Randy Bennett’s Saint Mary’s Gaels squad earned the fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. They were also, yet again, one of the best defensive teams in the country. The Gaels ranked fifth in the country in scoring defense, giving up only an average of 60.1 points per game. Their one problem last year was their inability to score. The Gaels were the lowest-scoring team in the WCC. However, when you’re giving up so few points per game, you don’t really need to score a lot. Bennett’s team also achieved their highest AP Poll ranking since 2018 and won a share of the WCC regular season title for the first time since 2016. This ranking of 19 could very well be too low.
Previous teams can be seen here.
Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #19 Saint Mary’s Gaels
It doesn’t feel like Aidan Mahaney is just a rising sophomore, but he is. It didn’t take long for him to become one of the best guards in the conference. He is the Gaels’ leading returning scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game last season. He shot 40% from three-point range. With Logan Johnson gone, Mahaney will assume full point guard responsibilities. As good as he was last year, which included not just conference All-Freshman honors but All-WCC honors as well, he should be even better this year. He could be one of the nation’s best point guards in a few months. Mahaney will be a household name.
But Mahaney isn’t the only terrific shooter on this team. Alex Ducas is even better. The super senior shot 41.4% from three a year ago, which was second in the WCC. He has improved yearly in Moraga and undoubtedly will do so again this year, as he is now their number two scoring option. Lithuanian guard Augustas Marciulionis also returns, keeping even more talent in the Gaels’ backcourt.
Mitchell Saxen saw significant minutes for the first time last season and could not have performed better. He has already become arguably the best big man in the WCC. He was fourth in the conference in rebounding average and was tied for first in blocks. Joshua Jefferson played in all but one of the team’s regular-season games but had few minutes. He will need to step up to provide some depth in the post, which is the only thing this team lacks. Seven-foot-one Australian center Harry Wessels was in the same boat. A starting spot is open, which either of those two players could fill.
Jordan Ross is a four-star point guard from Utah. He is the third highest-rated recruit to ever commit to Saint Mary’s, even higher than Mahaney was last year. He should be excellent off the bench for the Gaels. Harvard transfer Mason Forbes will be counted on in his first year at SMC to provide some depth along with Jefferson.
Projected Lineup
C – Mitchell Saxen (11.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG)
PF – Joshua Jefferson (2.2PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
SG – Alex Ducas (12.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG)
SG – Augustas Marciulionis (5.9 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
PG – Aidan Mahaney (13.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
