SANTA CLARA — The dunk was full of power. The response was full of vitriol.
With roughly a minute left in regulation, Santa Clara guard Brenton Knapper connected with forward Allen Graves, who was already streaking to the rim. Graves took one dribble, leapt, cocked back his right arm and unfurled a one-handed slam on the head of Utah Tech’s Chance Trujillo. It was the type of dunk that elicited every viable adjective, from mean to vicious to nasty.
The first wave of oohs and aahs was for the dunk. The second wave was for Trujillo’s response, a punch that connected with Graves’s face that ignited a late-game kerfuffle and ended with Trujillo being ejected. It was the defining moment of Santa Clara’s 90-80 victory over Utah Tech, a victory that gives the team an 8-1 record for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
The Broncos haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1996 when they were led by Steve Nash. They’ve had a winning percentage of .600 in six straight seasons, but the odds are perpetually not in their favor since they share the mid-major West Coast Conference with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
“All we can do is play the next game and try to win as many as we can,” said head coach Herb Sendek. “There’s nothing more or nothing less that we can do: keep working as hard as we can to learn, to improve and try to win as many games as we possibly can. … That’s all anybody can do.”
The Broncos have been led offensively by redshirt sophomore Christian Hammond, who has had an atypical developmental timeline.
Hammond, who missed Wednesday’s game due to injury, received minimal playing time as a true freshman, averaging 12.4 minutes per game over 19 games. Instead of playing as a true sophomore, Hammond made the difficult decision to use his redshirt.
“They told me it was going to benefit me, and it was just up to me if I was going to make it worth it or not,” Hammond told The Unofficial WCC Hoops Podcast.
Hammond did, in fact, make the year worth it. Through eight games, Hammond is averaging 16.6 points, 2.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. On Nov. 15, Hammond poured in a career-high 27 points in a 98-83 victory against Nevada.
“He’s advanced on a broad base,” Sendek said. “Not only is he flourishing offensively right now, but he has established himself as a tremendous defensive player. He is a key stone to our defensive force. I think he’s a complete player. He impacts winning in a multitude of ways.”
Hammond’s abnormal developmental path pales in comparison to that of junior guard Thierry Darlan, who became the first G League alum to play in a collegiate game.
Darlan, hailing from the Central African Republic, began his basketball career at 16 with the NBA Academy in Senegal before taking his talents to the G League, spending the 2023-24 season with the NBA G League Ignite and the 2024-25 season with the Delaware Blue Coats.
In September, Darlan was ruled eligible by the NCAA to play college basketball despite technically having been a professional. Along with Darlan, fellow G League alums London Johnson and Abdullah Ahmed will play next season for Louisville and BYU, respectively.
The NCAA’s decision to allow Darlan and Johnson to make the pro-to-amateur jump has been met with criticism. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino joked on social media that he has “first dibs” on two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Michigan State’s Tom Izzo harshly criticized the decision.
Darlan was named to the WCC Preseason Team (along with teammate Elijah Mahi) but has been coming off the bench to begin his collegiate career. Through nine games, Darlan is averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds over 20.6 minutes per game.
“The supposition by many was because he was going from the G League … to college that somehow he would be immune from going through a normal transition,” Sendek said. “Really, that’s an unfounded supposition, and it’s not fair to him. All of us go through some measure of a transition anytime we experience something totally new.
“It’s no different for him, but he has maintained a great attitude. He has enriched our culture a great deal, and he has contributed to the good start that our team is enjoying. I think his best days are ahead of him.”
Despite their hot start, the Broncos have never truly been at full strength.
Redshirt sophomore Gehrig Normand, a transfer from Michigan State, hurt his foot on the first day of practice and has yet to play. Sophomore Chris Tadjo, a transfer from Iowa, underwent season-ending surgery. Redshirt junior Jake Ensminger, who earned a spot on the 2023-24 All-Freshman Team, has missed Santa Clara’s last two games.
Santa Clara has found contributors in the absence of Ensminer, Normand and Tadjo. Graves, a redshirt freshman, is averaging 9.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Redshirt sophomore Bukky Oboye, who’s listed at 7’1″, is averaging career-highs in minutes (17.0) and points (9.8). Redshirt freshman Sash Gavalyugov, a transfer from Villanova, is contributing 7.9 points per game while shooting 34.9 percent from deep.
When asked about the Broncos’ strengths through nine games, Sendek pointed to the team’s attitude and effort. As far as area’s they can improve?
“We have to get better at everything,” Sendek said. “Nine games into the season with a relatively new team — and a very young team — there’s no area that we have polished sitting on a mantle saying, ‘We’ve got that down.’”