Saint Mary’s Gaels
West Coast (21-9, 13-5)
Saint Mary’s has reached the postseason every year since 2008 and Coach Randy Bennett has his team back yet again. This is not a dominate Gael squad that we have seen at times during that stretch, but they do have a superstar in senior forward Brad Waldow. The 6-10, 270 pound Shingle Springs, California native is an absolute monster in the paint and averages nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Big Wins: 12/13 at Creighton (71-67), 12/22 Northeastern (72-68), 1/17 BYU (82-77)
Bad Losses: 12/16 Northern Arizona (71-73), 1/31 Pepperdine (62-67), 2/28 at Santa Clara (70-71)
Coach: Randy Bennett
Why They Can Surprise:
Waldow is not the only interior presence on the team though. Saint Mary’s picked up a nice complimentary player in power forward Desmond Simmons. The University of Washington grad opted to spend one last season in Moraga and has helped turn this into a very good team on the glass. Simmons is not going to score much, but he is a threat to step outside the arc and knock down a long ball or two. Sophomore Dane Pineau has stepped up and become a quality player off of the bench and senior small forward Garrett Jackson can use his athleticism to hit the glass effectively.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Traditionally, the Gaels success comes from the play of their guards. However, it is the backcourt that has been inconsistent this season. Shooting guard Kerry Carter can put up big numbers, but he has a habit of underperforming against better competition. At this point, all competition is better competition, so Carter needs to step up. The point guard spot was Aaron Bright’s. The Stanford transfer has been inconsistent though and freshman Emmett Naar started eating up some minutes. Both will play quite a bit and often together, but it would be helpful if Bright was able to keep the turnovers down. As well as Naar has played as a freshman, he is still a freshman and Saint Mary’s needs a senior leader like Bright to have the ball in his hands in clutch tournament situations.
Probable Starters:
Emmett Naar, Freshman, Guard, 6.4 ppg, 4.0 apg
Kerry Carter, Senior, Guard, 12.4 ppg, 1.5 apg, 5.1 rpg
Garrett Jackson, Senior, Forward, 8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Desmond Simmons, Senior, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Brad Waldow, Senior, Forward, 19.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
Key Roleplayers:
Aaron Bright, Senior, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 3.8 apg
Dane Pineau, Sophomore, Forward, 3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.2 (130th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.6 (99, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.0 (65, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.5 (159, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4 (68, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.9 (53, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.1 (96, 4)
Rebound Margin: 6.9 (17, 2)
Assists Per Game: 15.2 (29, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.1 (127, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NIT First Round win over Utah
2014 NIT Second Round loss to Minnesota
2013 NCAA First Round win over Middle Tennessee
2013 NCAA Second Round loss to Memphis
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to Purdue
2011 NIT First Round loss to Kent State
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Richmond
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Villanova
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Baylor
2009 NIT First Round win over Washington State
2009 NIT Second Round win over Davidson
2009 NIT Quarterfinal loss to San Diego State
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Miami
2005 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Southern Illinois
*all team stats through 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
