The Saint Mary’s Gaels have a long standing tradition of gritty, high IQ international guards. From Patty Mills to Matthew Dellavadova, Randy Bennett has looked around the globe to find the perfect fit to run the show in Moraga. Last season, Lithuanian, Augustas Marčiulionis was the latest player to lead the Gaels. Behind 12.4 points and 5.3 assists per game, the Saint Mary’s starting guard, affectionately known as “Goose”, orchestrated a 26-win season that included winning both the West Coast Conference’s regular season title and tournament. After losing three starters from last year’s team, Marčiulionis will have his work cut out for him to once again keep the Gaels in the hunt.
West Coast Conference Player Spotlight: Augustas Marčiulionis
Marčiulionis By the Numbers
As mentioned earlier, Marčiulionis put together a respectable stat line. Despite increased volume, he increased all his production and efficiency from last year. Most importantly, he was able to post a top-40 assist per game mark in the nation while averaging less than two turnovers a night. For an offense that often found itself bogged down, Marčiulionis’ playmaking was by far his most valuable contribution.
Where the six-foot-four floor general really shined was in conference play. Against WCC opponents, he bumped up his scoring average to just over 14 points per contest. He also increased his assists per game to 6.5, good for second in the conference. Thanks to four games of 20 or more points and 10 games with six or more assists, Marčiulionis walked away with WCC Player of the Year honors.
The “Goose” is Loose
As is the case in all of modern basketball, to be a successful ball handler you have to thrive in the pick-and-roll. Thankfully, for coach Bennett, Marčiulionis was up to the task. When breaking down film, Marčiulionis found himself as a pick-and-roll ball handler on 40% of his offensive possessions. If you include his passing, Marčiulionis generated just over 400 points on the season, either by scoring on his own using a screen or finding his teammates for quality looks thanks to a pick.
On top of being able to orchestrate offensive sets effectively, Marčiulionis did a great job of not turning the ball over. While playing over 33 minutes a night across 34 matchups, “Goose” had 24 different occasions where he posted two or less turnovers. For a team that ranked 46th in the nation in offensive rating according to KenPom, having a stabilizing presence at the point of attack helped Saint Mary’s survive the cold streaks that often impacted their offense.
Looming Questions
At a glance the production looked very solid. Marčiulionis did win WCC Player of the Year after all. Yet, when peeling back his season, the evaluation gets a little more interesting. First, the Gaels played the second-weakest schedule among KenPom’s top 50 programs from last year.
While Marčiulionis did tear up the WCC, his production against higher level opponents was far more sporadic. Against San Diego State early in the year, he managed zero points and zero assists in a 25-point loss. Against the Utes of Utah, he wasn’t much better with a 1-9 showing from the floor. In the team’s season finale against Grand Canyon, he could only muster 10 points to go along with five turnovers. Marčiulionis’ advanced metrics are relatively average as well according to RealGM. He is listed as a shooting guard in their databases and isn’t overly impressive. He ranked 75th at his position in offensive rating, 82nd in player efficiency rating, and 308th in effective field goal percentage. With that said, he did post strong metrics with the 10th best defensive rating and 15th best assist percentage.
At the end of the day, Marčiulionis is a solid player who fits perfectly into Randy Bennett’s system. Yet, as an average athlete at best who doesn’t dominate any specific area of the game, his ceiling is not as high as some of the top guards in the nation.
The Last Word
Two things can be true. Augustas Marčiulionis is a good basketball player. One of the best in the West Coast Conference. Yet, when compared to many of the top guards in the nation, he falls a bit short. Without elite athleticism, there are questions about his ability to go head to head against the best in the nation. With some solid matchups on deck against Gonzaga, Boise State, Utah State and a few others, Marčiulionis will have plenty of opportunities to really prove doubters wrong. Can he lead the Gaels on a deep tournament run for the first time in over a decade?
