[Mick]

In 1952 as a soph Sears' Santa Clara team reached the Final Four. Lost to eventual champ Kansas and then lost the third place game to Illinois. As a senior led the team with 16.9 ppg to win the WCAC title by a game over USF and a soph named Bill Russell (19.9ppg, 19rpg). The next two years USF lost only one game and won consecutive NCAA titles.

Santa had a brief renaissance with Frank Sobrero in '61 and had a top five team in the late 60's but ran into UCLA and Alcindor in two straight West Regional Finals. Having a good '21-'22 season.

The Ogden brothers and Dennis Awtry (all three of whom were San Jose HS stars) were the leaders of a darn good SCU program in the late 60’s.  However, timing is everything, and as you noted, UCLA was a tad better those years. It is unfortunate they could not have been placed in another regional.  They would have had an excellent shot at making the Final Four.

The Ogdens went to Lincoln HS and Awtrey was at Blackford.  They were selected in the 1st, 3rd and 4th rounds.  They went 27-2 and were ranked #2 in the country, went to the Elite Eight twice, lost to UCLA twice and to Long Beach State in three years in the western region.  Supposedly seeding started because of the matchup between UCLA and SCU.  Oh well.  And immediately after Garibaldi left as SCU's coach to work for Converse shoes, they hired Carroll Williams who went to the NCAAs once (1) time in 23 years.  Never won the conference, not once.  Not that I'm bitter or anything.

[Mick]

In 1952 as a soph Sears' Santa Clara team reached the Final Four. Lost to eventual champ Kansas and then lost the third place game to Illinois. As a senior led the team with 16.9 ppg to win the WCAC title by a game over USF and a soph named Bill Russell (19.9ppg, 19rpg). The next two years USF lost only one game and won consecutive NCAA titles.

Santa had a brief renaissance with Frank Sobrero in '61 and had a top five team in the late 60's but ran into UCLA and Alcindor in two straight West Regional Finals. Having a good '21-'22 season.

The Ogden brothers and Dennis Awtry (all three of whom were San Jose HS stars) were the leaders of a darn good SCU program in the late 60’s.  However, timing is everything, and as you noted, UCLA was a tad better those years. It is unfortunate they could not have been placed in another regional.  They would have had an excellent shot at making the Final Four.

The Ogdens went to Lincoln HS and Awtrey was at Blackford.  They were selected in the 1st, 3rd and 4th rounds.  They went 27-2 and were ranked #2 in the country, went to the Elite Eight twice, lost to UCLA twice and to Long Beach State in three years in the western region.  Supposedly seeding started because of the matchup between UCLA and SCU.  Oh well.  And immediately after Garibaldi left as SCU's coach to work for Converse shoes, they hired Carroll Williams who went to the NCAAs once (1) time in 23 years.  Never won the conference, not once.  Not that I'm bitter or anything.