Santa Clara standout Brandin Podziemski declares for NBA Draft

Santa Clara could be sending a player to the NBA Draft for the second consecutive year.

Sophomore standout Brandin Podziemski, the University of Illinois transfer whose unexpected emergence earned him West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year honors alongside Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, announced on Wednesday that he was declaring for the NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.

Podziemski is expected by pundits  to be a late-first or early-second round pick.

“This past year has been filled with the best experiences of my life both on and off the court… I’m excited to get to work to prepare for this next challenge,” he said in a Twitter post. 

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is known for his sweet left-handed shot, slick passing abilities and a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. He led the WCC in rebounding with 8.8 boards per game this year. He also averaged 19.9 points and 3.7 assists, making him one of three players in Division I averaging at least 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game.

The Broncos season came to an end last week in a 58-56 loss to Sam Houston in the opening round of the NIT Tournament.

“What a brilliant, fabulous season Brandin had for the Broncos,” coach Herb Sendek said in a release. “Nothing but the best, Brandin, we’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Podziemski was primarily a baseball player and didn’t pick up a basketball until eighth grade, but quickly became one of the best high school players in Wisconsin before committing to Illinois. He barely played during his freshman season and then decided to enter the transfer portal, allowing him to join Santa Clara and fellow Wisconsinite Keshawn Justice as the Broncos put together a 23-win season, their best in more than 50 years.

Santa Clara also sent Jalen Williams to the NBA Draft last season, when he was selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s having a brilliant rookie season, averaging 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

“You look at the next people coming in, it should be inspiring that you have an NBA player in Jalen who is doing so well, and me being a potential NBA player myself, it just shows the coaches know what they’re doing,” Podzmieski said last week. “It shows the development they put into you, that you can take that next step too.”