MBK | Gaels Set for Quarterfinal Matchup Versus Utah
3/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 20, 2018
Game 36: Quarterfinal Round NIT vs Utah (21-11, 11-7 Pac-12), Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. PT
Presented by Diablo Valley Insurance
All-time Series: 3-14
TV: ESPN2
Talents: Ted Emrich (PxP), Mark Wise (Color)
Stream: WatchESPN
Live Stream | | Tickets
Quick Bites
The Gaels are in their sixth NIT in program history. SMC has advanced to the NIT in 2008-09, 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Saint Mary's is 7-5 all-time in the National Invitation Tournament. Saint Mary's is now 7-2 all-time at home in NIT games.
Saint Mary's has the nation's fifth best win percentage (85.7). Since 2015-16, the Gaels have won a total 88 games.
30 wins marks the most ever in program history, surpassing 29 set in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Saint Mary's has now appeared in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament three times (2009, 2016 and 2018).
Emmett Naar is second in the nation with 280 assists right behind USC's Jordan McLaughlin with 281.
The last time the Gaels advanced to the Quarterfinals was against Valparaiso University in the 2016 season. This is the first year Saint Mary's will host the Quarterfinals in the NIT at McKeon Pavilion.
Last Time Versus the Runnin' Utes
Saint Mary's last played Utah in the opening round of the 2014 NIT in McKeon Pavilion. The Gaels defeated Utah, 70-58, with 21 points from James Walker III.
Number to Know: 109
Seniors Jock Landale, Emmett Naar and Calvin Hermanson are now the program's all-time winningest trio in Gaels History.
2015-18: Jock Landale, Emmett Naar, Calvin Hermanson (109)
2009-13: Matthew Dellavedova, Tim Williams, Mitch Young (108)
2008-12: Clint Steindl (108)
Ford's Showcase
Jordan Ford is averaging 20.3 points in the last 6 games and is shooting 61.5% from the floor in the last 7 contests. The sophomore's 26 points versus UW was tied 4th most points in a postseason game by a Gael (Al Lewis, 1989 vs Clemson).
30 Win Seasons in California
Since 2007-08, the state of California has produced five 30-win seasons in Division I NCAA Men's Basketball.
San Diego State: (2010-11) 34-3
(2013-14) 31-5
UCLA: (2007-08) 35-4
(2016-17) 31-5
Saint Mary's: (2017-18) 30-5
Big Apple This Year?
SMC has yet to make the semifinals of the NIT and have advanced to the quarterfinals twice:
2009: Loss at San Diego State (70-66, QF)
2011: Loss vs Kent State (71-70, 1st RD)
2014: Loss at Minnesota (63-55, 2nd RD)
2015: Loss vs Vanderbilt (75-64, 1st RD)
2016: Loss vs Valparaiso (60-44, QF)
Saint Mary's is 7-2 all time at home in NIT action and 0-3 on the road.
About the Runnin' Utes
This marks the 44th post-season appearance in school history, and the 14th appearance for the Utes in the NIT. Utah is making its second consecutive NIT appearance after earning an at-large bid into the tournament last season.
Following its win over LSU in the second round, the Utes are now 13-12 all-time in the NIT. Utah won the NIT in 1947 as head coach Vadal Peterson's team defeated Kentucky (49-45) behind the play of Vern Gardner, who was named the tournament's MVP.
Utah scored a season-high 95 points in its win over LSU on Monday, surpassing the 90-point mark for just the second time this season and first since downing Mississippi Valley State, 91-51, back on Nov. 13, 2017 - the team's second game of the season.
Utah seniors Justin Bibbins and David Collette were both named to the All-Pac-12 men's basketball teams. Bibbins was tabbed first-team, while Collette earned second-team honors. Bibbins becomes the fourth Utah player in the past five seasons to earn all-Pac-12 first-team honors (Delon Wright, 2014, 2015; Jakob Poeltl 2016; Kyle Kuzma 2017).
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, March 25
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