The Australian contingent of basketballers playing in the US college system is not only impressive but testament to the sport’s strength within the junior ranks of this country.
From Northern Alabama to Westmont College in California there’s a list of over 200 Australians plying their trade in a myriad of leagues across a pyramid of divisions in the US.
For a variety of reasons Matthew Dellavadova remains the pre-eminent Australian export within college ranks having already guided Saint Mary’s University to two National Tournament appearances.
Aided by incredible talent, Dellavadova’s name rises above the rest because of his Boomers selection at the London Olympics last year in addition to the good fortune of ESPN broadcasting the bulk of his games in Australia.
Yet there’s another player along with Dellavadova who really should be sharing the spotlight – Ryan Broekhoff.
Like Dellavadova, Broekhoff is displaying his talents somewhat off-Broadway in the relatively small, but still Division One, Horizon League.
While Dellavadova’s Saint Mary’s is still technically located within the San Francisco Bay Area, Brokehoff is tucked away in Valparaiso, Indiana whose claim to fame is a popcorn factory as well an annual popcorn festival.
Yet despite Broekhoff’s isolation he has the Valparaiso Crusaders at 20-6, their highest winning percentage since the 1930s as well as first place position in the Horizon League.
Incredibly, Broekhoff leads the league in 3-point field goals while his lofty 44% from long range has him ranked him ninth nationally. No one in the Horizon League is shooting the free throw better than Broekhoff, no one has collected more rebounds than Broekhoff.
Most importantly his 5.3 win share ranks him top of the pops too. It’s therefore little wonder that Broekhoff’s a virtual shoe-in for back to back Horizon League Player of the Year honours.
Broekhoff has improved in each of his four seasons with the Crusaders and with this being his final season nothing could be better than taking Valparaiso to the NCAA tournament.
Unfortunately for the Crusaders, participation in the tournament is open to just one school from the Horizon League. First place can only be claimed by winning the conference’s round robin tournament and not the regular season which Valparaiso have a firm grip on.
Not since 2004 have the Crusaders qualified for the NCAA tournament and not since 1998 have they managed to win a game once there.
Doubtlessly if Broekhoff could take this team to the Big Dance then the young man from Frankston, while not taking anything away from popcorn, would surely hold a firm place in local hearts for years to come.
We’ll have our best insight into the Crusader’s tournament hopes when they bring in Conference rival Detroit Mercy on Sunday morning, Australian time. Not only will this game be broadcast live on ESPN, but it will provide Valparaiso the chance to sweep the Titans while also taking some revenge for their defeat in last year’s tournament decider.
Broekhoff will be carrying the fate of this small university on his shoulders over the coming weeks, acting as a perfect accompaniment to the equally brilliant achievements of Dellavadova on the other side of the country.
It’s indeed quite an exciting time for Australian basketball.
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