During 2015–16, consistency was a bit hard to come by for the Broncos as the team had nine different starting lineups. The losses included a 2-point heartbreaker to Gonzaga at home on New Year’s Eve. The team finished 11–20 overall and 7–11 in WCC action in what turned out to be Coach Kerry Keating’s final season.
Mainstays included seasoned veterans Jared Brownridge ’17 and Nate Kratch ’15. Brownridge, who missed most of preseason practice, passed Steve Nash ’96 for second spot on the SCU career 3-pointers-made list. One especially thrilling moment in January: With less than two seconds on the clock, Pepperdine leads SCU 60–59. Brownridge steps back and sinks a 3-pointer. Boom! Final score: 62–60 Santa Clara.
Kratch is a fourth-year junior forward from Minnesota who earned a bachelor’s in psychology last year. Now he balances basketball, grad school, and community service; he was nominated for a 2016 Allstate Good Works award. KJ Feagin ’19 emerged as the star first-year point guard and distributor who has already reached third on the school’s all-time assist list.
Two days after the Broncos lost to BYU in the opening round of the WCC tournament, Athletic Director Renee Baumgartner announced that Coach Keating would not be returning for next season.
In nine seasons, Keating’s teams compiled a record of 139–159. Santa Clara won the 2013 College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament title, and at least one player earned a spot on the WCC All-Academic team in eight seasons. All 22 players who reached their senior season earned degrees.