Saint Mary’s Basketball: Three keys to upsetting Villanova
By Connor Hope
15When all hope was lost, a poor shooting night from the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs sent Saint Mary’s basketball to the NCAA Tournament. Despite showing glimpses of a strong, tournament-worthy team, some early season losses have many doubting the Gaels’ ability to compete in the Big Dance.
To begin their tournament run, the Saint Mary’s (22-11) will take on the defending national champion Villanova (25-9) in Hartford, CT. With the analytics, seed lines and location all working against them, the Gaels have opened as underdogs against the Wildcats. This is a close enough margin to make them a popular upset pick, while still making the Wildcats the easy choice on most brackets.
Usually teams like Saint Mary’s rely on home crowds to win big games; however, their only top-50 KenPom wins came away from home. Not just that, they were blowout victories. The Gaels took down New Mexico State in Las Cruces by 15 points and Gonzaga in Las Vegas by an astounding 17 points. These victories prove that Saint Mary’s can win at a neutral site, and the lights of the NCAA Tournament will not be too bright for them.
However, the Wildcats are favored for a reason, and an upset will be a tall order for the Gaels. So let’s take a look at the keys for the Gaels to upset the Wildcats and advance to the Second Round.