They finished the season with a 17–12 record and made the NCAA tournament Final Four for the first time school history.
Even during the 1952 Final Four season they were inconsistent: through the first 14 games the Broncos went 7–7, including a three-game losing streak.
The Broncos' 67–51 victory began a streak in which Santa Clara won eight of their final 11 games, capped by an improbable deep NCAA Tournament run.
In the NCAA West Regional they won their opening match against UCLA, 68–59.
They then lost again in the third-place game, falling 64–67 to Illinois, ending the NCAA tournament in fourth place – Santa Clara's best ever finish.