The Victory Bell

The Victory Bell

Ensminger carries family legacy into March Madness

MBB: Son of former Valparaiso star shines in tough loss to Kentucky

Paul Oren's avatar
Paul Oren
Mar 21, 2026
∙ Paid

ST. LOUIS - Jake Ensminger sat slumped in the corner of Santa Clara’s locker room on Friday afternoon.

The Broncos had just come up on the wrong end of a signature March moment as Kentucky’s Otega Oweh delivered an improbable buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send Friday’s opening game at the Enterprise Center to overtime. The Wildcats survived 89-84 in the extra session, leaving Ensminger to reflect on how close Santa Clara came to an upset.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Paul Oren · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture