Bay Area men’s college basketball: Season previews for SCU, SJSU and USF
Stars: SJSU lost its star; USF has one named Sharavjamts; does SCU have another one for the NBA?
Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek doesn’t know yet whether he has another Jalen Williams or Brandin Podziemski, surprise college stars who were selected in the first round of the past two NBA Drafts.
But he knows what those two have meant to the Broncos.
“It definitely raises the profile of our program,” Sendek said. “It fortifies the guys who are with us now, adds to their confidence. At the same time, it improves our position in recruiting.
“It also helps galvanize the university, the campus, the community at large around our program. There’s a lot of excitement and momentum as a result.”
A year after Williams was selected 12th by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Podziemski arrived as a transfer from Illinois, averaged 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds and was named co-West Coast Conference Player of the Year. The Warriors selected him at No. 19.
After going 23-11 last year and finishing third in the conference, the Broncos are picked fifth in the WCC this season.
Guard Carlos Marshall Jr., a former two-time Ohio Valley Conference pick at Tennessee State, returns after playing just three games for SCU last season before being injured.
Among eight newcomers is Adama-Alpha Bal, a 6-7 guard and former French U20 national team member, who saw limited action in two seasons at Arizona.
“We’ve really reinvented ourselves,” Sendek said. “Right now, we’re basically a collection of individuals who are working really hard to become a cohesive team, to carve our roles.”
USF
Mike Sharavjamts, the first Mongolian-born player in Division I basketball. transferred in from Dayton. At 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, Sharavjamts can play either guard position and has quickly earned the respect and affection of his coaches and teammates.
“He’s very humble, very funny on and off the court,” junior forward Isaiah Hawthorne said. “But his game speaks for itself. He’s so smooth with the ball in his hands. Everything you see will show the world who he is. He can do pretty much everything on the court.”
Second-year coach Chris Gerlufsen, whose Dons (20-14 last year) were picked third in the West Coast Conference, recruited Sharavjamts out of the transfer portal after one season at Dayton, where he averaged 5.9 points. He called him an old-school player.
“You don’t see many guys who are pass-first anymore and he is a pass-first point guard,” Gerlufsen said. “He has great positional size – really can see over the top of the defense.”
His father, Sharavjamts (Shark) Tserenjanhor, was 7-feet tall and gifted enough to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.
San Jose State
After leading San Jose State to 21 wins and winning Mountain West Coach of the Year last season, San Jose State coach Tim Miles returns for his third year as Spartans head coach.
But building off last season’s success won’t be easy.
SJSU lost one of the best players in program history in 2023 Mountain West Player of the Year Omari Moore who left for the NBA and is currently signed to the Toronto Raptors G-League affiliate. The Spartans also lost two starters in 7-foot center Ibrahima Diallo who transferred to UCF and forward Sage Tolbert III who graduated.
Starting point guard Alvaro Cardenas and forward Trey Anderson will each return for their junior season. Sophomore forward Garrett Anderson, who became a key rotational piece for Miles as a freshman, figures to start this season in place of Moore.
Cardenas was the Spartans’ team captain last season and averaged 10 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 2022. Trey Anderson started all 35 games for SJSU while 38% from behind the arc last season.
The Spartans have a favorable schedule to start the season, playing just one Power 5 team in the preseason in Texas Tech. But in a stronger Mountain West, it will be interesting to see if Miles can take another step in Year 4 of the rebuild.
— Nathan Canilao