MBK | 13 ESPN Appearances Highlight Gaels Hoops Schedule
9/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. -- With back-to-back West Coast Conference championships under its belt and a legitimate All-America candidate at point guard, the Saint Mary's men's basketball program announced a solid non-conference schedule that should prepare it for another postseason run.
The Gaels' schedule features nine teams that participated in postseason last year, six that won at least 20 games and five that were among the top 100 in the final NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
A variety of season ticket packages are currently on sale through the SMC Athletic Ticket Office by calling (925) 631-4402 or visiting the tickets page on SMCGaels.com.
The WCC also announced today the Gaels will play on an ESPN network no fewer than 13 times during the season, including seven during the league's regular-season. SMC will play on ESPN five times in non-conference play. Additional television appearances for every league team will be announced by the WCC at a later date.
"I'm really happy with our schedule," said head coach Randy Bennett, the winningest coach in Saint Mary's history with a 235-118 record and six postseason appearances in 11 seasons. "We have some tough challenges, some good home games and and we'll see some teams that are experienced and well-coached. I think we have a team that can handle some challenges early in the season, particularly on the road, that will help us as we prepare for conference play."
The Gaels open the season with a Nov. 10 contest against Sonoma State before traveling to the first of three true non-conference road games at Utah State on Nov. 15. The Aggies advanced to the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and has won at least 20 games in each of the last 13 seasons.
After a Nov. 18 home game against Eastern Washington, Saint Mary's will join seven other teams for Thanksgiving in Southern California at the Anaheim Classic. The Gaels will face Drexel, which won 29 games, won the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title and advanced to the NIT last season, in a Nov. 22 first round game then will play either Pacific or Xavier the next day. The final day of competition is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 23 and the rest of the field includes Cal, Drake, Georgia Tech and Rice.
Saint Mary's returns home to open the month of December with a game against Cal Poly from the Big West Conference on Dec. 1. The Gaels will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to face Drake in a game that is part of the Anaheim Classic. On Dec. 11, SMC returns home to host Jackson State.
Future WCC member Pacific will visit Moraga on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. The contest will be Tigers head coach Bob Thomason's final visit to McKeon Pavilion as he announced his retirement at the end of the season. Pacific will join the WCC in the fall of 2013.
The Gaels play their final non-conference road game on Saturday, Dec. 22 at Northern Iowa, a team that went 20-14 last season, finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference and advanced to the NIT.
An intriguing trio of opponents open a 3-game homestand prior to league play. Rhode Island, featuring first-year head coach Dan Hurley, visits McKeon Pavilion on Dec. 27. Yale is scheduled for a Dec. 30 appearance, while Harvard, coming off a sparkling 26-5 record and NCAA berth under coach Tommy Amaker, will help the Gaels close out the year on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
The final non-league game of the season will be announced in January when Saint Mary's finds out its opponent for a Feb. 23 Sears Bracketbusters home game.
Saint Mary's will play on an ESPN network seven times in league play, including ESPN2 appearances at Gonzaga (Jan. 10) and Santa Clara (Feb. 7) and at home against Gonzaga (Feb. 14) and BYU (Feb. 21). The Gaels will appear on ESPNU at BYU (Jan. 16), at San Diego (Feb. 9) and at home against Pepperdine (Feb. 27).
A variety of season ticket packages are currently on sale through the SMC Athletic Ticket Office by calling (925) 631-4402 or visiting the tickets page on SMCGaels.com.
MBB | Highlights vs. St. Thomas, 11-3-25
Monday, November 03
MBB | Randy Bennett Postgame Press Availability vs. St. Thomas, Presented by University Credit Union
Monday, November 03
MBB | KRON4 Saint Mary's Men's Basketball Preseason Report
Monday, November 03
MBB | Media Day Live Show
Friday, October 24
