Everything You Need To Know About The Basketball Team Of Saint Mary’s
March is the best month in the life of any basketball fan. The NBA season might be over, but March Madness more than makes up for that.
March Madness is the fans’ name for the NCAA National Basketball tournament. This tournament pits 68 teams against each other to find the national champions at the end of the month.
Some teams make it into March Madness nearly every year, however, some teams surprise everyone when they make it. Despite being formed in 1957, the Saint Mary’s Gaels have only played in the NCAA tournament 11 times.
This year the team made an unexpectedly good run for a 10th seed team before they came up against NCAA tournament record-holders UCLA
You can find all the best March Madness odds for the rest of the tournament here.
To celebrate the unexpected success, we are going to take a look at the Gaels – we will be looking at their history, their rivals, their recent successes, and their star players.
History Of The Club
The Gaels are the men’s basketball team for Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California. They were formed in 1957 and have played in the NCAA Division 1 since.
They currently play their games in the University Credit Union Pavilion and they compete in the West Coast Conference.
From 2013-2017, they were suspended from the NCAA for rules violations – this was done by another sporting team at the college.
This Season’s Performance
After a really poor performance in the 2020-2021 season, the Gaels had a lot to prove to their fans this year.
They surprised many with their vast improvement – going from a 4-6 conference result to a 12-3 result. This is their best result in over 10 years. They came second in the West Coast Conference.
They also managed to earn themselves a spot in March Madness (for the first time since 2019) despite losing to Gonzaga in the West Coast final. Gonzaga is the current March Madness favorite.
The only teams they lost to in the conference were Gonzaga and San Francisco.
Star Players
Now, let’s take a little look at the star players of this team.
Logan Johnson
Johnson plays as a Guard for the Gaels and plays Number 0. He is a California local and in his final year of college.
This season he averaged 11.8 points per match, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
He has been a crucial point scorer and shot blocker for the team this season.
Tommy Kuhse
Kuhse is another Gales Guard and plays at Number 12. He was born in Arizona and is also in his final year of college.
This season he averaged 12.2 points per game, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
He scored 11 points in the team’s most recent loss to UCLA in Round 2 of March Madness.
Matthias Tass
Tass is a Center Forward for the Gaels and plays at Number 11. He is an Estonian national and is in his final year of college in the US.
This season he averaged 12.6 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.
Tass is being tipped as one of the Europeans who could make a big splash in the Draft this year – if he chooses to stay in the States.
Coach
Randall William Bennett is the Gaels head coach and has been since 2001. He is currently signed to be with the Gaels until 2027.
Under Bennett, the Gaels have had their most successful period ever. Bennett has led Saint Mary’s to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
Bennett started his career as an Assistant Volunteer Coach at San Diego, before working as an Assistant Coach for Saint Louis, Pepperdine, and San Diego. His job with the Gaels is his first as Head Coach.
Rivals
The Gaels have two main rivals – the San Francisco Dons and the Santa Clara Broncos. They are the two other Catholic schools in the area and all three teams play in the West Coast Conference.
That being said, things are getting more heated between the Gaels and the Gonzagas – as they are the only team keeping the Gaels from winning the conference.
San Francisco Dons
These two teams played against each other twice this season, and the Gaels won both times.
Santa Clara Broncos
These two teams have played three times this year – the Gaels won two (the first and the last games) and the Broncos won the midseason game.
March Madness 2022
For the first time since 2019 (bearing in mind there was no 2020 tournament), the Gaels grabbed a spot in March Madness this year. They were named the 10th Seed of the Western Bracket.
Their first match was against 12th Seed Indiana, who they beat 82-53. You may have seen clips from this game because a video of a cheerleader having to rescue a stuck ball at the game has gone viral.
Their next match was against 4th Seed UCLA. Some bookies have UCLA to make the final with Gonzaga this year. So, it was not a shock to many that the Gaels lost. The match ended 56-72 to UCLA.