Saint Mary's Gales Aim for Back-to-Back WCC Tournament Glory!
In the ever-evolving landscape of college basketball, some things remain steadfast. One of those constants is the impressive performance of Saint Mary's College, a small school nestled in San Francisco's East Bay region, which continues to rack up wins at a pace that rivals the sport's elite programs.
The Gales, boasting a record of 27-4, are currently ranked 21st in the nation. They head into the West Coast Conference (WCC) tournament with the opportunity to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since Gonzaga, and the first team other than Gonzaga to do so since Pepperdine in the 1991-92 season.
This success is a testament to the principles instilled by head coach Randy Bennett, who took over a struggling 2-27 team in 2001 and transformed it into a consistent powerhouse in the WCC. "Teach what you know and know what you teach. That's for all of us," Bennett stated. "We have a lot of reps building a team. It's what I'm comfortable with. You have to adapt, but I don't think you have to completely switch what you're doing. We haven't, and we won't. It's the more enjoyable way to do it. I assure you of that. We have guys that'll let us coach them up, and we get to coach them."
Since the 2007-08 season, only three teams in the nation have a higher win percentage than Saint Mary's, which stands at .768. This impressive figure places them behind only Gonzaga (.842), Kansas (.807), and Duke (.799), all of which are perennial powerhouses in college basketball.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that the Gales have done it without the resources that other top programs enjoy. They play in a small gym that accommodates around 3,500 fans and operate with a significantly smaller NIL budget compared to many of their WCC counterparts and the elite programs nationwide.
This season, the Gales have proven their mettle. They achieved a remarkable feat by sweeping Gonzaga, clinching their second consecutive outright conference title with a victory at The Kennel in Spokane, Washington, on February 22. This win marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time in over two decades that Gonzaga did not secure at least a share of the regular-season title in back-to-back seasons.
Despite concerns from outsiders about the Gales' ability to maintain their high level of play after losing key players to the transfer portal, the team has remained resilient. Last season's leading scorer, Aidan Mahaney, transferred to UConn, while key starter Joshua Jefferson moved to Iowa State, and reserve Chris Howell went to UC San Diego.
While Jefferson's departure was anticipated, Bennett supported Howell's decision to seek a starting role elsewhere. Mahaney's exit, however, was unexpected, especially since he grew up just minutes from the campus. "Our guys didn't flinch at all," Bennett said. "Go do what you gotta do, but we're locking down here. That was one of our deals: 'Why can't we do this again?' We were pretty motivated."
The Gales have successfully navigated these challenges by welcoming new talent, including Arizona transfer Paulius Murauskas and promising freshman Mikey Lewis. However, the team's success has largely stemmed from their commitment to developing homegrown talent, a hallmark of Bennett's coaching philosophy.
Augustas Marciulionis, son of former NBA star Sarunas Marciulionis, has evolved from a bench player in his first two seasons to a back-to-back conference player of the year. Mitchell Saxen, who opted to return for a fifth season, earned all-conference honors after winning his second consecutive defensive player of the year award. Additionally, Luke Barrett has transitioned from a little-used walk-on to a reliable contributor.
"We just plugged a spot here, plugged a spot there," Bennett explained. "That's just kind of what we know. Building, developing. That's our deal. Why go away from our deal? We didn't panic."
For over two decades, Bennett has remained at the helm of the program, making him the fourth-longest tenured coach in men's Division I basketball. He has no plans to step away anytime soon, expressing uncertainty about what he would do outside of coaching.
With 560 wins under his belt and an 11th trip to the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Bennett still has aspirations to achieve more. The Gales have only advanced to the second weekend of the tournament once in their previous ten appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2010. Before heading to the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas, he reminded his players that they have a chance to accomplish something special this March, but he is focused on the immediate task at hand.
"We've checked a lot of boxes," he said. "The next is the conference tournament. That's next, and then we'll go from there."
