Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College
in Moraga, California
, competing in the West Coast Conference
of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion
, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy Bennett
, who is the school's all-time wins leader. The Gaels have appeared in the NCAA Tournament
six times: 1959
, 1989
, 1997
, 2005
, 2008
, and 2010
.
Saint Mary's basketball and volleyball teams play their home games at the McKeon Pavilion
, which has a capacity of 3,500. It was named after George R. McKeon, a former member of the college's Board of Regents. Constructed in 1978, it underwent renovations in the summer of 2006, with new features including painted bleachers, new chair backseats behind the reserved section, a remodeled VIP section, and a banner with "GaelForce" on it behind the student section.
, the men's basketball team has become recognized nationally as one of the top mid-major
programs in the United States. He inherited a 2-27 team when he arrived in 2001, and began recruiting an Australian named Adam Caporn
. Since then, Bennett has built a reputation of recruiting Australian players. With Caporn in the line-up, Saint Mary's improved to 9-20 record in 2001-02, a 15-15 record in 2002-03, and 19-12 in 2003-04. In 2004-05, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament
, although they lost in the first round. Their 15-1 record in McKeon Pavilion was its best in its history.
After rebuilding seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, the team enjoyed one of their best seasons in school history in 2007-08, behind the play of Australian freshman Patty Mills. The team was ranked in the AP and USA Today top 25 lists for five and six weeks, respectively. They ended up receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament
in 2008 as well, but again lost in the first round. In 2008, the team got off to a strong start, going 14-2 before Mills broke his hand and missed a month. Mills came back in time for the West Coast Conference Tournament, but after a loss to Gonzaga
in the WCC tournament finals, the team was not selected for the NCAA tournament and played in the NIT. After the end of the year, Mills declared for the NBA draft and was a 2nd round selection.
In March 2010, the Gaels received an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament
, after winning the championship game of the WCC Tournament. Having beaten Gonzaga in the tournament final, it was the Gaels' second WCC tournament victory since it began in 1987. In 2010, they won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1959, defeating the Richmond Spiders
. On March 20, 2010, the Gaels, led by Omar Samhan
, defeated second seeded Villanova to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, for their first time in the 64 team era. They then lost to 3 seed Baylor 72-49 to end their season 28–6 and with its worst loss of the year.
. Their combined record is 2–2.
Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
in Moraga, California
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
, competing in the West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion
McKeon Pavilion
McKeon Pavilion is a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California. Home men's and women's basketball and volleyball games are held in the gymnasium, the team nickname being the Gaels. Many athletic camps for youths also use the gym, primarily in the...
, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy Bennett
Randy Bennett
Randy Bennett is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's College of California. Bennett has led the Gaels to a 183–103 record in his nine years as head coach...
, who is the school's all-time wins leader. The Gaels have appeared in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
six times: 1959
1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 7, 1959, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in Louisville,...
, 1989
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
, 1997
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, 2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
, 2008
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
, and 2010
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
.
Venues
McKeon Pavilion
McKeon Pavilion is a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California. Home men's and women's basketball and volleyball games are held in the gymnasium, the team nickname being the Gaels. Many athletic camps for youths also use the gym, primarily in the...
, which has a capacity of 3,500. It was named after George R. McKeon, a former member of the college's Board of Regents. Constructed in 1978, it underwent renovations in the summer of 2006, with new features including painted bleachers, new chair backseats behind the reserved section, a remodeled VIP section, and a banner with "GaelForce" on it behind the student section.
Recent success
Under coach Randy BennettRandy Bennett
Randy Bennett is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's College of California. Bennett has led the Gaels to a 183–103 record in his nine years as head coach...
, the men's basketball team has become recognized nationally as one of the top mid-major
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
programs in the United States. He inherited a 2-27 team when he arrived in 2001, and began recruiting an Australian named Adam Caporn
Adam Caporn
Adam Caporn is an Australian basketballer currently playing in the National Basketball League for the Perth Wildcats.-Playing career:...
. Since then, Bennett has built a reputation of recruiting Australian players. With Caporn in the line-up, Saint Mary's improved to 9-20 record in 2001-02, a 15-15 record in 2002-03, and 19-12 in 2003-04. In 2004-05, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, although they lost in the first round. Their 15-1 record in McKeon Pavilion was its best in its history.
After rebuilding seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, the team enjoyed one of their best seasons in school history in 2007-08, behind the play of Australian freshman Patty Mills. The team was ranked in the AP and USA Today top 25 lists for five and six weeks, respectively. They ended up receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
in 2008 as well, but again lost in the first round. In 2008, the team got off to a strong start, going 14-2 before Mills broke his hand and missed a month. Mills came back in time for the West Coast Conference Tournament, but after a loss to Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the WCC tournament finals, the team was not selected for the NCAA tournament and played in the NIT. After the end of the year, Mills declared for the NBA draft and was a 2nd round selection.
In March 2010, the Gaels received an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, after winning the championship game of the WCC Tournament. Having beaten Gonzaga in the tournament final, it was the Gaels' second WCC tournament victory since it began in 1987. In 2010, they won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1959, defeating the Richmond Spiders
Richmond Spiders
The Richmond Spiders represent the University of Richmond, a member of the NCAA's Division I and a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football and women's golf, which participate as members of the Colonial Athletic Association....
. On March 20, 2010, the Gaels, led by Omar Samhan
Omar Samhan
Omar Samhan is an American professional basketball center for the Žalgiris Kaunas of the Euroleague. Formerly, Samhan played college basketball for the St. Mary's Gaels, where he was a 2010 All-American honorable mention, and played for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA's summer league...
, defeated second seeded Villanova to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, for their first time in the 64 team era. They then lost to 3 seed Baylor 72-49 to end their season 28–6 and with its worst loss of the year.
NCAA Tournament results
The Gaels have appeared in six NCAA tournaments. They have an overall 3–6 record in tournament games.| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 7, 1959, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in Louisville,... |
Sweet Sixteen | Idaho State | W, 80–71 | |
| Elite Eight | California 1958–59 California Golden Bears men's basketball team The 1958–59 California Golden Bears men's basketball team represented the University of California. The head coach was Pete Newell. He led the Golden Bears to their only NCAA Basketball Championship.-NCAA basketball tournament:*West**California 71, Utah 53... |
L, 46–66 | ||
| 1989 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington... |
#8 | First Round | #9 Clemson Clemson Tigers men's basketball The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:... |
L, 70–83 |
| 1997 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
#14 | First Round | #3 Wake Forest Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have... |
L, 46–68 |
| 2005 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St... |
#10 | First Round | #7 Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball The Southern Illinois Salukis basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis are currently coached by Chris Lowery who led the team to the NCAA tournament in 2004 thru 2007. Lowery was... |
L, 56–65 |
| 2008 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season... |
#10 | First Round | #7 Miami (FL) Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports... |
L, 64–78 |
| 2010 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's... |
#10 | First Round | #7 Richmond 2009–10 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team The 2009–10 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represented the University of Richmond in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball during the 2009–10 season... |
W, 80–71 |
| Second round | #2 Villanova 2009–10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team The 2009-10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. Villanova was led by head coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats participated in the Big East Conference and played their home games at The Pavilion with some select home games... |
W, 75–68 | ||
| Sweet Sixteen | #3 Baylor 2009–10 Baylor Bears men's basketball team The 2009–10 Baylor Bears men's basketball team represented Baylor University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Scott Drew's seventh season at Baylor. The Bears compete in the Big 12 Conference and played their home games at the Ferrell Center. They advanced to the... |
L, 49–72 | ||
NIT results
The Gaels have appeared in two National Invitation TournamentsNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. Their combined record is 2–2.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 2009 National Invitation Tournament -Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:... |
#2 | First Round | #7 Washington State 2008–09 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team The 2008–09 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represents Washington State University for the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team plays its home games on Jack Friel Court in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.... |
W, 68–57 |
| Second round | #6 Davidson Davidson Wildcats men's basketball The Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. The... |
W, 80–68 | ||
| Quarterfinals | #1 San Diego State San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena... |
L, 66–70 | ||
| 2011 2011 National Invitation Tournament -Colorado bracket:-Boston College bracket:-Virginia Tech bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:* 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament... |
#2 | First Round | #7 Kent State Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball The Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represents Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes compete in the Mid-American Conference East Division and last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008... |
L, 70–71 |