WCC Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Jordan Ford #30 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels drives against Jahshire Hardnett #0 of the Brigham Young Cougars during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

In the third spot, Saint Mary’s loses more than any other WCC team heading into 2018-2019. After finishing in the Top 25 last season and barely missing the NCAA Tournament, the Gaels will have to replace Jock Landale, Calvin Hermanson, Emmett Naar and Cullen Neal.

Head Coach Randy Bennett has a tough task this season, replacing a core that led Saint Mary’s to four straight top-two finishes in the WCC. Despite losing so much, the Gaels still have plenty of talent, including 2018-19 WCC Player of the year candidate Jordan Ford.

With Naar gone, Ford will be handed the role of starting point guard, and must facilitate the offense while also scoring at a high level. Joining Ford in the backcourt is Tanner Krebs, a returning starter who will be asked to increase his responsibility as well.

In the frontcourt, Bennett will need to replace the All-American talent of Landale with Jock Perry and Aaron Menzies, both seven-footers that provide different things to the team. Malik Fitz is a promising talent who transferred to Saint Mary’s from South Florida, but will need to improve his efficiency if he wants to remain a staple in the Gaels’ rotation.

The reason to doubt the Gaels is the lack of depth that they appear to have this season. Jock Perry, Kyle Clark, Jordan Hunter and Elijah Thomas could all be asked to take on bigger roles and there is no guarantee that they will excel. In addition, the Gaels have five freshmen, including redshirt freshman Kristers Zoriks, who will need to earn their way into Bennett’s rotation.

As was the case in the season following Matthew Dellavedova’s departure, Randy Bennett will not have an overly impressive roster this season. This could drop the Gaels to third for the first time since 2014.