SANTA CLARA
Seasons of Promise

Men's basketball

The home schedule features five games vs. 2008 NCAA tournament participants, including Stanford Dec. 23, and games at five additional tournament participants. SCU hosts the 42nd annual Cable Car Classic on Dec. 29 and 30. The season starts Nov. 14 vs. CSU East Bay. SCU has completed major renovations to the Leavey Center, including the addition of chairback seats in the upper deck, with the lower section available for the "Broncos' Zoo" — home of the Ruff Riders, one of the nation's top student sections.

The Broncos, under head coach Kerry Keatings, will start the 2009 WCC season with a bang, playing back-to-back-to-back the WCC's three 2008 NCAA tournament teams. The Broncos play at St. Mary's Jan. 9 (ESPNU), vs. San Diego Jan. 11 and at Gonzaga Jan. 15 (ESPNU). The Broncos' WCC home season includes an ESPNU game at home vs. San Francisco Jan. 23, a Feb. 8 televised contest vs. St. Mary's and a Feb. 26 game vs. visiting Gonzaga on ESPN2.

The Broncos are led by seniors John Bryant, a 6-foot-11, 275-pound center from San Pablo, Calif., and Calvin Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound guard from Morton, Texas. Bryant, a preseason WCC player of the year candidate, led the WCC in rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage last season. Already the school record holder with 162 blocks, Bryant enters his senior year at No. 23 on the career list with 1,071 points scored.

For season tickets, call 408-554-4660, e-mail broncostickets@scu.edu or go to santaclarabroncos.comfor more information.

Key home dates: Stanford, Dec. 23, 7 p.m. (ESPNU); San Francisco, Jan. 23, 8 p.m., (ESPNU); Gonzaga, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. (ESPN2).

Women's basketball

The Santa Clara women's basketball team opens its 2008-09 regular season Nov. 14, at Cal State Fullerton. The Broncos' home schedule begins on Nov. 16 against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. SCU will face five teams that advanced to the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Head coach Jennifer Mountain welcomes back five players who saw action in 2007-08 and introduces five newcomers in her first season at the helm of the Broncos women's basketball program. Mountain came to the Mission campus after serving seven seasons as the top assistant at Gonzaga.

The Broncos start the 2009 West Coast Conference season with longtime rival Saint Mary's on Jan. 8 and then travel south to face the 2008 WCC tournament champion San Diego on Jan. 10. Santa Clara brings the regular-season to a close on Sat., Feb. 28, on the road against Portland.

The Broncos are led by seniors Sara Majors, a 5-foot-9 guard from Aumsville, Ore., and Elizabeth Doran, a 6-foot guard from Corvallis, OR. Majors was second on the team in field goal percentage (48.1), three-point percentage (37.5), rebounds (171) and assists (109), and third in steals (39) in 2007-08. Doran, a WCC All-Academic and ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection, led the Broncos in three-point percentage (39.4), free throw percentage (90.7) and blocks (18).

For season tickets, call 408-554-4660, e-mail broncostickets@scu.edu or go to santaclarabroncos.com for more information.

Key home dates: West Virginia, Dec. 22, (time TBA); Gonzaga, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.; San Diego, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.