We Speak Men's College Basketball

Santa Clara Gets Its Rematch: New Mexico Makes Its First Trip to the Leavey Center

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2026

Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball in action

Photo: @SantaClaraHoops

A year ago Santa Clara walked into The Pit and walked out with a loss. On Saturday night the Broncos get the return game on their own floor, and the stakes are bigger than payback. This is the league favorite against an NIT semifinalist, two weeks into a season both programs built for March.

The West Coast Conference coaches picked Santa Clara first in their preseason poll, and the target on the Broncos is earned. Head coach Herb Sendek, now in his eleventh season at Santa Clara and past 600 career wins, guided the Broncos back to the NCAA Tournament last spring for the first time in 30 years, where they pushed Kentucky to overtime before falling 89-84. It was the program’s fifth straight 20 win season.

Doing it again means doing it with a new core. Santa Clara lost five of its top six scorers from the tournament team, so Saturday is a measuring night as much as a rematch. The game is the back half of a home and home series that began last season in Albuquerque, the third meeting between the schools since 2023 and the tenth all time, and it marks the Lobos’ first ever trip to the Leavey Center.

New Mexico arrives with its own March credentials, having reached the NIT semifinals last season. Tip is set for 7:00 PM Pacific, and with fellow 2026 NCAA Tournament team VCU due in the same building five days later, the Broncos’ home floor is about to tell the truth about where this rebuilt roster really stands.

ACC Taps Niko Roberts as Senior Vice President for Men’s Basketball

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2026

We Speak Media

Caleb Wilson of North Carolina reacts on the court during an ACC men's basketball game

North Carolina's Caleb Wilson reacts during ACC men's basketball action. Photo: @accmbb

The ACC is adding a leader shaped by both conference offices and the NCAA Tournament itself. Niko Roberts, who spent more than five years with the Mountain West and nearly five years with the NCAA working on the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, will join the ACC as Senior Vice President for Men’s Basketball on November 16, reporting directly to Commissioner Jim Phillips.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that Niko Roberts has been named Senior Vice President, Men’s Basketball. Roberts, who will report directly to ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, will begin his role with the Conference on Monday, November 16.

Roberts joins the ACC following more than five years with the Mountain West Conference, most recently as Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball. In that role, he oversaw men’s basketball operations, including scheduling, television, game operations, officiating and communications with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee. He also served as Tournament Director for the Mountain West Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

“We are pleased to welcome Niko Roberts to the ACC,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Niko brings a strong background in conference administration, NCAA championship operations, media partnerships and revenue generation, along with a creative and innovative approach to building meaningful basketball events. His experience, relationships throughout the sport and thoughtful approach to serving student-athletes and member institutions will be valuable as we continue to build upon the ACC’s longstanding success in men’s basketball.”

“It is an honor to join Commissioner Phillips and the outstanding ACC staff at such an important time for college basketball,” Roberts said. “The ACC’s tradition, national profile and commitment to its student-athletes and member institutions are unmatched. I look forward to working with our coaches, administrators and programs to continue building upon the league’s success and positioning ACC men’s basketball for the future.”

Roberts joined the Mountain West staff in 2021 and played a central role in advancing the conference’s men’s basketball initiatives. He founded the Mountain West Basketball Success Committee, which helped develop scheduling guidance and other efforts that contributed to the league earning at least four NCAA Tournament berths in all but one of his five seasons, including a record six selections in 2024.

Before joining the Mountain West, Roberts spent nearly five years with the NCAA, including as Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Championships. He supported the day-to-day administration of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, including budget oversight, preliminary-round and regional-site operations, Final Four programming and the planning and execution of the 2021 single-site NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

During his NCAA tenure, Roberts helped create and advance several Final Four initiatives, including Next Generation Sunday, Final Four Talks, the Final Four Course Curriculum and Mentoring Program with host institutions. He also was integral to the development and oversight of the NCAA College Basketball Academy.

Roberts was also named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020, named by Seth Davis as one of the most influential upcoming figures in college basketball.

A native of Huntington, New York, Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, with a minor in business, from the University of Kansas, where he was a four-year men’s basketball student-athlete. He earned a Professional Master of Sports Administration degree from Ohio University. Niko and his wife Asia will relocate to Charlotte in November.