Welcome Home Brandin Podziemski!

It’s not often that a mid-major school will get to celebrate NBA players in back-to-back seasons, but Santa Clara has been on a mission ever since Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski were selected in the 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts.

In Jan. 2023, the mission campus came together to celebrate the return of Jalen Williams as a whole new figurehead. This time, it was Brandin Podziemski’s turn. The Golden State Warriors rookie, who spent one year with the men’s basketball team, returned for the afternoon contest against the University of Portland.

Much like other celebrations, students were given a replica Podziemski jersey to wear during the game. There was no shortage of enthusiasm pregame. When the fan favorite entered the Leavey Center, he was immediately bombarded with requests for photos, autographs, and even interviews. It was a whole new environment for Podziemski, who just a year ago was like one of us, heading to classes, eating in Benson and working hard to hone his craft and passion.

“I think what we teach and what we preach here at Santa Clara translates to the NBA level,” Podziemski said during an interview on the KSCU pregame show. “It comes on to the players to put in the extra effort, and I know a lot of people on the team now are doing that, so I don’t think it will stop with myself and Jalen [Williams].”

In his one season with the Broncos, Podziemski averaged 19.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game and lead the team in assists. He was named Co-West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year alongside Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, racking up numerous awards in his lone campaign in the WCC.

Watching the pageantry of Brandin’s return put into perspective the strides that Santa Clara men’s basketball has made in recent years. Before the recent celebrations, the Broncos had not had a player drafted since Steve Nash was taken as the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Now, the program is back on the map as one of just five teams in the country with back-to-back top 20 picks, joining national powerhouses Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor and Duke.

With everything going on, there was still a game to be played. The Broncos were in a dogfight against the Pilots for about the first 30 minutes of the game, leaving some uneasiness in the air as to whether they would pull through with a star in the building. After all, Santa Clara won when Jalen Williams was present, when Steve Nash was in the house and the Broncos were fighting to notch a third impactful win.

Christoph Tilly, one of Podziemski’s few remaining former teammates, showed out against Portland, dropping a career-high 22 points in what became a barnburner between the Broncos and Pilots. Santa Clara would go on to win by a final score of 101-86, eclipsing the 100-point mark for the third time in four games against Portland.

Having a star in the building like Brandin Podziemski, who was recently named into the NBA Rising Stars game, adds a lot of pressure to a team. But the Broncos came through. They honored someone who made an immediate impact on the program, and certainly hope that they can add another first-round pick to their history in the 2024 NBA draft.