a player whose name i haven’t seen mentioned is
Brandin Podziemski, currently playing for Santa Clara.
a sophomore with a super silly haircut and silky smooth shooting stroke, “Podz” was a highly thought of 4-star recruit coming out of high school in Wisconsin. (he was both the Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior after averaging over 36 ppg, 10 rpg, 5 apg, and 4 steals en route to becoming the first-ever kid to go over 2,000 points in just three varsity seasons in the state.) but he signed with Illinois and was promptly buried at the end of the bench.
now after transferring, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has emerged as an all-around playmaker for the Broncos.
despite being a “below the rim athlete,” Podz is among the West Coast Conference’s top scorers (over 18 ppg), top rebounders (over 8 rpg), passers (over 3 apg), and defenders (2 steals per contest). his bread is buttered by his perimeter excellence, however; he shoots over 40% from deep.
a lot of Santa Clara’s games come on late at night, but he’s worth staying up to see.
incidentally, Parker Braun plays for the Broncos. if that name seems familiar, it’s because the 6-foot-10 shot blocker is the brother of former KU player Christian Braun.