2007-08 Season Marks 100th Year of Men's Basketball at SMC

Oct. 26, 2007

Moraga, CA - The 2007-08 season will mark the 100th year in the history of men's basketball at Saint Mary's College. To recognize the 100 years of basketball, Saint Mary's will release the top-25 players of the last century. The promotion will last the entire season, counting down to the best player in the history of the program, which will be announced on the final home game of the season.

Saint Mary's will begin the countdown of the top-25 players by announcing 25 through 17 on the nine days counting down to the opening game of the year. Players 16-1 will be released at each home game during the season, with No. 16 being announced at halftime of the game between SMC and Sonoma State on November 9. The best player in the history of the program will be named at the Gaels' final home game of the season on February 25 when SMC hosts San Diego at 7 p.m.

With the first records of Saint Mary's dating back to the early 1900s, the 2007-08 season will mark the beginning of the 100th season of men's basketball. The 1909-10 campaign marked the first recorded results, when the Gaels played the University of California, Berkeley twice. The Gaels split games against California to post a 1-1 record in its first year against collegiate competition.

In 1913, Saint Mary's joined the Intercollegiate Basketball Conference of California and Nevada, and posted a 5-0 record against Cal, Stanford, Pacific, Nevada, and St. Ignatius to win the inaugural IBCCN title. In the seven years of the IBCCN, Saint Mary's posted a 24-15 record, while winning the two-state title four times. Slip Madigan would take over as the head coach of the basketball team in 1920, and coach both basketball and football at SMC through the 1926-27 season.

From 1933-46, Saint Mary's would have its most productive stretch as a program, posting a 176-105 record and recording a .500 or better record in 11 of 13 seasons during that stretch. After average seasons from 1946-52, Saint Mary's would drop football in 1950 before joining the California Basketball Association in 1952. The CBA changed its name to the West Coast Athletic Conference in 1955, and then change its name to the West Coast Conference in 1988.

Saint Mary's joined the WCC as a charter member in 1952, with current conference teams Santa Clara and San Francisco, and San Jose State, Pacific, and Fresno State. Fresno State left the conference after two years, and Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine joined in 1955. UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, Seattle, and Nevada joined the conference briefly, and in 1979 both Portland and Gonzaga joined the conference, forming its current membership for the past 28 years.

During those 55 years, Saint Mary's has posted a 309-410 record against its conference opponents and has won the conference championships four times. The first championship came in 1959 when the Gaels posted a 19-6 overall record and an 11-1 mark against the WCAC. The 1958-59 team advanced to the Elite Eight that season, and is considered one of the best teams in the history of the program. Head Coach James Weaver, the coach of the 1958-59 team, led the Gaels from 1955-62 posting a 110-67 (.621) record in his seven seasons. Weaver's 110 victories are currently the most by any Saint Mary's men's basketball coach, a record that has lasted 45 years.

Following the championship in 1959, the Gaels would wait 21 years for their next conference championship. Under the direction of first-year head coach Bill Oates, the 1979-80 squad finished the year with a 15-12 overall record and an 11-5 mark against conference opponents, tying San Francisco for first place.

In 1988-89, the Gaels would record one of the best seasons in the history of the program, posting a 25-5 record overall and a 12-2 record against the WCC for a first place finish. The Gaels would battle Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking just the second trip to the NCAA Championships.

Future NCAA Tournament appearances included the 1996-97 season when the Gaels posted a 23-8 overall record under he direction of Ernie Kent. A 10-4 mark against conference opponents had the Gaels tied with Santa Clara for first place, and SMC would go on to win its only WCC Tournament Championship that year. Saint Mary's season ended when the Gaels fell to Tim Duncan's No. 1 ranked Wake Forest squad in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2004-05 season was also one to remember as the Gaels posted a 25-9 record under Randy Bennett, and earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Below is a decade-by-decade retrospective of the history of the men's basketball program.

1907-1920Cumulative Record- 64 wins and 32 losses• 1907-08-First Season of SMC Men's Basketball    o The Gaels faced Cal twice and lost both games• 1909 first meeting between the Gaels and Santa Clara    o "Fats" Fieberling scored 20 points to lead the Gaels to victory in the first battle of the two schools• 1911 First meeting between the Gaels and the University of the Pacific• Coach Otto Rittler led the team to a 63-14 record in seven seasons• 1913-14 Intercollegiate Basketball League of California and Nevada Champions    o 16-2 record with wins over Stanford and Cal• 1915-16 Intercollegiate Basketball League of California and Nevada Champions, winners of The Tribune Trophy• 1916-17 Intercollegiate Basketball League of California and Nevada Champions• 1917-18 Intercollegiate Basketball League of California and Nevada Champions• 1917-18 Undefeated Season, 7-0    o Wins over Davis Farm (UC Davis), Cal, Stanford, Nevada, Pacific, and Saint Ignatius (USF)
Records against opponents of note:• SMC versus Cal           (5 wins- 3 losses)• SMC versus Pacific           (7 wins- 2 losses)• SMC versus Stanford          (3 wins- 3 losses)• SMC versus Santa Clara       (3 wins- 2 losses)• SMC versus Davis Farm (UC Davis)     (4 wins- 1 loss)• SMC versus Saint Ignatius (USF)  (3 wins- 3 losses)
Saint Mary's Hall of Famers• Manuel Freitas, Class of 1917
1921-1930Cumulative Record- 55 wins and 67 losses• Coach Edward "Slip" Madigan led the Gaels from 1920-27• Gaels earn 12 wins against only 3 losses in the 1923-24 season    o Wins against Nevada (5) and Santa Clara (2)• 1925-26 season, Gaels 11 wins and 3 losses    o Wins against Stanford, Pacific, UC Davis (2), Nevada (2), and Santa Clara (2)    o Eight wins in a row to finish the season
Records against opponents of note:• SMC versus Nevada        (11 wins-7 losses)• SMC versus Santa Clara   (12 wins-9 losses)• SMC versus UC Davis      (4 wins-1 loss)• SMC versus Pacific       (7 wins-3 losses)• SMC versus Fresno State  (4 wins-2 losses)
Saint Mary's Hall of Famers:• Louis Conlan, Class of 1926• Elton Lawless, Class of 1926• Norman Lien, Class of 1929• Robert Moy, Class of 1921• Percy Ritchie, Class of 1922• Edward Tazer, Class of 1929• Coach Edward "Slip" Madigan
1931-1940Cumulative Record- 141 wins and 101 losses• Founding Member of the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, 1930• 1937-39 Harlan Dykes leads the Gaels to the best 2-year stretch in school history - 44-17 record
Saint Mary's Hall of Famers:• Clarence "Swede" Andersen, Class of 1939• Al Andrade, Class of 1939• Leonard Callan, Class 1932• William Meade, Class of 1935• Kenneth Meitz, Class of 1939• William Rockwell, Class of 1937• William Simas, Class of 1931• John Tobin, Class of 1940
1941-1950Cumulative Record- 102 wins and 110 losses• 1941-42 First 20 win season for Gaels, with wins against Cal (3), USF, Santa Clara, Nevada (2), and Pacific (2)• Saint Mary's begins playing games at Kezar Pavilion (1945) and the Cow Palace (1945)• 1947- Saint Mary's embarks on Mid West road trip playing at Wyoming (L), Nebraska (W), Iowa (L), Bradley (W), Oklahoma A&M (L), Rockhurst (L), and St. Louis (W)• Frank "Apples" Kudelka averaged 20.4 points per game in 1947-48, which ranks as the third highest average in SMC history
Records against opponents of note:• SMC versus California    (5 wins-5 losses)• SMC versus Nevada    (10 wins-3 losses)
Hall of Famers:• Frank Boyle, Class of 1942• William Burke, Class of 1947• Thomas Feeney, Class of 1940• Frank Kudelka, Class of 1950• Angelo Maestri, Class of 1945• Agustin Mota, Class of 1944• John Rial, Class of 1949
1951-1959• 1952-53 First season for the Gaels as a member of the West Coast Conference• 1952-53 Head coach Thomas Foley leads SMC to 4-4 in conference play, 12-12 overall• 1953 Bill Sanchez sets career record with 1,170 cumulative points• 1953-54 Gaels post a 10-14 record overall, 4-8 in conference play• 1954-55 Saint Mary's posts a record of 6-19 overall and wins just one game in conference play, 1-11• 1955-56 James Weaver joins the Gaels as head coach, going 16-10 overall and 8-6 in conference• 1956-57 Gaels go 17-9 overall and 10-4 in conference, coming in 2nd in the WCC• 1956-57 Odell Johnson sets record for most free throws made, 175• 1957-58 Team posts a record of 11-15 overall, 7-5 in WCC• 1958-59 James Weaver leads Gaels to Conference title with a record of 11-1, overall season record 19-6 marking the best season for the Gaels in over 15 years• 1959 LaRoy Doss posts 1,139 points in his career at SMC• 1959-60 Gaels post an overall record of 15-11, 7-5 in conference play• 1959-60 Tom Meschery sets record for most rebounds per game in a single season, 14.2
1960-1969• 1960-61 Tom Meschery sets the record for most free throws made in a single season, 144• 1960-61 Tom Meschery sets record for most rebounds in a single season, 339• 1960-61 Tom Meschery sets record for cumulative rebounds, 916• 1960-61 Tom Meschery sets record rebounding average, 13.5 rebounds per game• 1960-61 Tom Meschery set record at most points scored in a single season, 540• 1960-61 Gaels post a 19-7 overall record, 8-4 in conference, tie for 2nd place in WCC• 1961-62 James Weaver sets cumulative record for most victories, 110 in seven seasons• 1961-62 Gaels post a 13-11 overall record and 8-4 in conference play, tie for 2nd in WCC• 1962-63 Mike Cimino joins the Gaels as head coach, leads them to a 8-4 record in conference and 14-11 overall, place 3rd in WCC• 1962-63 Steve Gray sets a new record for most points scored in a single season, 595• 1962-63 Steve Gray sets record for scoring average in a single season, 23.8 per game• 1963 Steve Gray sets a career record for scoring, 1,390 in three years• 1963-64 Saint Mary's goes 7-19 overall, 5-7 in conference place 5th in WCC• 1964-65 Gaels post an overall record of 8-18 and 5-9 in conference• 1964-65 Bob Turner breaks Tom Meschery's record with 351 rebounds in a single season• 1964-65 Bob Turner leads team with 13.5 rebounds per game in a single season• 1965-66 Gaels go 8-17 overall and 4-10 in conference play, putting them in 7th place in the WCC• 1966-67 Saint Mary's posts an overall record of 4-21, 2-12 in conference dropping them to 8th place in the WCC• 1967-68 Gaels go 4-20 overall and 3-11 in conference, tie for 6th in WCC• 1968 Jerry West post a career record of 1,096 points in his three years at Saint Mary's• 1968-69  Saint Mary's posts a 6-19 record over all, 3-11 in conference play• 1968-69 Jim Clay scores 374 points for the season
1970-1979Single Game Records• 1977-78 - Scored an SMC Single Game Record 120 points vs Carroll College
Single Season Records• 1977-78 - Set SMC single season scoring average record, 85.0 points per game• 1977-78 - Set SMC single season record for field goals made, 951• 1974-75 - Set SMC single season free throw percentage record, 75.2%• 1976-77 - Nick Pappageorge sets single season assists record, 213• 1976-77 - Nick Pappageorge sets record for field goals made in a season, 222
Career Records• 1978-82 - David Vann sets career record for field goals made, 731
All Conference Players• 1974-1975 Maurice Harper• 1975-1976 Ralph Baker• 1976-1977 Nick Pappageorge• 1977-1978 Nick Pappageorge, Ken Jones• 1978-1979 Ken Jones• 1979-1980 David Vann
Other• 1978-1979 David Vann named WCC Newcomer of the Year
1980-1989Single Game Records• 1980 Set SMC single game record for consecutive free throws made, 26
Single Season Records• 1988-1989 Posted second best win percentage for SMC team, .857• 1989-1990 Set SMC record for most points in a WCC game, 119 vs Loyola Marymount• 1988-1989 Set SMC single season wins record, 25• 1988-1989 Set SMC single season road wins record, 10• 1988-1989 Set SMC single season conference wins record, 12• 1988-1989 Set SMC single season record for field goal percentage, 53.5%• 1986-1987 Set SMC single season record for 3-point field goal percentage, 48.1%• 1987-1988 Set SMC single season record for fewest rebounds allowed, 786• 1987-1988 Set SMC single season record for lowest rebounding average allowed, 28.1• 1985-1986 Robert Haugen set single season record for field goal percentage, 64.9%• 1983-1987 Paul Robertson set single season record for 3-pt field goal percentage, 47.7%• 1988-1989 Erick Newman set single season record for steals, 72• 1985 Beat U.S. International by 52 points• 1988 Beat Humboldt State by 50 points• 1987 Beat Chico State by 50 points• 1988-1989 NCAA Tournament Berth - First Round NCAA SMC 70 - Clemson 83
Career Records• 1978-1982 - David Vann sets career record for field goals made, 731• 1983-1987 Paul Robertson set career record for 3-point field goal percentage, 45.6%• 1986-1989 Robert Haugen set career record for free throws made, 433• 1981-1985 Paul Pickett set career record for free throw percentage, 83.5%• 1989-1993 John Levitt sets SMC career record for field goals made, 447
All Conference Players• 1980-1981 David Vann• 1981-1982 David Vann, Peter Thibeaux• 1982-1983 Peter Thibeaux, Paul Pickett• 1983-1984 Paul Pickett, David Boone• 1984-1985 Eric Cooks, David Cooke• 1985-1986 Paul Robertson• 1986-1987 Robert Haugen• 1987-1988 Robert Haugen• 1988-1989 Erick Newman, Robert Haugen, Dan Curry
Other• 1985-86 Robert Haugen named WCC Newcomer of the Year• 1988-89 Lynn Nance named WCC Coach of the Year
1990-1999Single Game Records• 1990 Set SMC single game record for assists, 35 vs Loyola Marymount• 1998 Eric Schraeder sets SMC single game record for ft percentage, 100% (11-11)• 1995-96 David Sivulich sets SMC single game record for fg's made, 17 vs Rhode Island• 1997 A.J. Rollins set single game record for shooting percentage, 100% (11-11)• 1997 David Sivulich sets SMC single game record for steals, 7 vs Pepperdine• 1997 Brad Millard sets SMC single game record for blocks, 9 vs Colorado• 1993 Beat Sonoma State by 56 points• 1997 Beat Calgary by 52 points
Single Season Records• 1989-90 Set SMC record for most points in a WCC game, 119 vs Loyola Marymount• 1998-99 Set SMC single season record for 3pt field goals made, 267• 1996-97 Set SMC single season record for assists, 523• 1998-99 Eric Schraeder set SMC single season record for points, 614• 1995-96 David Sivulich sets SMC single season record for field goals made, 260• 1996-97 Frank Knight sets SMC single season record for free throw percentage, 86.9%• 1996-97 Brad Millard sets SMC single season record for blocks, 92• 1996-1997 NCAA Tournament Berth - First Round NCAA SMC 46 - Wake Forest 68
Career Records• 1992-1996 Jumoke Horton set SMC career record for field goal percentage, 61.6%• 1989-1993 John Levitt sets SMC career record for field goals made, 447• 1993-1997 Kamran Sufi sets SMC career record for assists, 507• 1993-1997 Kamran Sufi sets SMC career record for steals, 162• 1995-1999 Brad Millard sets SMC single season record for blocks, 152
All Conference Players• 1990-1991 Eric Bamberger• 1991-1992 Eric Bamberger• 1992-1992 Brian Brazier• 1993-1994 Chris Johnson• 1994-1995 Jumoke Horton, Brent Farris• 1995-1996 Jumoke Horton• 1996-1997 Brad Millard, David Sivulich• 1997-1998 Eric Schraeder, David Sivulich• 1998-1999 Eric Schraeder• 1999-2000 Frank Allocco, Jr.
Other• 1998-1999 Eric Schraeder named WCC Player of the Year
2000-Present• Saint Mary's played to a 2-27 record and did not win a conference game in 2000-01• Randy Bennett was hired as the head coach on April 10, 2001• Snaps a school record 20-game losing streak with a 78-64 win over Sacramento State• 2003-04 posted a 19-12 record, the first winning season since 1996-97• Set a school record with 2,377 points in 2003-04• Paul Marigney scored 40 points against Pepperdine on Feb. 29, 2004, the second best individual scoring output in school history and best against a WCC opponent.• Set a school record with 553 made free throws• Set a school record making 16 3-pointers against Gonzaga on January 8, 2005• 2004-05 team ties a school record with 25 wins.• 25 wins in 2004-05 marked the first 20-win season since the 1988-89 season.• Earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament following a 25-9 record in 2004-05.• Daniel Kickert set the all-time scoring record with 1,863 points in 2006,passing David Vann's 25-year record of 1,738 points.• Advanced to the semi-finals of the WCC Tournament in each of the last six seasons.• Finished second in the conference standings three straight years (2003-06).• Set a school and West Coast Conference record with 178 blocked shots in 2006-07.• Set a single game record with 14 blocked shots against Pepperdine on January 27, 2007
All-Conference Players• 2002-03 Anthony Woodards named WCC Defensive Player of the Year• 2002-03 Samuel Saint-Jean• 2002-03 Daniel Kickert, Paul Marigney• 2004-05 Daniel Kickert Paul Marigney, E.J. Rowland (Honorable Mention)• 2005-06 Daniel Kickert• 2006-07 Diamon Simpson• 2006-07 Omar Samhan named to WCC All-Freshman Team
Other• 2002-03 Daniel Kickert Named Freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com• 2005-06 Diamon Simpson named Freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com• 2006-07 Omar Samhan named Freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com

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2007-08 Season Marks 100th Year of Men's Basketball at SMC

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