Matthew Dellavedova added 17 points, six rebounds and five assists to anchor a late 15-6 run that gave the Gaels (22-2, 11-0) the lead for good against a surprising West Coast Conference challenger. Saint Mary’s has won 15 straight at home to keep alive its chances for the program’s first undefeated season at McKeon Pavilion.

Chris Manresa had 25 points and Dennis Kramer scored 17 for the Toreros (8-14, 3-7), who pushed the Gaels to the brink for the second time this season. San Diego lost 78-72 at home to Saint Mary’s on Jan. 5.

Duplicating that type of performance has been a rare sight this year for McKeon Pavilion visitors.

The Toreros, who upset Saint Mary’s 74-66 in San Diego last season, showed no signs of slipping this year. They pulled ahead in the opening minutes with a torrid start from beyond the arc and kept the Gaels on edge with production from across the roster.

Kramer came off the bench and made a pair of 3-pointers during a sudden spurt that gave San Diego a 24-19 lead. The Toreros went ahead by as many as six until the Gaels started to build momentum just before half, tying the score at 42 on Stephen Holt’s layup in the opening minutes of the second session.

Little separation occurred until late.

A total of 15 ties and six lead changes highlighted a tight contest. Both teams shot well—San Diego at 60 percent and Saint Mary’s at 46 percent—and made few mistakes.

Dellavedova shook off a timid start to tame the Toreros, making a 3-pointer, short jumper and two free throws during a 15-6 stretch that put the Gaels ahead by seven. Later, he floated a pass above the rim that Jones slammed for an alley-oop, putting Saint Mary’s back in front 80-73 with 54 seconds remaining and bringing fans roaring to their feet.

Another strong season is shaping up for Saint Mary’s, but nothing has come easy lately.

After breaking his thumb last week in a locker room mishap, Gaels coach Randy Bennett already was wearing a cast around his right hand and a short-sleeve collared shirt instead of his usual sharp suits. He said he opened a door and a white board fell on his thumb, requiring emergency surgery in Los Angeles following a victory at Loyola Marymount.

Most students also were absent because of a brief vacation between terms. That still didn’t stop crowds from flocking to tiny McKeon Pavilion to create another strong and feverish turnout at the mid-major powerhouse.

Saint Mary’s is one of eight teams in Division I—along with WCC rival Gonzaga and newcomer BYU—to win at least 25 games in each of the last four seasons. The ranking this week in the AP poll is the highest for Saint Mary’s since 1989.

The highest ranking ever for the program is No. 14, a mark held in the first poll of the 1958-59 season. A few more wins might put top that mark—even if they have to sweat out another victory.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The Gaels climbed a few spots thanks to some critical losses by teams ranked ahead of them — and also as a result of their own huge road wins over BYU and Loyola Marymount this past weekend.

Saint Mary’s climbed from No. 21 to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 Poll. The Gaels used their 2-0 week to climb ahead of Indiana, Mississippi State and Michigan.

SMC has gotten off to the best start in school history as their record currently sits at 21-2 overall and 10-0 in conference play.

The Gaels biggest remaining challenges come later this month when they play on the road Feb. 9 against the Gonzaga Bulldogs — which entered the AP rankings in the latest poll at No. 24, and again on Feb. 18 against the 10th-ranked Murray State Racers — the only remaining undefeated Division I team at 21-0.

Wins in those games game could help lock up a regular season conference title as well as a potential at-large bid for the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament.

(Copyright 2012 CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved.)

Kentucky again took to the road in its final matchup of the week at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Wildcats cruised to a 74-50 win, while improving its record to 21-1 overall and 7-0 in the SEC. The games leading scorer was again a Wildcat. Sophomore forward, Terrance Jones poured in a season-high 27 points while also posting 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocked shots. With these two easy victories, the Wildcats were able to stay atop the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Murray State Racers remained perfect this week by posting a commanding victory over the Eastern Illinois Panthers. Murray State scored below its season average for points per game (75.4) in this past Saturday’s game at home against the Panthers. However, the Racers still posted a 15 point victory by winning 73-58 over the Cougars. Senior guard, Donte Poole and junior guard Isaiah Cannan both lead all scorers with 18 points. Murray State won all two of its games this week to remain perfect at 21-0 and 9-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Winners/Losers in ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll:

Winner: No. 16 Saint Mary’s (+4 Spots from Last Week)

• Last Week: Def Loyola Marymount 71-64 (1/26), Def Brigham Young 80-66 (1/28)

Winner: No. 20 Wisconsin (+5 Spots from Last Week)

• Last Week: Def No. 17 Indiana 57-50 (1/26)

Loser: No. 8 Kansas (-3 Spots from Last Week)

• Last Week: Def Texas A&M 64-54 (1/23), Lost to Iowa State 72-64 (1/28)

Loser: No. 14 Georgetown (-4 Spots from Last Week)

• Last Week: Lost to Pittsburgh 72-60 (1/28)

Loser: No. 17 San Diego State (-5 Spots from Last Week)

• Last Week: Def Wyoming 52-42 (1/24), Lost to Colorado State 77-60 (1/28)

Loser: Connecticut (No. 19 Last Week. Not in Top 25 This Week)

• Last Week: Lost to Notre Dame 50-48 (1/29)

Loser: Kansas State (No. 24 Last Week. Not in Top 25 This Week)

• Last Week: Def Texas Tech 69-47 (1/25), Lost to Oklahoma 63-60 (1/28)

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll: Week 13

Courtesy of ESPN.com

The win was the 11th straight for the Gaels (20-2, 9-0 West Coast Conference) over Loyola, dating to 2005-06. The Gaels have won 20 games for the eighth time in school history and six of those seasons have been with coach Randy Bennett.

Drew Viney had 18 points for the Lions (12-9, 5-3), who led by seven points before managing just one field goal over the final 5:10 of the first half.

Anthony Ireland’s basket with 5:11 remaining gave the Lions a 29-23 lead. Ireland also scored the Lions’ next basket.

Unfortunately for LMU, it came with less than 2 seconds left in the half.

The Gaels scored 12 points between Ireland’s baskets, taking a 35-31 lead into halftime. Jorden Page and Clint Steindl had 3-pointers, Kenton Walker II added a dunk and Rob Jones and Matthew Dellavedova also scored in run.

Saint Mary’s opened the second half on a 10-0 run to take control of the game.
Loyola got within six points in the second half.

Ireland’s basket at the end of the first half turned out to be the Lions’ only points during a 9:49 span. The drought ended when Ashley Hamilton knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Dellavedova finished with seven assists and moved into third place on Saint Mary’s career assist list.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Stephen Holt added 12 points and three assists to help the Gaels (18-2, 7-0) remain the only unbeaten team in the West Coast Conference. Saint Mary’s has won 16 of 17 since a loss at No. 3 Baylor on Dec. 22.

Caleb Willis had 14 points and Jordan Baker added 13 for Pepperdine (7-11, 1-6), losers of six straight and still searching for its first conference road win of the season. Corbin Moore had 15 rebounds for the Waves.

Saint Mary’s had to hold off one of the league’s worst teams longer than it hoped.

After the Waves scored the first six points of the second half to trim the deficit to one, the Gaels finally did what they do best: shoot and shoot often.

Holt and Jorden Page hit 3-pointers and Mitchell Young had a putback to start Saint Mary’s surge.

Then Jones stole the ball at midcourt from Kenton Walker II and finished with a two-hand slam. Dellavedova followed with a 3-pointer to give the Gaels a 44-34 lead.

Once Saint Mary’s shooters started rolling, the Waves had no answer.

Dellavedova and Holt made consecutive 3-pointers to put the Gaels ahead 59-44 with 5:56 remaining and turn a tight game into a rout. Saint Mary’s outshot Pepperdine 42.6 percent to 40.9 percent.

Saint Mary’s is one of eight teams in Division I—along with WCC rival Gonzaga and newcomer BYU—to win at least 25 games in each of the last four seasons. An 83-62 romp over Gonzaga last week pushed the Gaels into the AP poll for the first time this season, and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

Or dropping out of the rankings.

Coach Randy Bennett’s bunch proved anything but passive in the opening minutes, getting contributions from all over—including another packed crowd at tiny McKeon Pavilion—the court for a stirring start.

Dellavedova drove through the lane for two layups, Jones had a dunk and a 3-pointer and Holt’s layup capped a 13-1 run that put the Gaels ahead 21-8 midway through the opening half.

Riding a strong defensive and rebounding effort, the Waves only allowed eight points and two field goals over the final 9:59 of the first half. Willis and Baker combined to go 3 for 3 from beyond the arc and Pepperdine sliced Saint Mary’s lead to 29-21.

The effort was a far better performance than the one Dec. 31, when Saint Mary’s routed Pepperdine 74-45 in a game that was never close.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Brad Waldow added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Stephen Holt had 13 points and six assists for the Gaels (16-2, 5-0) at a rocking McKeon Pavilion, where a standing-room only crowd packed the arena for a nationally televised showdown that’s always the biggest draw of the season here. Students stormed the court after the final buzzer.

Elias Harris had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Kevin Pangos scored 12 for the Bulldogs (13-3, 3-1), who had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Gonzaga lost in early December to Illinois and Michigan State, marking another tough nonconference schedule under coach Mark Few.

Clint Steindl knocked down a 3 with 15:25 left that put Saint Mary’s ahead 48-37 and the Gaels made key stops down the stretch to extend the lead. They won their sixth straight since losing to now-No. 4 Baylor 72-59 on Dec. 22.

Dellavedova hit key 3s with 10:05 left, at the 5:22 mark and again with 3:43 remaining to keep his team in control. He had a lay-in with 2:52 to go and jumped in the passing lanes on defense to cause havoc for the Zags.

The gutsy Australian guard—who had a career-high 27 points in Monday’s win over San Francisco—sat down to a rousing ovation with 1:29 left. He finished 10 for 16 from the field — 5 of 10 from long range—and scored 15 of his points in the first half, including six during an 8-0 spurt to end the half and give the Gaels a 37-29 lead at the break.

Saint Mary’s held Gonzaga’s big men in check. Gaels center and leading scorer Rob Jones did his part on both ends despite getting just two points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists.

The 7-foot Robert Sacre, Gonzaga’s third-leading scorer at 11.5 points per game, missed all four of his field goal tries in the first half and began the final 20 minutes on the bench with Sam Dower in the game instead. Sacre checked in with 15:23 to play and wound up with four points on 1-for-7 shooting and three rebounds.

This was a rare lopsided result in one of the nation’s more underrated rivalries.

Gonzaga had won the last two meetings overall and three in a row on the Gaels’ home court despite raucous sellout crowds and fans standing in the corners and lining both baselines. The Zags also captured the West Coast Conference tournament crown last season with a 75-63 victory to secure the league’s automatic NCAA tournament bid.

Saint Mary’s reached the NCAA tournament regional semifinals in 2010, then was stunned by Kent State 71-70 in the first round of last year’s NIT.

Gonzaga trailed at halftime for the first time since being down one point at the break before losing 74-67 at home to Michigan State on Dec. 10.

These teams have combined to win every WCC regular-season title since 2001. The perennial favorite Zags were picked by the WCC coaches to win a 12th consecutive crown, with Saint Mary’s at No. 2.

The Gaels and Zags are two of eight teams in Division I—along with WCC newcomer BYU—to win at least 25 games in each of the last four seasons.

Several former stars from both schools were in attendance— ex-Saint Mary’s center Omar Samhan and David Pendergraft of Gonzaga. Matt Santangelo, another former Zags great, worked the game for TV.

Gonzaga, the conference’s most dominant team for more than a decade, pulled off an 89-85 overtime victory the Gaels’ home court last season. That kept Saint Mary’s from winning its first outright regular-season WCC championship since 1989.

The Zags also won 89-82 at McKeon in 2010.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

For the occasion, I’m suiting up in my Gonzaga #23 jersey that I bought online five or six years ago.  Suffice to say that they’ve changed styles a couple times since then, and nobody wears 23 on this year’s team–mind you, I can’t even remember who wore it back then.  I figure it might be time to change my look; some of the stitching is coming apart, and everything…  So when I buy a new jersey, I know whose number I’ll be wearing for at least the next four years…

“Starting at point guard, six-foot-one, from Newmarket, Ontario…  Kevin Paaaaangoooos!”

The Canuck frosh has taken the NCAA by storm, leading his team with 14.2 points and 3.5 assists per game this season.  That said, I was somewhat shocked not to see his number 4 amongst the options at the Gonzaga Bulldogs Shop.  There are a handful of the new-style jerseys with “Go Zags” embedded on the back available in home white, road navy and even black, but taking a look at the numbers, I see:

• 00, Robert Sacre: A solid senior centre from Van City.  The time to buy his jersey was two years ago, though–unless I wait till next year, when they go on sale.
• 20, Elias Harris: The team’s second-leading scorer, the junior, German-born swingman is also Gonzaga’s best pro prospect.  I’d probably buy his jersey if it had his name on the back (the Zags don’t do it as per school tradition, however).
• 35, Sam Dower: The lefty sophomore centre from Minnesota earns a lotta minutes off the bench already, and will fill Sacre’s shoes in the starting lineup next season.  I like Sam, just not that much.
• 11, David Stockton: Yuuup, he’s the son of the school’s most famous alum.  The sophomore backup PG has great court vision, racking up assists and steals in limited minutes–and shoots an outstanding 48.4 per cent from three.  Too bad he’s only 5’11″, 152.  Do they even sell this one any bigger than a medium?
• 2, Marquise Carter: Though he came up big in the conference tournament last year, the senior 2-guard has struggled this season, and lost his starting job to freshman Gary Bell, Jr.  Incidentally, you can’t buy Bell’s number 5, either…
• 41, former Zag Steven Gray: Last year’s senior leader went undrafted, and apparently he’s now playing in Latvia.  That said, his jersey still sells for the same price as the others.  Hmm.
• 1, NOOOBOOODY!: Ronny Turiaf famously wore this number in his college days–but then again, he graduated in ’05, before they switched to their current look.  You can’t rock a Turiaf jersey if it’s not a throwback, son!

So there you have it, seven numbers to choose from, but their starting backcourt is left out in the cold–as is starting 3-man Mike Hart, but let’s face it, only his mom would wear his number 30.  (Well okay, maybe his dad, too.)  I suppose I’ll hafta wait till next season to update my wardrobe–though I’m somewhat surprised that they didn’t start selling Pangos jerseys the day after he dropped 33 on WSU.  You’d think they’d have ‘em in Spokane somewhere, at least…

Can anybody hook a brother up?

Jones, who played two seasons for San Diego before transferring, scored 13 points over a 5-minute stretch in the second half as the Gaels (14-2, 3-0 West Coast) pulled ahead.

Freshman Johnny Dee led the Toreros (5-9, 0-2) with 22 points, and Christopher Anderson added 16.

Matthew Dellavedova scored 16 points, including eight straight that gave the Gaels their largest lead to that point at 69-62 with 3:24 remaining.

Jones, the WCC’s leading rebounder, recorded his 10th double-double of the season.

Saint Mary’s, the conference’s top defensive team, won despite allowing the Toreros to shoot 50 percent.

The Gaels have won 12 of 13, their lone loss coming to then-No. 6 Baylor on Dec. 22.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Quincy Acy added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Brady Heslip scored 11 as the Bears (11-0) remained one of six undefeated teams in Division I. Jones also blocked four shots.

Baylor never trailed and pulled away in the second half after leading 36-34 at the break.

Rob Jones led Saint Mary’s (10-2) with 14 points and seven rebounds, but the Gaels’ eight-game winning streak was snapped. Brad Waldow added 12 points for Saint Mary’s.

Baylor plays West Virginia in the final round Friday, while Saint Mary’s takes on Missouri State.

Earlier on Thursday, West Virginia defeated Missouri State 70-68 in overtime as Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins earned his 700th career win.

Baylor took control in the second half and eventually built a 15-point lead with 8:02 left. The Gaels were held to 35 percent shooting after hitting 55 percent in the first half. Meanwhile, Baylor shot 50 percent from the field for the game.

Baylor outrebounded the Gaels 37-24. After the Bears scored the first six points of the game, there were eight lead changes in the first half as neither team built a lead larger than that six.

This was the second meeting between Baylor and Saint Mary’s. In 2010, they met in the NCAA tournament’s South Regional semifinal, where the Bears won 72-49 in Houston.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Everitt Pitts and Bello Alhassan mourn the end of UCI's season. It was also Alhassan's last game as an Anteater. (Courtesy of UCI Athletics)

Amidst the persistent rainfall and the familiar misty fog, UCI’s season came to an end in brutal double overtime fashion. Saint Mary’s 2-1 victory over UCI is just another reminder as to how hard it is to win in the NCAA Tournament. Although some may want to analyze the Anteater effort or how big of a letdown the loss was after earning a national seed, I believe the only appropriate remark at this point is a complimentary salute.

To improve on last year’s season even after losing 13 seniors is quite an accomplishment, as is the school single season record 16 wins. It will be hard to replace seniors such as Big West Co-Offensive Player of the Year Miguel Ibarra and (especially) four-year starting goalie Andrew Fontein, but I feel like Coach George Kuntz will once again find a way. When that time comes, hopefully the 2011 NCAA Tournament loss will serve as another dose of motivation and notch of experience that a future Anteater team will be able to redeem and capitalize on.

The Gaels (2-0) missed nine of their first 11 shots but went on two 19-4 runs, at the end of the first half and again midway through the second half, to roll to their second consecutive lopsided win. Saint Mary’s beat Fresno Pacific by 40 points in its opener.

Dellavedova shot only 4 of 12 from the floor but made two 3-pointers and had eight points during the Gaels’ big run after halftime. One of four starters returning for Saint Mary’s, Dellavedova added seven assists.

Johnny Moran scored 13 points and Chip Rank added 11 for Northern Iowa (1-1). The Panthers, coming off their third straight 20-win season under coach Ben Jacobson, shot just 32 percent and trailed by as much as 28.

The game, part of ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon, started at 11 p.m local time, which might have explained the slow start for both teams.

Northern Iowa was also playing its second game in less than 60 hours with a 3,000-mile trip thrown in. The Panthers beat Old Dominion 63-46 on Saturday in Norfolk, Va., before flying to the West Coast for the game at Saint Mary’s.

The Gaels, 25-9 a year ago, recovered after their early stumble and pulled away in this first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Deon Mitchell made a 3-pointer with 12:42 left in the first half to give Northern Iowa a 9-7 lead before Saint Mary’s went on its big run. Jorden Page had five points during the run, Dellavedova hit a key 3-pointer and Stephen Holt added a breakaway dunk as the Gaels took a 26-13 halftime lead.

Holt finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

The Panthers scored nine of their 13 first-half points in a span of 2:47 but shot just 21.4 percent from the floor (6 of 28) and were 1 for 10 on 3s before the break.

Clint Steindl, Jones and Dellavedova made consecutive 3s midway through the second half, and Dellavedova later added another from beyond the arc to put the Gaels up 51-23.

Moran scored 11 straight points, including three 3s, to pull the Panthers to 51-34 before the two teams traded baskets over the final 4 minutes.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

What should I take from Saturday’s thrashing? Is Stanford really that good or is UDub not as far a long as i thought and a product of a soft schedule to this point? – Craig A.

Um, our defense sucks

Kevin: Both. If Stanford beats Oregon, then they’ll be in the BCS national championship game. The Cardinal’s offensive line was the best in the nation protecting the best quarterback in the nation. Once Stanford’s offense gets rolling, it’s difficult to stop it. At the same time, UW is obviously not at the level of where it can compete for a national championship. While the offense is explosive, the defense is still really young and a lot of kinks need to be worked out. By the end of the season, this defense should be fully developed. If the defense can improve, I see another bowl win coming this season.

Brian: I like the phrase Kevin uses: “kinks need to be worked out”. Here is how I would define “kinks”. Talent, strength, smarts, coaching, playmaking. All of those are lacking on the defensive side of the ball and with that you should be worried. You shouldn’t freak out, but you should be concerned. Good teams who are ready to take the next step don’t give up over 37 points per game to ranked opponents as the Huskies have in the Sark/Holt era. They also don’t give up 65 ever. Yet the Dawgs are better this season. Much better. The big test will be this weekend against Arizona. They need this win to get back on track. If not, they could quickly be 5-5.

How do you feel about mock turtlenecks? – Matt A.

Missing the rat tail buddy

Kevin: I didn’t know what those were until I google imaged it. And I shutter at the possibility of ever wearing such a hideous form of apparel. There are only two types of people on this world that have worn mock turtlenecks and have gotten away with it: Steve Jobs and baseball players. If you aren’t Steve Jobs and if you aren’t a baseball player, just stay away from the mock turtleneck.

Brian: Matt, all turtlenecks are a bad idea. Is your neck really that cold? Does it need that level of protection? My dad loved turtlenecks for a good amount of his work life. He used to rock the sport coat with no shirt and tie, just turtleneck underneath. Of course, he also had a rat tail for years so….

2011-2012 Husky basketball – will they be a threat to advance past the Sweet 16? – Luis A.

The next star?

Kevin: They’ll always be a threat to advance past the sweet 16, but I don’t think they have the necessary big bodies in front this year to make it to the Elite Eight. Darnell Gant probably won’t average over six rebounds this season and Aziz N’Diaye probably won’t average more than 8 points this season. That kind of production from your two forwards won’t help you make it past the Sweet 16. With this said, both of those two guys can run in transition and if the Husky offense plays like Romar intends it to play, then this team can make it all the way to the Final Four depending on certain match ups. I think a better question would be, do you think the Huskies can win the Pac-12?

Brian: This is the most unpredictable Husky team in a long time. Romar has publicly stated that he loves this squad. They are coachable, work hard and are talented. Yet they lack the low post scorer as Kevin mentioned and they also lack the leader they had starting with Nate Robinson. Nate passed it to B-Roy who passed it to Brockman who passed it to Pondexter who passed it to Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah left early and there is no natural successor. I agree with Kevin, the threat is still there. With this squad, we just may not know how good they are until March. It could take a long time for them to figure it all out. Let’s just hope it isn’t too late this season.

Did the UW game dramatically change your perception of Luck? – Justin F.

You Ain't Luck(y)

Brian: No. I said in my game preview that he is ridiculously good. In fact, I said he might be the best quarterback I have ever seen play college football and I stand by that. People want to argue Peyton Manning or Michael Vick as the best college QB in the past 20 years. Well Manning put up 3287 yards in his last season and his best year featured 22 TD and 4 INT. Obviously very good. Vick ran for 585 yards and threw for 1840 while only throwing 12 TDs. Luck put up these numbers last year as a SOPHOMORE: 70.7% completion percentage (neither Manning or Vick were close), 3338 yards, 32 TD and 8 INT. He is dominating again this season while essentially doing what Manning does as a NFL QB. Luck changes plays at the line of scrimmage. He runs the offense.

He is absurd. #1 pick. Game changer. No one is close.

Kevin: If Michael Vick had the same offensive line as Andrew Luck, he’d put up better numbers. Quote me on that. And those numbers are ridiculous, you can’t really argue against them. I’d much rather have Luck running the Seahawks offense than Whitehurst or Jackson, but it looks like the Seahawks are winning too many games for that to happen. Sigh.

Midnight madness is in the books so WCC predictions: Gaels sweep Lions and Broncos. Your thoughts? – Michael K. 

Go Broncos - sorry they wouldn't let you in Kevin

Brian: This question seems biased, but maybe I am reading too much into it. I am not very smart, so Kevin might be able to tell one way or the other. In short, Saint Mary’s will most likely sweep both teams again this year. While the Gaels lose the player of the year in Mickey McConnell, they return virtually everyone else including Rob Jones, Mitchell Young, and Matthew Dellavedova. Not to mention sophomore Stephen Holt who I think is going to be a star in this league. The Broncos will be the best chance at gaining a win for the mailbag Alma Maters as they come off a 24 win season and a CIT championship (don’t forget it!). Santa Clara will have to overcome the loss of their second best player in Marc Trasolini who tore his ACL this summer, but do return a great backcourt in Kevin Foster and Evan Roquemore. LMU won two conference games last year. Let’s not spend anymore time on them.

Kevin: You are smart, but I still have a bone to pick with you. I received a 94% on my national history day paper, but I ended up winning the state contest. Shouldn’t I have received a 100% on that paper if it was the BEST in the state?

Now that I have that off my back, I think St. Mary’s is the slightly better than these two teams but all teams are capable of beating each other. Santa Clara returns practically everyone except for the injured Trasolini, they’ll definitely finish in the top half of the WCC. I like them in their home match against St. Mary’s. And don’t count LMU out. They have as much talent to compete with Gonzaga, Santa Clara, BYU and St. Mary’s. Leading scorer and NBA prospect Drew Viney is out for a couple of weeks, but the team returns three sophomores who saw significant time as freshman. They’ll go at least .500 in league this year and definitely can beat St. Mary’s at home.

Brian: This is awesome. Now we have proof when Kevin is horribly wrong about LMU’s season. Also, you deserved a 94%. I am sorry if everyone else in the state is a B or worse student. Are you mad because you couldn’t get into Santa Clara because of your grades?

Bennett begins his 11th season guiding the Gaels, who in recent years have established themselves among the top two teams in the West Coast Conference along with Gonzaga. Bennett has gone 208-112 at Saint Mary’s and developed his program into a perennial contender thanks in large part to the recruiting of Australian stars.

In 2010, the Gaels reached the NCAA tournament regional semifinals, losing to Baylor. After that, there was speculation Bennett might bolt for a bigger program—such as a then-Pac-10 school.

Instead, he has been happy to stay put in the close-knit campus community in the East Bay.

“We’ve had great players and assistant coaches who have put a lot of effort into building the program to a level where we can maintain success and continue to build on it,” Bennett said. “We have great student-athletes, a supportive administration and enthusiastic student and community support for our program. My family and I enjoy being at Saint Mary’s and living in such a supportive and positive community.”

Bennett has turned the program around since arriving in 2001 and taking over a team that went 2-27 the previous season.

The Gaels quickly improved with Bennett in charge, going from nine wins to 15 to 19, and then to 25 to reach the 2005 NCAA tournament for the school’s first NCAA berth since 1997.

They are in a current run of four straight 25-win seasons. The Gaels—co-WCC champions last season—missed the NCAA tournament this year, then Saint Mary’s was stunned by Kent State 71-70 in the first round of the NIT.
The Gaels return four starters this season.

“Randy clearly embodies what Saint Mary’s College is all about,” athletic director Mark Orr said. “He is, obviously, an excellent basketball coach with a track record of competitive success and he has led our program to unparalleled achievement. But, he is also a valued and respected leader on campus, an impactful mentor of our student-athletes and a committed member of the community. I’m thrilled that we are able to sign him to this long-term agreement and look forward to him leading Saint Mary’s basketball for the next decade.”

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)