Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
MBB | WCC-Best Three Gaels Named to Preseason All-Conference Team, Saint Mary’s Picked to Finish Second
10/23/2025 12:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — With WCC Media Day kicking off today, the West Coast Conference has announced their preseason all-conference team and coaches poll. The Gaels have been picked to finish second in the WCC for the second straight season, despite winning at least a share of the conference title in each of the last three years. The Gaels also have the most preseason All-WCC selections, with Mikey Lewis, Paulius Murauskas and Harry Wessels all appearing on the preseason all-conference list. Here's a look at the full preseason poll and all-conference team:
2025-26 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
2025-26 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Team
The Gaels have been picked to finish second in the WCC in each of the last two preseason polls, behind Gonzaga. A season ago, Gonzaga garnered nine of the possible 11 first place votes, with Saint Mary's and San Francisco each earning one vote. With newcomer Seattle U adding an extra vote to the mix, the Gaels this year have received two of the possible 12 first place votes, with Gonzaga earning nine and San Francisco once again earning one. Despite being picked second in the preseason poll a year ago, the Gaels won the WCC by a hefty three game margin, their largest ever margin.
Last year's WCC Sixth Man of the Year, Mikey Lewis is one of just two underclassmen to earn a spot on the preseason all-conference team, joining San Francisco's Tyrone Riley IV. The Oakland native brought a pop of energy off the bench in every game for the Gaels, averaging 8.2 points per contest, and burying a team-high 58 three pointers at a team-best 37.4% clip. While Lewis had some standout performances in his freshman campaign, arguably his largest came in the Gaels WCC Regular Season Title clinching victory in Spokane, when he buried 5-7 three point attempts against the Zags, scoring a team-high 18 points in 18 minutes in the victory.
Back for year two with the Gaels, Paulius Murauskas makes his way onto the preseason all-conference team after being named last year's WCC Newcomer of the Year. The Arizona Wildcat turned Saint Mary's Gael took the WCC by storm last season, leading the conference with 13 double-doubles, making him the first Gael to record double digit double-doubles since Jock Landale. Six of those double-doubles came in conference play, including a 30 point, 10 rebounds onslaught against Washington State, in which Murauskas became the first Gaels since Logan Johnson in 2023 to score 30 in a game.
Coming off of a breakout campaign, big man Harry Wessels rounds out the group of preseason all-conference honorees. The Boddington, West Australia native saw career marks in scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and minutes played a year ago, coming off the bench at the five. Wessels biggest moment of his junior campaign came in Moraga when the Gaels played host to Gonzaga. On for a fouled out Mitchell Saxen, Wessels knocked down a pair of free throws with less than a minute to go to push the Gaels ahead 60-58, followed by the game clinching block on the ensuing Zag possession, as Saint Mary's would go onto win 62-58.
Lewis, Murauskas and Wessels will all be in attendance for WCC Media Day today. The Gaels will play one final exhibition this season in Oxford, Mississippi against the Rebels of Ole Miss on Sunday, October 26, and will open their season at home on Monday, November 3 against St. Thomas.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
2025-26 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Place | Team | First Place | Points |
| 1. | Gonzaga | 9 | 119 |
| 2. | Saint Mary's | 2 | 109 |
| 3. | San Francisco | 1 | 98 |
| 4. | Santa Clara | 92 | |
| 5. | Oregon State | 76 | |
| 6. | Washington State | 69 | |
| 7. | LMU | 61 | |
| 8. | Seattle U | 53 | |
| 9. | San Diego | 36 | |
| 10. | Pacific | 32 | |
| 11. | Pepperdine | 24 | |
| 12. | Portland | 23 |
2025-26 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Team
| Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
| Ryan Beasley | Jr. | G | San Francisco |
| Thierry Darlan | Jr. | G | Santa Clara |
| Braden Huff | Jr. | F | Gonzaga |
| Graham Ike | Sr. | F | Gonzaga |
| Mikey Lewis | So. | G | Saint Mary's |
| Elijah Mahi | Sr. | F | Santa Clara |
| Paulius Murauskas | Jr. | F | Saint Mary's |
| Elias Ralph | Sr. | F | Pacific |
| Tyrone Riley IV | So. | G | San Francisco |
| Harry Wessels | Sr. | C | Saint Mary's |
The Gaels have been picked to finish second in the WCC in each of the last two preseason polls, behind Gonzaga. A season ago, Gonzaga garnered nine of the possible 11 first place votes, with Saint Mary's and San Francisco each earning one vote. With newcomer Seattle U adding an extra vote to the mix, the Gaels this year have received two of the possible 12 first place votes, with Gonzaga earning nine and San Francisco once again earning one. Despite being picked second in the preseason poll a year ago, the Gaels won the WCC by a hefty three game margin, their largest ever margin.
Last year's WCC Sixth Man of the Year, Mikey Lewis is one of just two underclassmen to earn a spot on the preseason all-conference team, joining San Francisco's Tyrone Riley IV. The Oakland native brought a pop of energy off the bench in every game for the Gaels, averaging 8.2 points per contest, and burying a team-high 58 three pointers at a team-best 37.4% clip. While Lewis had some standout performances in his freshman campaign, arguably his largest came in the Gaels WCC Regular Season Title clinching victory in Spokane, when he buried 5-7 three point attempts against the Zags, scoring a team-high 18 points in 18 minutes in the victory.
MIKEY LEWIS WITH THE THREE AND THE FOUL 🗣️🗣️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/cfzM6CFSbI
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) February 23, 2025
Back for year two with the Gaels, Paulius Murauskas makes his way onto the preseason all-conference team after being named last year's WCC Newcomer of the Year. The Arizona Wildcat turned Saint Mary's Gael took the WCC by storm last season, leading the conference with 13 double-doubles, making him the first Gael to record double digit double-doubles since Jock Landale. Six of those double-doubles came in conference play, including a 30 point, 10 rebounds onslaught against Washington State, in which Murauskas became the first Gaels since Logan Johnson in 2023 to score 30 in a game.
Have yourself a night, Paulius!
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) February 16, 2025
This basket marks the first time a Gael has scored 3⃣0⃣ points in a game since Logan Johnson (2023) !#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/w4DuxqzFcT
Coming off of a breakout campaign, big man Harry Wessels rounds out the group of preseason all-conference honorees. The Boddington, West Australia native saw career marks in scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and minutes played a year ago, coming off the bench at the five. Wessels biggest moment of his junior campaign came in Moraga when the Gaels played host to Gonzaga. On for a fouled out Mitchell Saxen, Wessels knocked down a pair of free throws with less than a minute to go to push the Gaels ahead 60-58, followed by the game clinching block on the ensuing Zag possession, as Saint Mary's would go onto win 62-58.
Aussie Block Party 🥳#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/jjnKnmRmLR
— Saint Mary's Hoops (@saintmaryshoops) February 2, 2025
Lewis, Murauskas and Wessels will all be in attendance for WCC Media Day today. The Gaels will play one final exhibition this season in Oxford, Mississippi against the Rebels of Ole Miss on Sunday, October 26, and will open their season at home on Monday, November 3 against St. Thomas.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE.
#GaelsRise
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