The Saint Clare Room, Santa Clara University, CA -- June 11, 2008 -- Today SCU Head Men's Basketball Coach Kerry Keating spoke to an
assembled early evening crowd of Bronco Supporters at the Men's Basketball Senior Dinner in perhaps
his favorite room on campus the Saint Clare Room in the new Harrington-Sobrato-Orradre LCTCL (Lick-Tickle) . The Coach with the ALL ENCOMPASING plan continues
to make Bronco basketball a program that is second to none. This year's season ending dinner and
awards banquet generally followed the format of last year's with some notable additions.
In his efforts to build upon the fine legacy of former players being associated with the current program Coach Keating has linked the names of some Bronco greats to the annual team awards. First up was the KEN SEARS Award for Highest Free Throw Percentage going to BIG John Bryant.
Next up was the "Teammate Award". �KK told the story of how in a recent Alumni Game the man whose name graces the Award took some stitches in the head and came back for more. �The recipient of the inaugural 08-09 BUD OGDEN Award is the hard working in practice and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of glory (in 8 gms)� pride of Salt Lake City Nate Mensah.
Naturally you can't be passing out awards with the names of Bronco greats attached to them without including two-time NBA MVP, Letterman Show correspondent, and passer extraordinaire STEVE NASH in the mix. And in dishing out this award it probably would come as no surprise that it goes to the leading assist man on the squad, the Bronco's own quick heating up "Microwave" ...Kevin Foster.
Speaking of blue collar, lunch bucket guys there probably isn't a better example of someone doing what has to be done, not for the glory, but for the team then SCU's superhero in disguise KURT RAMBIS.� The Rambis Award for Most Charges Taken went to the blue collar player from down-under, Ben Dowdell. (just gotta find him a phone booth).
And when it comes to blue collar, banging the boards the top man in Bronco history is still DENNIS AWTREY ( he still holds the career average --� nearly 20 boards A GAME for a CAREER ). So even though he needed 20 some boards in his last game of his fourth year to top Dennis' three year career total BIG John Bryant as the Broncos top 08-09 rebounder now has his name further linked to that other Bronco big man with the soft hands. Let's hope that also like Dennis, BIG John gets an NBA Championship ring for them.
Finally KK showed that perhaps due to that East Coast, Eye-Talian heritage of his he knows how to show some proper respect. �After conferring with the Godfather of Bronco Ball, Coach Carroll Williams (who was in the house this evening), the young Capo reached into the archives and found a point guard whose Senior leadership helped propel the Broncos to a 21-8 season just about the time Kerry was leaving kindergarten.� After leaving the Mission Campus this Bronco career assist average leader started his after SCU life with the NBA's Houston Rockets as the first step in a decade-long professional career and had stints with both the Filipino and Panamanian�national teams (check out #5 vs the Dream Team). He could probably take you one-on-one some 30 years later. We wish that this year's EDDIE JO CHAVEZ Senior award winner Calvin Johnson will build upon his experiences and leadership at Santa Clara and blaze his own trail like the unstoppable Mr. Chavez.
Among the many visions Coach Keating laid out during the evening was his again announced plan for watching the Tournament Selection Show with the team from that very same Saint Clare room and from the adjoining patio balcony announcing to the assembled, cheering masses below the Broncos' tournament seeding.
-- BroncoHoops Staff report
edited to add the missing KEN SEARS award and�CORRECT the OGDEN and RAMBIS award winners -- so much for showing up late without a notebook
In his efforts to build upon the fine legacy of former players being associated with the current program Coach Keating has linked the names of some Bronco greats to the annual team awards. First up was the KEN SEARS Award for Highest Free Throw Percentage going to BIG John Bryant.
Next up was the "Teammate Award". �KK told the story of how in a recent Alumni Game the man whose name graces the Award took some stitches in the head and came back for more. �The recipient of the inaugural 08-09 BUD OGDEN Award is the hard working in practice and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of glory (in 8 gms)� pride of Salt Lake City Nate Mensah.
Naturally you can't be passing out awards with the names of Bronco greats attached to them without including two-time NBA MVP, Letterman Show correspondent, and passer extraordinaire STEVE NASH in the mix. And in dishing out this award it probably would come as no surprise that it goes to the leading assist man on the squad, the Bronco's own quick heating up "Microwave" ...Kevin Foster.
Speaking of blue collar, lunch bucket guys there probably isn't a better example of someone doing what has to be done, not for the glory, but for the team then SCU's superhero in disguise KURT RAMBIS.� The Rambis Award for Most Charges Taken went to the blue collar player from down-under, Ben Dowdell. (just gotta find him a phone booth).
And when it comes to blue collar, banging the boards the top man in Bronco history is still DENNIS AWTREY ( he still holds the career average --� nearly 20 boards A GAME for a CAREER ). So even though he needed 20 some boards in his last game of his fourth year to top Dennis' three year career total BIG John Bryant as the Broncos top 08-09 rebounder now has his name further linked to that other Bronco big man with the soft hands. Let's hope that also like Dennis, BIG John gets an NBA Championship ring for them.
Finally KK showed that perhaps due to that East Coast, Eye-Talian heritage of his he knows how to show some proper respect. �After conferring with the Godfather of Bronco Ball, Coach Carroll Williams (who was in the house this evening), the young Capo reached into the archives and found a point guard whose Senior leadership helped propel the Broncos to a 21-8 season just about the time Kerry was leaving kindergarten.� After leaving the Mission Campus this Bronco career assist average leader started his after SCU life with the NBA's Houston Rockets as the first step in a decade-long professional career and had stints with both the Filipino and Panamanian�national teams (check out #5 vs the Dream Team). He could probably take you one-on-one some 30 years later. We wish that this year's EDDIE JO CHAVEZ Senior award winner Calvin Johnson will build upon his experiences and leadership at Santa Clara and blaze his own trail like the unstoppable Mr. Chavez.
Among the many visions Coach Keating laid out during the evening was his again announced plan for watching the Tournament Selection Show with the team from that very same Saint Clare room and from the adjoining patio balcony announcing to the assembled, cheering masses below the Broncos' tournament seeding.
�In fact he hoped that the VERY next gathering of Bronco players and faithful in that room would be for that purpose and that the end of the season banquet
would come closer to the end of the season ... and be in a bigger venue because of the demand for attendance ...
As we have written before a late, great friend and fan of the program was fond of saying "you gotta believe", and�we here at BroncoHoops continue to believe�that KK believes it. And for us at
BroncoHoops.com�that's still a good thing.�
More on Coach Keating's thoughts on recruiting, scheduling, and general taking it to the next level in
future postings.
The evening finished with Video Coodinator Jessie Pruitt's fine�tribute to the 08-09 Broncos ... available at
the door on DVD for $10 ...
or here ... thanks to Coach Pruitt ...
-- BroncoHoops Staff report
edited to add the missing KEN SEARS award and�CORRECT the OGDEN and RAMBIS award winners -- so much for showing up late without a notebook
