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Mid-major Basketball power rankings: Dayton, Gonzaga and ETSU rises up

By Tristan Freeman

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs steals possession of the ball in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Viejas Arena on February 01, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs steals possession of the ball in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Viejas Arena on February 01, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images) /
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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 21: Jordan Ford #3 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

6. Saint Mary’s Gaels (22-7, 11-5 in WCC)

One of the biggest critiques of Randy Bennett of Saint Mary’s recently has been their inability to schedule tough in the non-conference. That changed this year, with a number of high-profile matchups to boost their resume. The Gaels got several key wins, including over Utah State, Wisconsin and a 40-point victory over Arizona State. They did lose to Winthrop at home but that defeat has looked a lot better thanks to the Eagles winning the Big South regular-season title.

There were concerns about the roster around the start of league play, losing starting center Matthias Tass for the season with an injury. The team has had little frontcourt and scoring depth since, having to rely on WCC First-Team players Malik Fitts and Jordan Ford, who averaged 21.2 ppg and has played the most minutes in all of college basketball.

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The 11-5 record features a big home win over BYU, along with a pair of last-second losses to Santa Clara and Pacific. And although they were swept by Gonzaga in the regular season, the Gaels avoided crippling losses to be a projected at-large NCAA Tournament team, around the 8-10 range.

They can improve on that in the WCC Tournament, looking for back-to-back titles. Assuming they win their quarterfinal matchup, Saint Mary’s will have to get past BYU in the semifinals and likely Gonzaga at the very end. With three games in four days, it’s hard to see how Ford (who plays nearly 40 mpg) will be able to hold up against two of the best offenses in the country.

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