Saint Mary’s Basketball: Are the Gaels underrated?

By Carmine Carcieri | Nov 6, 2016

Feb 20, 2016; Spokane, WA, USA; Saint Mary’s Gaels head coach Randy Bennett looks on against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

Saint Mary’s basketball could challenge Gonzaga for the WCC title and could do serious damage in March.

Yes, I was the person that said Saint Mary’s shouldn’t have been considered for NCAA Tournament at-large bid in 2015-16. Without a non-conference schedule that was up to par with other bubble teams, the Gaels just didn’t stack up unless they earned an automatic bid.

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However, this year there will be no such talk regarding Randy Bennett’s squad. The Gaels are ranked 17th in the nation in the Preseason AP Poll, but they are somehow vastly underrated. Not many national college basketball reporters have dug deep into Saint Mary’s and how good they can be in 2016-17.

The Gaels will once again challenge Gonzaga for the WCC title and are in the mix, obviously depending on their draw, to make a long run in the NCAA Tournament. Their roster is not loaded with athletes or five-star recruits or elite scorers, but they have a true team. One player in the starting five is no more important than the guy standing right next to him.

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Saint Mary’s is returning their entire starting lineup (Emmett Naar, Joe Rahon, Dane Pineau, Calvin Hermanson and Evan Fitzner) and all eight of their leading scorers from last season.

When you talk about continuity and chemistry, Saint Mary’s is the perfect example. They move the ball with ease, take good shots, make good decisions, rarely turn the ball over and play within the confines of their offense and defensive schemes. The players know their roles and know what’s expected of them.

The Gaels ranked sixth in the country (9.6 per game) in turnovers, were ninth in three-point percentage (41 percent) and were first in the country in overall field goal percentage (50 percent) in 2015-16.

Sure, they played a weak schedule, but that’s still impressive and that will almost certainly carry over into this season.

The other plus about the 2016-17 Gaels and the reason they will be even more competitive is that Bennett put together a more difficult non-conference schedule in order to enhance their resume.

Bennett’s team opens up the season against a dangerous Nevada squad, faces off against Dayton (one of the best team’s in the Atlantic 10) on the road, plays UAB in Vegas, travels to Stanford to take on the Cardinal and plays two interesting mid-major teams in UT-Arlington and Western Kentucky.

That’s going to increase their RPI and it will show the selection committee that they truly challenged themselves early in the year.

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Saint Mary’s does have their fair share of weaknesses – they are somewhat inexperienced and their free throw shooting was below 70 percent last year – but the pros definitely outweigh the cons with this team. They have an excellent head coach, some talented players and fantastic chemistry. While Gonzaga takes time to figure out their new pieces, Saint Mary’s will be flying high towards a possible WCC title and trip to the Sweet 16.