One of just two players to have his number (31) retired by Saint Mary's College is Tom Meschery. The 6-6 forward played in Moraga from 1957-61 and averaged 16.7 points and a school record 13.5 rebounds per game. The only SMC basketball player to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, his NBA No. 14 is was also retired by the Warriors organization in the 1970s.
Tom was a second team All-WCAC selection in 1959 as he helped the Gaels post an 11-1 conference record. The Gaels finished that year 19-6 overall and advanced to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament. SMC defeated Idaho State (80-71) to advance to the Eilte Eight, before falling to the eventual national champions Cal 66-46.
The only Saint Mary's player to garner All-American honors, Tom was a two-time All-America selection. Following his junior season when he averaged 16.0 points and 14.2 rebounds per game, he was a first-team All-WCAC selection and an All-American honoree as well. As a senior his numbers ballooned to 20.8 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.9 percent from the field to lead SMC to a 19-7 overall record. He scored 540 points and had 339 rebounds en route to being named the WCAC Player of the Year and an All-America for the second time.
Tom concluded his career at SMC with 1,126 points (now 23rd all-time) and 916 rebounds (now 3rd all-time). His 13.5 rebounds per game for a career is also the best by any player to wear a Saint Mary's uniform.
Following his SMC playing days, he went on to play 10 seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors and the Seattle Supersonics. The seventh overall selection in the 1961 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors, Meschery played 10 seasons in the NBA. In his 10 years he scored 9,904 points, grabbed 6,698 rebounds, and had 1,331 assists in 778 games. He averaged 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
During the 1966-67 and 1967-68 seasons, Meschery averaged double-doubles with 14.5 points and 10.2 rebounds and 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds, respectively. Meschery played four seasons with NBA legend Wilt Chamberlin and helped the Warriors to the NBA Finals in 1967.
