

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MBB | Gaels Land Two Big Honors from NABC
3/15/2022 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — In the week leading up to the NCAA Tournament, the Gaels earn another round of awards to complement their impressive season. The NABC Division I All-District Teams and District Coaches of the Year featured Matthias Tass on the District 9 All Second Team as well as Randy Bennett as the District 9 coach of the year.
Bennett collects his second NABC District 9 Coach of the Year honors after what might be one of the best coaching jobs he has done in his Saint Mary's career. The Gaels were 14-10 and 4-6 in WCC play last year, with multiple COVID-19 pauses disrupting their season. With the entire roster back and three additional freshmen on the roster, he helped turn this Gaels team into an AP Top-25 program. The Gaels are 25-7 and finished WCC play with a 12-3 record, good for second place in the conference standings, and a No. 18 ranking in the latest AP Top-25 Poll. Bennett was also named WCC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career following the conclusion of the regular season.
Matthias Tass achieves his first NABC award, coming off an impressive 12.6 and 6 senior season. His point and rebound totals, as well as his FG% and FT%, were a career high for the Gaels big man, as his consistent scoring and defense helped lead the Gaels to a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tass' 55.33 FG% ranks 34th in the nation this season. In his 28.8 minutes per game, Tass anchored a twelfth ranked Saint Mary's scoring defense in the country. Tass is the first Gael to earn an NABC All District award since 2020 when Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts earned first and second team honors, respectively.
The Gaels find themselves ranked among the NCAA leaders in several categories, including defensively, where SMC is ranked 13th in fewest points per game allowed (61.2) and they also rank inside the top-40 in free throw percentage and scoring margin. Of note, the Gaels beat No. 1 Gonzaga on February 26 to cap off a perfect 16-0 season at home, the first in Saint Mary's history. Their 18-game winning streak at home is tied for the second-longest in Gaels history, and is tied for the third-longest active streak in the NCAA.
District 9
First Team
Alex Barcello - BYU
Jamaree Bouyea - San Francisco
Chet Holmgren - Gonzaga
Drew Timme - Gonzaga
Collin Welp - UC Irvine
Second Team
E.J. Anosike - Cal State Fullerton
Yauhen Massalski - San Francisco
Joel Murray - Long Beach State
Matthias Tass - Saint Mary's
Jalen Williams - Santa Clara
Coach of the Year: Randy Bennett - Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's begins the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Gaels play at 4:20 pm pPT on Thursday against the winner of the No. 12 seed play-in game between Wyoming and Indiana. The fifth-seeded Gaels have earned their best seed in program history, and return to the tournament for the first time since 2019. Thursday's game will be televised on TBS.
Bennett collects his second NABC District 9 Coach of the Year honors after what might be one of the best coaching jobs he has done in his Saint Mary's career. The Gaels were 14-10 and 4-6 in WCC play last year, with multiple COVID-19 pauses disrupting their season. With the entire roster back and three additional freshmen on the roster, he helped turn this Gaels team into an AP Top-25 program. The Gaels are 25-7 and finished WCC play with a 12-3 record, good for second place in the conference standings, and a No. 18 ranking in the latest AP Top-25 Poll. Bennett was also named WCC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career following the conclusion of the regular season.
Matthias Tass achieves his first NABC award, coming off an impressive 12.6 and 6 senior season. His point and rebound totals, as well as his FG% and FT%, were a career high for the Gaels big man, as his consistent scoring and defense helped lead the Gaels to a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tass' 55.33 FG% ranks 34th in the nation this season. In his 28.8 minutes per game, Tass anchored a twelfth ranked Saint Mary's scoring defense in the country. Tass is the first Gael to earn an NABC All District award since 2020 when Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts earned first and second team honors, respectively.
The Gaels find themselves ranked among the NCAA leaders in several categories, including defensively, where SMC is ranked 13th in fewest points per game allowed (61.2) and they also rank inside the top-40 in free throw percentage and scoring margin. Of note, the Gaels beat No. 1 Gonzaga on February 26 to cap off a perfect 16-0 season at home, the first in Saint Mary's history. Their 18-game winning streak at home is tied for the second-longest in Gaels history, and is tied for the third-longest active streak in the NCAA.
District 9
First Team
Alex Barcello - BYU
Jamaree Bouyea - San Francisco
Chet Holmgren - Gonzaga
Drew Timme - Gonzaga
Collin Welp - UC Irvine
Second Team
E.J. Anosike - Cal State Fullerton
Yauhen Massalski - San Francisco
Joel Murray - Long Beach State
Matthias Tass - Saint Mary's
Jalen Williams - Santa Clara
Coach of the Year: Randy Bennett - Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's begins the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Gaels play at 4:20 pm pPT on Thursday against the winner of the No. 12 seed play-in game between Wyoming and Indiana. The fifth-seeded Gaels have earned their best seed in program history, and return to the tournament for the first time since 2019. Thursday's game will be televised on TBS.
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