Saint Mary’s Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Gaels

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Krebs /

Key Reserves

If you were to ask any Saint Mary’s fan which player they are most excited to see breakout, the answer would most likely be sophomore guard Jordan Ford. Ford is not only a player with great potential, but he is expected by many to earn a starting spot over Cullen Neal. Despite not making an immediate impact as a freshman, Ford has shown glimpses of the ability to be a solid defender and efficient scorer.

Tanner Krebs (Redshirt Sophomore)

Continuing Saint Mary’s long line of great Australian recruits, Tanner Krebs was one of the more effective players off the bench last year. Krebs will need to work on consistent 3-point shooting this season, as he had multi-game stretches last year without a single made three. If Krebs can find consistency and earn more than 12.8 minutes per game, he could be another breakout player for the Gaels.

Elijah Thomas (Redshirt Freshman)

Coming off a redshirt year, Elijah Thomas is expected to be a solid scoring wing behind Calvin Hermanson. One of the former top recruits out of Arizona according to ESPN, Thomas can shoot well from deep and works well in the open floor. Thomas’ length should help him fit in well with Randy Bennett’s defense, which will help him earn minutes on a team loaded with offensive talent.

Jock Perry (Redshirt Freshman)

Another Australian recruit who spent last season as a redshirt, center Jock Perry could be a solid backup to WCC POY favorite Jock Landale. Standing 7’1” and 260 pounds, Perry will be a load for any center to handle. What remains to be seen is how well Perry can compete inside against the big frontcourts of BYU and Gonzaga.

Kristers Zoriks (Freshman)

The top recruit out of New Hampshire according to ESPN, Kristers Zoriks may run into some difficulty finding minutes in a deep Saint Mary’s backcourt. A member of the U18 Latvian national team, Zoriks can play either guard position and has good size at 6’4”. While Zoriks may not play many minutes this season, he will provide Randy Bennett with a good option if the team runs into injury issues.