Men's hoops to face national powerhouse

By Brian Witter

Two weeks from Friday, the Santa Clara men's basketball team will compete against the University of North Carolina, a consensus Final Four favorite which some college basketball analysts have already ranked No. 1 in the preseason.

For the first time ever, Santa Clara Head Coach Dick Davey will lead the Broncos into the eighth-annual Pete Newell Challenge at the Arena in Oakland, to face a Tar Heel team that returns all five starters from last season's NCAA tournament -- who were also Atlantic Coast Conference leaders in assists, rebounds, and scoring.

The second half of the doubleheader will feature West Coast Conference rival San Francisco against defending Pac-10 Champion Stanford, who the Broncos will play on Nov. 28.

"I've always wanted our team to participate in this prestigious event," Davey said.

This season, the Tar Heels boast an intimidating group of juniors whose skill resonates in their numbers.

At point guard is ACC leader in assists last season, Raymond Felton, who was fifth best in the country with 7.1 assists per game. Rashad McCants will reprise his role as shooting guard after a season in which he finished third for ACC Player of the Year and led the conference in scoring with 20 points per game. The primary forward/center position for the Tar Heels this year will be filled by Sean May, who was the first sophomore in eight years to lead the ACC in rebounding with 9.8 per game.

Another player who might pose a serious threat on the court during the tournament is freshman standout and guard Quentin Thomas, who will be making a homecoming to Oakland for the game. Thomas led Oakland Technical High School to two state final games as a sophomore and junior.

"The odds are definitely stacked against us, but I think we do have a chance," Davey said. "Our competitive nature shows itself more often when we're playing against a lineup of their caliber."

Broncos Kyle Bailey and Doron Perkins are expected to lead Santa Clara against the Tar Heels. Bailey and Perkins led the Broncos in scoring last year with 13.3 and 12.4 points per game, respectively.

Davey compared the two to past Santa Clara stars Marlon Garnett and Steve Nash, two guards who dominated the position and helped carry Santa Clara to the NCAA tournament in 1995 and 1996.

Joe Holladay, assistant to head coach Roy Williams at North Carolina, spoke on what he believes might prevent the Tar Heels from steam-rolling the Broncos.

"Santa Clara will have played three games by the time we get to them," Holladay said. "That's not a lot, but we have freshmen who haven't played at this level, on this stage yet."

Holladay, who has worked with Roy Williams for 12 years, 10 being at the University of Kansas, alluded to past confrontations between Kansas and Santa Clara.

"We played Santa Clara back in the NCAA West Regionals in '96," Holladay said. "They gave us a good run, and even though we outlasted them, I still have a great deal of respect for their program. I am very familiar with Dick (Davey) and have admiration for him and his veteran team."

Santa Clara upset Maryland eight years ago in the first round of the NCAA tournament, only to lose to a Roy Williams-coached Kansas Jayhawks team 76-51. The Nov. 19 game will be the fifth time that Davey and Williams have faced off in their careers.

The opportunity to play one of the most skilled teams in the nation is energizing to Bronco players as well.

"It's going to be a tough game, but the experience that we're going to walk away with afterwards is going to help us better ourselves as a team, whether we win or lose," senior guard Kyle Bailey said.

The Broncos took to the court for the first time Monday night in an exhibition game against Holy Names College. Injuries left center Sean Denison and guard Brandon Rohe on the bench. However, the Broncos had a very impressive showing on defense by forcing 36 turnovers, which helped usher them to a 93-78 victory. Junior forward Travis Niesen had a team-high 20 points, going 8 for 13 from the field, while Perkins tallied 18 points and seven steals.

Santa Clara will play one more exhibition game against CSU Stanislaus on Sunday, before traveling to Albuquerque, N.M, on Nov. 12, where they will compete in the NABC Classic.

"The non-conference games we'll be playing are going to help us prepare for what really matters, and that's our conference play," junior center Linden Tibbets said. The Broncos begin West Coast Conference play in January.

The Pete Newell Challenge, which has been dubbed the "Bay Area's best night of basketball" by its producer Jeff Fellenzer, was first conceived in 1997 to honor the man who's name the tournament bears. Pete Newell won an NIT Championship at San Francisco, an NCAA Championship at the University of California at Berkeley, and an Olympic Gold Medal with the United States at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Past participants include Gonzaga, UC Berkeley, Duke and Kansas.

Newell, who is now 89, continues to coach youth basketball in workshops and clinics throughout the nation.

Tip-off for the Pete Newell Challenge on Nov. 19 will be at 6:00 p.m. and will be viewable by webcast on College Sports Television at www.collegesports.com/cstv.

* ààContact Brian Witter at (408) 551-1918 or bwitter@scu.edu