Returning Duo Leads Saint Mary's Charge for Another Tournament Run

Saint Mary's Basketball 2024 Preview: Key Players, Offseason Changes, and NCAA Tournament Outlook

The Saint Mary’s Gaels have been a perennial powerhouse in the WCC under head coach Randy Bennett, and this year is no different.

Coming off a stellar 26-8 season, where they finished first in the WCC before an early exit in the NCAA Tournament, the Gaels aim to make a deeper run in the tournament.

Despite losing guard Aidan Mahaney to the transfer portal (UConn), Saint Mary’s returns a duo in guard Augustas Marciulionis and center Mitchell Saxen, setting the stage for another competitive season.

Overview

• Saint Mary’s Gaels (Moraga, CA)

  • 1x Elite Eight (1959)

  • 2x Sweet Sixteen

  • 13 NCAA Tournament appearances

• Last season: 26-8 (15-1), 1st in WCC; lost in the first round of NCAA Tournament to Grand Canyon; wins vs. No. 13 Colorado State, No. 17 Gonzaga.

• Coaching Staff

  • Head Coach: Randy Bennett (23 seasons at SMC, 533-216 (.703))

  • Assistants: Mickey McConnell, Joe Rahon, Dan Sheets

• Did you know? Three SMC basketball alums represented Australia in the 2024 Olympics: Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Jock Landale.

Offseason Changes

• Key Departures: G Aidan Mahaney (UConn); F Joshua Jefferson (Iowa St.)

• Incoming Transfers & Freshmen: F Ashton Hardaway (Memphis); F Paulis Murauskas (Arizona), G Mikey Lewis (Prolific Prep); G Joshua Dent (Australia), Liam Campbell (Owyhee HS); Oliver Faubert (Canda)

• Key Returning Players: G Augustas Marciulionis; C Mitchell Saxen

Projected Starting Lineup

• G - Jordan Ross, 6-3 (So.) (1.3 ppg, 1 rpg)

• G - Augustas Marciulionis, 6-4 (Sr.) (12.4 ppg, 3.3 RPG, 5.3 apg, 1.4 spg)

• G/F- Luke Barrett, 6-6 (RS Sr.) (5.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

• F - Paulis Murauskas, 6-8 (So.) (2.7ppg)

• C - Mitchell Saxen, 6-10 (Sr.) (11.8 ppg, 7.6 RPG, 1.3 bpg)

Three Points

Saint Mary’s Returns the WCC Player of the Year and the WCC’s Defensive Player of the Year. How often does this happen? While losing First-Team All-WCC selection, guard Aidan Mahaney, to the transfer portal (UConn) hurts, Saint Mary’s returns what could be the best duo in the WCC. Guard Augustas Marciulionis earned WCC Player of the Year honors last season, while center Mitchell Saxen earned WCC Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 1.3 blocks per game for the Gaels.

Marciulionis had a respectable stat line of 12.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 5.3 assists per game. His all-around efficient game was key to Saint Mary’s success last season. He had four different games where he reached double-digit assist totals (season-high of 11), he also had four 20-point plus games (season-high of 28). Lastly, on defense, he averaged 1.4 steals per game (3rd in the WCC), with 2 or more steals in 11 games. I expect his scoring production to increase with Mahaney’s departure.

Saxen’s 6-10 frame helps him act as a defensive force. He led the WCC in blocked shots with 43, averaging 1.3 blocks per game. Besides his defense, Saxen can also score (11.8ppg) and rebound (7.6). He has started every game for the Gaels for the past two seasons.

Can the Gaels Get to the Sweet 16? Again, the Gaels project to finish second in the conference to Gonzaga, but they may be able to build an impressive tournament resume by stacking up non-conference wins. The team has road games at Nebraska and Utah. They’ll also play in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs where they will face USC and either Arizona St. or New Mexico.

I think an NCAA tournament berth is likely, but I’m unsure if Saint Mary’s will advance past the first round. We know how good Marciulionis and Saxen will be, but how about everyone else on the Gaels? Saint Mary’s does not return any other double-digit scorers from last season, so it will be interesting to see who steps up into a scoring role this season.

Randy Bennett’s Coaching Career. Bennett is a six-time WCC Coach of the Year and has earned the honor the past three seasons. His 533 career victories is third among WCC coaches, Mark Few (Gonzaga) has the most with 716 career wins, and Her Sendeck (Santa Clara) has 553 wins. He has led the Gaels to 10 NCAA tournament berths in his 24 seasons.