Saint Mary’s vs St. Francis: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

The Saint Mary’s Gaels start the season on a mission to capture the WCC title from Gonzaga for the first time since the 2011-12 season. They will begin their season with a matchup against the St. Francis Red Flash.

TV Schedule: Saturday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m. ET, TheW.TV

Arena: McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, CA

The Saint Mary’s Gaels had an incredibly impressive year last year, losing just three regular season games and making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately for Randy Bennett’s squad, their WCC rival Gonzaga Bulldogs had one of the best seasons in the program’s history.

This season, despite losing Joe Rahon and Dane Pineau, the Gaels look to be as strong as ever and were picked to finish first in the WCC. The key to the Gael’s season is their steady offensive attack and excellent defense.

Led by WCC Player of the Year favorite Jock Landale, the Gaels can beat opponents inside with his efficiency or outside with the shooting prowess of Emmett Naar, Calvin Hermanson, and Evan Fitzner. The biggest concern for this team will be how they replace the defense provided by Pineau and Rahon, who were their best defenders during last year’s run.

The Gaels open the season at No. 22 in the country and will need to prove they are better than the Zags, who are ranked No. 18.

The Gael’s first opponent this season is the St. Francis Red Flash, who finished fourth in the Northeast Conference last season.

Last season, the Red Flash had a very young team that excelled at shooting from deep and attacked the defensive boards. This year, St. Francis returns almost all of its key players including Keith Braxton and Isaiah Blackmon. The returning talent has led St. Francis to be named No. 1 in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll.

Next: Fansided's College Basketball Preview

While St. Francis can compete early if their shots are falling, the size and skill of the Saint Mary’s Gaels will ultimately prove too much for the Red Flash. Look for Saint Mary’s to win this game by double digits.

Prediction: Saint Mary’s 82, St. Francis 63