Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.
Santa Clara Broncos guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the standout performers from the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.
Podziemski averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 43.8 percent on nearly six 3-pointers per game. He was one of the more impressive players in his first five-on-five scrimmages during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
He recorded 10 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals while also connecting on two of his 3-pointers. Podziemski made impressive shots off the bounce and didn’t have any turnovers. It was exactly the performance that front-office executives and scouts would want to see.
“I can be a really good role player my first year,” Podziemski told For The Win during a recent interview.
Podziemski also showcased his athleticism, finishing with a 39.0-inch max vertical leap, per Stadium Speak, which ranked in the 89th percentile among all participants in the NBA Draft Combine since 2000.
“I’m gonna surprise a few people with my athletic ability,” he said.
After a 26-year gap between draft picks from Steve Nash to Jalen Williams at Santa Clara, the WCC program could potentially have a first-rounder selected in back-to-back seasons.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
1
Podziemski has one of the best transfer portal success stories
Podziemski played just 69 minutes and scored just seven total points during the entirety of his freshman campaign at Illinois.
“I went to a big school my first year. It didn’t work out,” Podziemski explained. “I wouldn’t change it. Even though it sounds silly, I wouldn’t change it. I learned so much from that experience.”
Podziemski transferred to Santa Clara for his sophomore season. At the end of the season, he was named co-West Coast Conference Player of the Year with Gonzaga’s Drew Timme.
Among all underclassmen, per Cerebro Sports, he finished with the highest overall grade in the catch-all metric C-RAM.
“It all comes down to opportunity,” Podziemski said. “Without opportunity, you can’t really make a lot of stuff happen”
Podziemski offered advice to anyone currently in the transfer portal.
“Go where you’re wanted. Go where you’re going to play. If you’re good enough, you’re going to find a way to make it — no matter the level, no matter the jersey.”
2
Podziemski considers himself a junkyard dog
“Feisty” and “rugged” are the two words Podziemski would use to describe his game to someone who has never seen him play.
“I don’t like it clean,” Podziemski explained. “I like to junk it up and play.”
Podziemski, who was named Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin in 2021, says that he is someone who has been counted out his entire life. During his freshman year at Illinois, when he was not getting much playing time, he heard people back home say that he simply wasn’t good enough.
But he learned that versatility was his key to getting on the floor.
“When I started playing basketball, I was a big man,” Podziemski said. “As I got older, I translated more into a guard. So I’ve been at all positions and I’ve seen what it takes to be successful at each position.”
Podziemski was one of only two non-seniors in Division I men’s college basketball to hold a rating of 65 or higher in each skill of the five-metric suite (5MS), per Cerebro Sports.
He says that his favorite part of playing the game is rebounding, and he brings an intense defensive mentality. Some of his favorite players to watch include Jrue Holiday and Marcus Smart.
“I know as soon as I step foot on the court, they’re all going to go at me for one reason or another,” Podziemski said. “So I take defense personally. I don’t like getting scored on. I don’t like to lose and getting scored on is a part of that.”
3
Podziemski says he could have played pro baseball
“I used to play baseball, and it was super slow and boring for me,” he said.
Podziemski is a former pitcher, first baseman and centerfielder. But he knew that he wanted a change and to try something different, and with basketball, he loved the high tempo.
“Since I started [to play] basketball, I loved it. I don’t go a day without it. That’s how I can tell I really love it.”
Podziemski says baseball actually made him a better basketball player.
“The hand-eye coordination is probably the biggest in terms of hitting the ball and shooting the ball. I think that correlates a little bit,” Podziemski added. “Depth perception as well. That correlates to my shooting ability.”
When asked if he could have gone pro if he continued playing baseball, he was confident. “One hundred percent,” Podziemski said.
4
Podziemski can take his game to another level in the NBA
Only 20 years old, Podziemski still has plenty of room for development at the next level.
“I think I can take it to another level,” Podziemski said. “I’m able to shoot and put it on the floor. I’m not one-dimensional where I can only shoot or make a layup. I have multiple facets to my game. That allows me to find my teammates, which I’m really good at.”
Podziemski averaged 3.7 assists per game, finishing with the sixth-most assists among all players in the WCC. Playmaking is an important aspect of his game.
But his shooting is going to make or break his success in the NBA.
“By talking to [current NBA players], I’ve learned how much space there really is on the court. But you’ve just got to be able to hold your own defensively and offensively, making shots when you’re open or contested.”
Per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform, 64.9 percent of Podziemski’s 3-point attempts at Santa Clara were contested. But he should get more open looks as a pro, and that’s good news.
Podziemski connected on 43.5 percent of his uncontested 3-pointers, per Stats Perform. That ranked as the fourth-best mark among all NBA draft combine invitees who had at least 40 uncontested 3-pointers tracked.
Either way, however, he plans to give it all to help his team win games.
“[I’ll] find a way to help the team win in any way possible for as long as I’m out there,” Podziemski said. “That’s all you can really control. You can’t really control if the shot goes in or if it doesn’t. You can control everything else. That’s what I hang my hat on.”
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