Meet the Newbies: Jared Brownridge

February 16, 2012; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Santa Clara Broncos fans hold signs of faces of players during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Leavey Center. The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the Santa Clara Broncos 73-62. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

With Kevin Foster graduated, the Broncos are going to need to find a replacement for his elite scoring abilities. In the short term, that player could by point guard Evan Roquemore, who most figure will take the next step this following season. However, in the long term, that player could be Jared Brownridge, a 6′-2” guard out of Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois. The freshman guard could potentially come in immediately and provide offense for the Broncos. Before I get to ahead of myself, here is a closer look at Santa Clara freshman guard Jared Brownridge.

At Waubonsie Valley

As alluded to before, Brownridge boasts a skill set similar to former Bronco guard Kevin Foster, and he has the high school stats to prove it. Brownridge sits at number two on Waubonsie Valley’s all-time scoring list with 1608 points and sits atop the school’s list for all-time three-pointers made with 208. During his senior and junior years, Brownridge averaged 21.8 and 20.9 points respectively. During his senior year, Brownridge was named to the All-Conference Team of the Upstate Eight Conference, the Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, Naperville Sun and Beacon News All-Area Teams, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State Third Team, and the AP Boy’s Basketball All-State Team Honorable Mention. Brownridge ended his recruitment when he committed to Santa Clara in July of 2012, despite holding offers from Bradley, Drake, Creighton, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, and Missouri State.

Impact at Santa Clara

This might sound like a broken record, but Brownridge is the only player on the Santa Clara roster that has the potential to replace the scoring of Kevin Foster. While it might not be this season, indications point to Brownridge becoming an elite scorer in the WCC. However, this might not be Brownridge’s year to make an enormous impact for the Broncos. With Evan Roquemore locking up most of the point guard minutes, juniors Brandon Clark, Julian Clarke, and Denzel Johnson will compete with Brownridge for playing time this season, creating a log jam at the shooting guard spot. Brownridge will need to prove immediately that he is an elite scorer in order to play big minutes for the Broncos this season.