Three Santa Clara Broncos Kentucky Fans Need to Know Before Friday's Matchup

The Wildcats face a tough test against the Broncos in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 3:52pm

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The Kentucky Wildcats received a seven-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will face the #10 Santa Clara Broncos on Friday. While Kentucky is favored, the Broncos are an excellent team ranked 35th in KenPom and are a popular upset pick. Kentucky fans may not be familiar with the Broncos' key players, so this article highlights three Santa Clara players they should know ahead of the matchup: Christian Hammond, Elijah Mahi, and Allen Graves.

Why it matters

This seven vs. ten matchup in the NCAA Tournament is often ripe for an upset, so the Wildcats will need to play well to avoid an early exit. Understanding Santa Clara's top players will be crucial for Kentucky to game plan effectively and try to contain the Broncos' scoring threats.

The details

Christian Hammond is the star player for Santa Clara, averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. The 6'4" sophomore guard shoots 49% from the field and 40% from three, making him a three-level scorer. Elijah Mahi is the Broncos' second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game to go with 4.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals. The 6'7", 220-pound forward is also a threat from three, shooting 4.5 attempts per game. Freshman forward Allen Graves comes off the bench but leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game. The 6'9", 225-pound big man can score inside and out, shooting 2.6 threes per contest.

  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament Round of 64 matchup between Kentucky and Santa Clara will take place on Friday.

The players

Christian Hammond

The star player for Santa Clara, averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. The 6'4" sophomore guard shoots 49% from the field and 40% from three.

Elijah Mahi

Santa Clara's second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game, also contributing 4.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals. The 6'7", 220-pound forward is a threat from three, shooting 4.5 attempts per game.

Allen Graves

The Broncos' backup big man, but the 6'9", 225-pound freshman leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game. Graves can score inside and out, shooting 2.6 threes per contest.

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The takeaway

This seven vs. ten matchup in the NCAA Tournament is ripe for an upset, so Kentucky will need to be prepared to contain Santa Clara's talented trio of Christian Hammond, Elijah Mahi, and Allen Graves to avoid an early tournament exit.