[Giants]

In 1952 as a soph Sears' Santa Clara team reached the Final Four. Lost to eventual champ Kansas and then lost the third place game to Illinois. As a senior led the team with 16.9 ppg to win the WCAC title by a game over USF and a soph named Bill Russell (19.9ppg, 19rpg). The next two years USF lost only one game and won consecutive NCAA titles.

Santa had a brief renaissance with Frank Sobrero in '61 and had a top five team in the late 60's but ran into UCLA and Alcindor in two straight West Regional Finals. Having a good '21-'22 season.

The Ogden brothers and Dennis Awtry (all three of whom were San Jose HS stars) were the leaders of a darn good SCU program in the late 60’s.  However, timing is everything, and as you noted, UCLA was a tad better those years. It is unfortunate they could not have been placed in another regional.  They would have had an excellent shot at making the Final Four.

[Giants]

In 1952 as a soph Sears' Santa Clara team reached the Final Four. Lost to eventual champ Kansas and then lost the third place game to Illinois. As a senior led the team with 16.9 ppg to win the WCAC title by a game over USF and a soph named Bill Russell (19.9ppg, 19rpg). The next two years USF lost only one game and won consecutive NCAA titles.

Santa had a brief renaissance with Frank Sobrero in '61 and had a top five team in the late 60's but ran into UCLA and Alcindor in two straight West Regional Finals. Having a good '21-'22 season.

The Ogden brothers and Dennis Awtry (all three of whom were San Jose HS stars) were the leaders of a darn good SCU program in the late 60’s.  However, timing is everything, and as you noted, UCLA was a tad better those years. It is unfortunate they could not have been placed in another regional.  They would have had an excellent shot at making the Final Four.