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Allen Graves ’28 made a solid NBA debut on Wednesday at the Toronto Raptors’ 135-92 home opener win against the Chicago Bulls. With five points, five rebounds, and three blocks, Graves walked away with an impressive defensive showing and was honored with the game ball.

At just 19 years old, the redshirt freshman from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, the so-called strawberry capital of the world, was the No. 19 pick overall by the Raptors in the NBA draft this summer.

Graves is the third Bronco to be selected in the first round over the last five years, joining Jalen Williams ’23 and Brandin Podziemski ’25. “All three of those guys are high-quality individuals and outstanding young men that put in countless hours of hard work to get to that elite level,” says Santa Clara’s head men’s basketball coach, Herb Sendek. “We are thrilled for Allen and are excited to watch his career unfold in the coming years. He is a phenomenal player and an even better person off of the court.” 

During the ESPN broadcast, Graves prided himself on “the resilience it took, the dedication, the hard work, the … late nights in the gym to [not] allow myself to give in to the doubt.” Graves only started four games for Santa Clara in the 2025–26 season after redshirting the previous year, but he was also ranked third on the team in scoring and named the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year. Graves, for his part, didn’t seem surprised. He told himself, “Stay humble and stay true to the purpose that I knew God had planned for me.”