St. Mary’s finally broke the Gonzaga streak, which demands some recognition. However, in big games outside of the conference, the Gaels seem to struggle. For them to be considered for a deeper run, they’ve got to show they can win the big game outside of conference play.
Good defense, plenty of scorers. Interesting take I have here.. in that I cant seem to figure out why, but this is my favorite St Marys team ever. They have two really good guards (shocker) and 2 good subs. They can all shoot the 3 and create. It will be hard to stop their scoring. They lightly apply pressure in transition but mostly they run good ball movement sets. Their bigs are good defensively if not slightly undersized but they are good ball control bigs. Especially Jones. He is crafty and has just enough skill to score to keep a defense honest but mostly likes to kick it out for guards to shoot.
They do a good job of defensive transition.
Seems to me they will be in every game. I am not sure they would win but they will keep it close. I will say that they seem clutch in this game. When they need a shot, they are hitting it. Can they get the shot? I think the write-up on the BYU game is a little snapshot of this team… it says – BYU.. “couldn’t keep up with the quicker, more aggressive Gaels.”
Bilas January: The Gaels have an outstanding transition game, and have two terrific players in Aussie Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones, the transfer from San Diego. Saint Mary’s ran Gonzaga out of the gym last week, and there are no weak links on this team. Dellavedova is a star, and nobody on this team makes errors of omission. The Gaels do not turn the ball over, they spread you out, they run opportunistically and they defend well enough to keep them in it to let their efficient offense win it.
Jan vs BYU: This team is really solid at creating good shots – especially perimeter shots. In this game, Dellavedova had zero points at half and they were up 11. A few things I noticed… they are really solid at transition defense even when they miss a shot. They also dont box out very well on defense. They have a very decent bench. They now start a freshman at center and bring off last years starter. With him, they have a sound 3 big rotation. Also, they have 2 guards they bring in who can really shoot the three.
The big winners were Utah State, who beat St. Mary’s on the road, and the Colonial’s potential three-bid triumvirate of VCU, Old Dominion, and George Mason. The predominant losers in the TV games were the MVC’s Wichita State, Missouri State plus the aforementioned Gaels out of the WCC. All three would be well-advised to win their conference tournaments as a result if they want to play in the NCAA Tournament.
However, there were more losers that didn’t come close to any airtime.
The CAA’s success at the hands of Wichita State, Missouri State, and Cleveland State likely confined the Missouri Valley to a one-bid league for the fourth straight season and probably did the same to Cleveland State’s at-large candidacy. George Mason, who had just come off of a huge win at VCU last Tuesday to essentially sew up the CAA regular-season title, had nothing to gain by playing a Northern Iowa team that faded from the Valley title race earlier in the month. The Patriots won, and will almost surely be in the tournament.
One of the biggest surprises of this year’s event was Valparaiso’s home win over Missouri State. Valpo put on an impressive offensive display, scoring a phenomenal 1.27 points per possession against a team that had allowed 0.99 a trip in Valley play. On Monday, with a share of the league title on the line were they to win out, the Crusaders bottled it on the road against a middling Wisconsin-Green Bay team. Did Valpo lose because it got to full of itself after the BracketBusters win? Only the great Homer Drew knows that. But the Crusaders did have to get out of the mindset of Horizon League league play they had been in so they could face the Bears, and lost 48 hours after playing the non-conference game.
1. Notre Dame — A team projected to finish in the bottom half of the Big East is now poised to earn a No. 2 seed in the tournament. But the road will be tough for the Fighting Irish to a top spot in the Big Dance with games against Villanova, whom they’ve not played yet, and at Connecticut, a team they beat by only three at home earlier. Regardless, Notre Dame should be “dancing” come March, especially if they finish high in the conference tournament.
2. Vanderbilt — Also a team projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC is now in place for a potential No. 5 seed. But with conference powers Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida left on the schedule, the Commodores’ stock could drop a little, although not enough to knock them out of the tournament. And a good showing in the SEC tournament wouldn’t hurt.
3. St. John’s — Steve Lavin’s return to the bench has been a successful one, to say the least. The Red Storm were predicted to finish behind Notre Dame in the Big East, but are now projected as a No. 6 seed in the Tournament. With only Villanova as the remaining challenge on the schedule, St. John’s could take some momentum into the Big East Tournament and earn an even higher seed.
4. St. Mary’s — Projected to finish just behind Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, but be passed over for tournament consideration, the Gaels are now looking at a possible No. 7 seed. St. Mary’s can sew up the conference title with a win over the Zags this week and then look to have a head of steam going into the conference tournament. If they win both the regular season and tourney titles, they could oust Gonzaga from March Madness.
5. UNLV — Predicted to finish fourth in the Mountain West, the Runnin’ Rebels have gone from Tournament hopefuls to a potential seventh seed. All that’s left for the Rebs on the schedule are bubble team New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. Then it’s on to the MWC tournament where they’ll try to wreak some havoc against two other surprising teams from the conference.
1. San Diego State — Projected to win the MWC but only be a No. 7 tournament seed at the beginning of the year, now a potential No. 1 seed. However, they’ll have a tough road to No. 1 the rest of the way with BYU, Wyoming (not so tough), and Colorado State to end the regular season. If they can win out they’ll probably earn a top seed somewhere, even if they don’t win the Mountain West tournament.
2. Texas — Also projected to be a No. 7 seed preseason and in position to be a No. 1. They also have a seemingly difficult schedule with Colorado, Kansas State, and Baylor left, but two of those teams have been big disappointments this year. Barring a major disaster, the Longhorns will be a top seed somewhere, and maybe even No. 1 overall.
3. BYU — Predicted to finish just behind San Diego State in the MWC and earn a No. 8 seed into the tournament, the Cougars have played well enough to be a possible No. 2 in March. But they’re schedule the rest of the way is also tough, with the aforementioned matchup with the Aztecs, plus games against Colorado State and New Mexico. The conference tournament should be the tell-all of just how high BYU can go in the March Madness seeding.
4. UConn — Projected to finish eighth in the Big East and be just a No. 12 seed into the tournament, the Huskies are looking at a possible No. 3 seed. While they sit in the middle of the pack in the conference standings, an upset win over Notre Dame and a good finish in the conference tournament could solidify UConn as a legitimate No. 3.
5. Old Dominion — Predicted to finish second in the Colonial, but miss the tournament, the Monarchs are now a possible No. 8 seed and potentially one of three teams to earn a tournament berth. It will be the conference tournament that will decide where they ultimately end up in the March bracket.
The best of the rest — George Mason, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Louisville
2010 Tournament Summary: Samhan was solid, but he was not alone. Their first round matchup was a mismatch as Richmond couldnt handle their size and the corresponding 3 point shooting when they doubled Samhan. When they
finally ran up against someone with height and athleticism they got killed by Baylor.
2011 Outlook: This is a team that we know returns outstanding guards in McConnell and Dellavedova. These guys are tough and they can score. Add in defensive minded 6’7 G/F Steindl for some wing defense and its a good squad. They also added depth. After that, this is a team of unknowns. They have a a few transfers and plenty of height, its just a matter of who steps up.
My Notes: I want to see the swagger they had last year. Was it just Samhan or is this a team that walks in thinging they can beat you. Also, watch to see how their front court develops. They look a littttttle small. If you ask me, sans Samhan, this could be a typical high mid-major but not awesome like they were with a huge center. A real matchup team.
Game Notes: Same teams battle to 1 point loss. I think this is a great example of who they are.. they are BYU… Rob Jones led the Gaels (6-1) with 18 points, while Mitchell Young and McConnell had 12 each and Dellavedova added 11. “It was a great basketball game and two teams that are evenly matched,” Bennett said. “We haven’t played them in a couple of years and we have a lot of respect for their program and I think they probably respect ours. It was a great college basketball game.”
Bilas Notes: Without Omar Samhan, the Gaels probably are not quite as good as they were last season. But they are almost as good, and that is good enough to beat almost anyone. Saint Mary’s has lost only to BYU (by a bucket) and at San Diego State (which is a bunch of men), and the Gaels can really shoot it. Matthew Dellavedova, Rob Jones and Mickey McConnell are all very good from the 3-point line but are crazy efficient from inside the arc and from the foul line. Don’t be surprised if Saint Mary’s again plays after Round 1 (or whatever they are calling it now) in the NCAA tournament.
Bilas: If you have not seen the Gaels play this season, you need to watch them. Saint Mary’s has lost only to BYU (by one) and San Diego State this season, and even without Omar Samhan in the post, SMC is a team that can do some damage in the NCAA tournament. Randy Bennett has very smart, skilled and sharp-shooting guards in Mickey McConnell, Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones (the transfer from San Diego). The Gaels’ guards can spread the floor, pass it and shoot it from deep. Foul them and they knock in free throws, and Dellevedova and McConnell are two of the most efficient guards in the country. Saint Mary’s is the best team in the West Coast Conference, and after they play at Vanderbilt this weekend, everyone should know it.
Vs Utah State: MCConnel is such a stud. He is Jimmer Fredette lite. He can shoot from half court and in this game hit 3 consecutive pro+ 3s in a row. But this team has little other than him. The other guard is really not good.. like really not good to me. Jones is good down low but the other big is weak. This team has collapsed in the second half of the last two games too.. so pay attention to that. Regardless, other than McConnel going off, this is the OLD typical team other than Gonzaga from the WCC. Not really all that good.
