast Conference play beginning on Friday in Leavey Center, Santa Clara will enter inter-conference activity one game under .500 at 8-9 after suffering a loss to Harvard on Monday night.

The Broncos were dealt a major blow six games into the season when leading scorer Kevin Foster suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal towards the end of the Bronco's 79-68 victory over University of California Santa Barbara.

He is out indefinitely, and it is likely that the injury will be season-ending.

Foster not only averaged a team-high 19.8 points per game (PPG), but also led the team in scoring for all six games he played.

"He will be hard to replace," commented Keating in an earlier press conference. "This will give him a chance to rehab the injury, get fully recovered and continue to find himself on and off the court as the leading scorer of a young team."

Following Foster's injury, the Broncos are 4-6.

Despite losing their leading scorer, the team is putting up an average of 58.0 PPG, only 1.9 PPG less than with Foster in the lineup.

"It's hard for everyone, but we can't stop or slow down. With Kevin out, it will give our young guys more time on the court," said Keating.

Without Foster, sophomore Marc Trasolini is in a position to help lead the team on the court. However, Keating noted that Trasolini needs to be more consistent and more vocal in order to truly be their go-to-guy.

The 6'9" forward out of Vancouver, BC has had bright moments for this young team. Averaging 14.2 PPG alongside 6.7 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks per game, Trasolini has established himself as a threat on both ends of the court.

"He's definitely a focal point for our team from an abilities standpoint, inside and out," said Keating.

Trasolini has already recorded four games of 20 or more points this season, his most recent time coming against Harvard last Monday.

In addition, Keating has turned over Foster's minutes to freshmen Robert Smith and Raymond Cowels.

Smith posted his most impressive numbers against Fresno State when he scored 17 points and added 6 rebounds in the Broncos 74-67 victory. Despite his youth, the freshman guard is gaining full-on experience quickly, playing 30.8 minutes per game and starting in every game this season.

Cowels proved his ability to provide an offensive spark when he sank 8-12 shots from the field, including 5-6 from beyond the arc, for 24 points in a 80-72 losing effort versus Wofford.

However, Keating is still searching for someone to fill in for the injured Foster as a team leader.

"We haven't had anyone really step up because of the fact that we're so young and we need time for that to develop," Keating said. "It is a lot easier when you have that one guy because that one guy can really do a lot of good things for you on and off the floor."

Without Foster, and without one standout leader at this point in time, Keating said that he is in a position where he must provide leadership for the team at practice and in games. He mentioned that Trasolini and Smith have the potential to grow into such a role, but that such a player's transformation is a matter of time and maturation.

A highlight in Santa Clara's early season was a well-fought game against top-25 ranked UNLV. Despite having lost Foster in the previous game, the Broncos managed to control the game's tempo during the first half, going into halftime with an eight-point lead.

Santa Clara's lead grew to ten, but UNLV refused to back down and regained and retained the lead, defeating the Broncos 66-63. According to Keating, the team's inability to grab defensive rebounds and to control the ball allowed UNLV to sneak back into the game.

"When you're playing teams like that, good teams take advantage of that," said Keating.

Nonetheless, Keating was proud of the effort given by the team and their ability to bounce back from Foster's injury.

"To lose someone that scores 20 points a game - our leading scorer (Foster) - and to be in the position to win at the end shows that we can really overcome adversity," he said.

17 games into the season, Santa Clara is shooting only 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc. On the other side of the ball, opponents are shooting 39 percent from long range against the Broncos.

In addition, the team has struggled with handling the ball, averaging nearly 17 turnovers a game.

"We have to really understand our margin for error is slim given the circumstances we're playing with and take advantage of the opportunities when they're there," commented Keating, adding the importance of handling the ball with more care.

Keating wants to see the team be more aggressive so that they can reach the foul line more often, where they are shooting 70 percent. According to statsheet.com, the Broncos have shot 50 more free throws than their opponents, and are ranked second in the country for free throws made and third in free throws attempted.

When it comes to intensity, Keating sees the need for the team to play energized from the opening tip.

"We have to have that sense of urgency in the beginning of the game and in the middle of the game to win games," he said.

The team that consists of five freshman, four sophomores, four juniors and no seniors is ready to enter WCC play this coming Friday when they host San Diego.

San Diego is currently a half of a game behind Santa Clara with a record of 7-9. Going into Friday's game, the Broncos have the fifth best record of the eight WCC teams.

In a familiar story to last year, Saint Mary's (13-2) and No. 19 Gonzaga (11-3) remain ahead of the pack.

Despite the strong competition, Keating remains optimistic about what lies ahead this season.

"I don't want to write this season off," said Keating in a press conference following the loss to Harvard.

Santa Clara's game against San Diego this Friday tips off at 8:30 p.m. Leavey Center. Starting WCC play in front of a large home crowd could give Santa Clara momentum heading into the rest of the season.

"A thousand strong," said Keating about the hopeful turnout for Santa Clara students on Friday night. "Fill in sections 108 and 111 for us."

Nick Pinkerton contributed to this article. Contact Gabe Taylor at gtaylor@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.