West Coast Conference Preview: St. Mary’s Gaels
For decades, the West Coast Conference has been thought of as the Gonzaga Bulldogs domain. While there is truth to that sentiment, there has been one program that has not simply bent their knee to the Bulldogs, the St. Mary’s Gaels. Head coach Randy Bennett has taken a small liberal arts college in the hills of Moraga, California and created a recognizable college basketball brand.
The 2023-24 season was a successful one. The St. Mary’s Gaels won both the regular season and conference championships. They also qualified for the NCAA National Tournament for a third consecutive year. Yet despite presumed upwards trajectory, the transfer portal and graduation have left this roster in uncharted territory. The real question now is do the Gaels have enough in the tank to challenge a reloaded Gonzaga squad.
St. Mary’s Gaels: Key Departures
In today’s world of college basketball, the transfer portal looms as a threat. Even the most well-insulated programs must now be wary of promises, exposure, and money that exist. On top of this, the finite amount of time allowed college athletes usually means that even the most beloved players must one day hang up their jerseys. The St. Mary’s Gaels learned this harsh lesson more so than most. Three starters have left and one of the program’s most prized recruits withdrew his commitment.
Aidan Mahaney
Without a doubt, one of the most intriguing names to enter the transfer portal this offseason was Aidan Mahaney. A local player who grew up two miles down the road from St. Mary’s, Mahaney finished his second season in Moraga having earned first team All-WCC honors. For the year, the sophomore guard averaged 13.9 points per game and 2.6 assists per game while slashing 38.6% from the floor and 35.5% from three. While his production clearly did not meet the expectations many had after his impressive freshman season, he nonetheless parlayed his two years with the Gaels into a roster spot with the University of Connecticut Huskies.
Efficiency was not Mahaney’s calling card for much of the season, but he was one of the few players on St. Mary’s capable of generating his own offensive looks. He led the team in points per game while also attempting the most field goals by a wide margin. Mahaney was a home grown talent that looked poised to become the face of the program. His departure leaves a void next to reigning WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis.
Joshua Jefferson
While Mahaney is the bigger name, the loss of Joshua Jefferson may be the most impactful. At six-foot-eight and weighing 220 pounds, Jefferson provided a much needed boost of size and athleticism. His averages of 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds do not highlight his impact as a defender and secondary playmaker. His 16 point, 11 rebound double-double against Gonzaga was instrumental in the Gaels defeating their rivals on the road. Unfortunately, Jefferson will be joining the Iowa State Cyclones for next season.
Fans already saw the impact Jefferson’s absence could have on this team. He missed the final eight games of the year due to a knee injury. Without his presence, the Gaels greatly struggled with some of the upper tier teams they faced. Both the nine-point loss to Grand Canyon and 13-point loss to Gonzaga at home, highlighted how much Bennett’s team missed the athleticism Jefferson provides.
Alex Ducas
Small forward Alex Ducas was the final key player to depart Moraga. The six-foot-seven sharpshooter was a longtime staple of the Gaels rotation. Ducas leaves St. Mary’s as the programs all-time leader in games played. More importantly, he was the teams premier threat from behind the arc. His 185 attempts came alongside an impressive 43.8% from deep.
For a team that likes to play slow, defensive-oriented basketball, Ducas provided enough offensive punch to keep games close. On 15 separate occasions, the Australian wing hit at least three three-point shots. It is not surprising to learn that the Gaels won 13 of those games.
St. Mary’s Gaels: Key Returners and New Faces
When talking about the 2024-25 outcomes for the St. Mary’s Gaels two players will be at the center of said discourse. The pair of Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen will carry a rather large burden, especially early on. On top of the two returning veterans, reinforcements have arrived via the transfer portal and freshman recruits.
Augustas Marciulionis
Despite it being a hot topic for debate, Augustas Marciulionis enters this season as the reigning WCC Player of the Year. Thanks to solid averages of 12.4 points and 5.3 assists per contest, the Lithuanian guard guided his team to the NCAA National Tournament. His biggest contributions came as a primary playmaker and point of attack defender for the Gaels. Despite average at best lateral and vertical athleticism, at six-foot-four, Marciulionis is able to play with a solid base on both sides of the ball.
The biggest question revolves around becoming a more consistent scoring threat. On 12 separate outings, he scored in the single digits including shooting a combined 1-13 against San Diego State and Utah. If Marciulionis emerges as a reliable 15 point per game scorer, the St. Mary’s Gaels offense will start the year off on a strong foot.
Mitchell Saxen
While leads the backcourt, fifth-year senior Mitchell Saxen will be tasked with anchoring the middle. Saxen returns as the WCC’s 2023-2024 Defensive Player of the Year. As a traditional big man, the Seattle native offers nothing from three-point range and struggles from the free throw line. But, in terms of rebounding, rim protection, and finishing at the basket, Saxen is one of the conference’s best.
If he can at least maintain last season’s averages of 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds, he should be in contention for another All-WCC nomination.
Paulius Murauskas
Much has been made of the loss of Joshua Jefferson. While there are undoubtedly concerns, sophomore transfer Paulius Murauskas may be ready to answer the call. At six-foot-eight and 225 pounds, he matches the measurements of Jefferson. He spent his freshman year with the Arizona Wildcats and was unable to crack the rotation for meaningful minutes.
Now with the St. Mary’s Gaels, Murauskas should manage to get on the court alongside his fellow Lithuanian, Augustas Marciulionis. He may not have much NCAA production to analyze, but this past summer, the forward played for the Lithuanian national under-20 team. He was dominant with nightly averages of 18.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. If he gets to just 75% of that production for the Gaels fans in Moraga, they won’t linger on Jefferson’s departure too long.
St. Mary’s Gaels: The Schedule
Kicking things off with the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Gaels have a decent slate of games on the docket. The highlights include rematches with Boise State and Utah as well as showdowns with Nebraska and Utah State.
Boise State and Utah took down the Gaels last year with Utah winning in Moraga. Both teams return talented players such as Tyson Degenhart and O’Mar Stanley for the Broncos and Lawson Lovering and Gabe Madsen for the Utes.
Nebraska and Utah State both qualified for the national tournament last year. The Aggies of Utah State do return some key contributors but will be under the guidance of a new head coach. Meanwhile, Nebraska brings back a host of players headlined by Rienk Mast and Brice Williams who combined for nearly 26 points and 13 rebounds per contest.
Conference Play
As for much of Randy Bennett’s tenure, the WCC portion of the conference will be highlighted by the showdown with Gonzaga. The Gaels managed to take two of three matchups off the Bulldogs last season. With Gonzaga having reloaded their roster while returning almost all their major contributors, the games in both Spokane and Moraga will likely be the most difficult for St. Mary’s this season.
Alongside the Bulldogs, the University of San Francisco Dons and Broncos of Santa Clara have steadily improved. This year they will look to give St. Mary’s all they can handle despite going a combined 0-5 against the Gaels.
Conclusion
There is more uncertainty surrounding this program than there has been in a long time. For years, it seemed that Bennett’s program was insulated against the effects of the transfer portal. Players joined the Gaels and spent their entire careers inside UCU Pavilion. Still, until proven otherwise, there is little reason to doubt that the toughest path for the Gonzaga Bulldogs still runs through Moraga, California!
