Kroner's Corner 25-26 Vol. 2: What We Learned in Week One

Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom

Kroner's Corner 25-26 Vol. 2: What We Learned in Week One

11/11/2025 10:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: Steve Kroner

For Saint Mary's fans still trying to get themselves acquainted with the 2025-26 Gaels after two games, here's some solace:

You're not alone.

The man most responsible for the success of the SMC program over the past two decades, head coach Randy Bennett, also is in the get-to-know phase of this season.

Well, that's not exactly correct. Bennett surely is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all the players on his roster, but he's still searching for the proper order and combinations for the back end of what likely will be an eight- or nine-man rotation.

That's in stark contrast to last season, when the Gaels had a much more experienced team. The Gaels were led by three players who had a combined 11 seasons of experience in the SMC program entering 2024-25: guard Augustas Marciulionis, forward Luke Barrett and center Mitchell Saxen.

"Last year, it didn't take long at all" to figure out how the rotation would take shape, Bennett said after SMC's 87-66 over Chattanooga on Friday night. "I knew who our best players were. I knew who we were playing off of and I knew our players 1 through 8 or 9 that were playing. I knew that Day 1.

"This year, it's not like that. I know who our best players are, but sorting out the others …"

Bennett then paused and mentioned several players who could fill significant roles this season, including freshman swingmen Dillan Shaw and Mantas Juzenas, redshirt freshman guards Rory Hawke and Liam Campbell and sophomore guard Tony Duckett, a transfer from San Diego.

"We're still sorting it out," Bennett said. "It's more challenging this year. It's what I think about after every practice every day: What's the best nine?"
Bennett added that he's "glad we're playing the first six games at home."

The Gaels were impressive in the first two, dusting St. Thomas 84-58 on Nov. 3 and then handling the Mocs on Friday night.

Game 3 is set for Tuesday evening when the Ohio Bobcats (1-1) come to UCU Pavilion. SMC senior center Harry Wessels is considered questionable to play Tuesday; he missed Friday's game with a foot injury.

With Wessels sidelined, Andrew McKeever played 36 minutes and had 16 points and eight rebounds. The 7-foot-2 redshirt sophomore went 7-for-8 from the floor.

Bennett thought McKeever "was as important as anybody (against the Mocs) and I thought he played well."

When a point guard goes 1-for-7 from the field, it's odd to say he played well, but Joshua Dent had that shooting line and nevertheless put together a productive night. The sophomore from Australia had six assists, two turnovers and a game-high plus-minus of plus-24.

In the two games, Dent has dished out 12 assists and committed only those two giveaways.

The main men for Saint Mary's in the first two games were no surprise: Sophomore guard Mikey Lewis poured in a combined 51 points, going 8-for-13 from beyond the arc and connecting on all 15 of his free-throw tries. Junior forward Paulius Murauskas had 39 points (12-for-19 from the floor), 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

"Credit to them: These guys have to show up and they have," Bennett said of Lewis and Murauskas. "It's hard to do every night but they have a lot of leash and they've earned it.
"We just have to keep them getting better defensively."

Defending on-ball screens and taking better care of the basketball – the Gaels committed 25 turnovers in two games – are areas in which Bennett would like to see his team improve.

Scouting the Bobcats: Ohio's two games this season were both at home and both decided by four points: The Bobcats lost 89-85 to Arkansas State on Nov. 3, then edged Illinois State 72-68 on Thursday. Arkansas State comes to Moraga on Nov. 19. … Senior forward Aidan Hadaway (36 points, 14 rebounds in two games) and senior guard Jackson Paveletzke (35 points, 8 assists, 3 steals) lead Ohio. … The Bobcats have won two of the three meetings with the Gaels, but SMC prevailed in the most recent game, a 70-63 decision in the 2007 Rainbow Classic final. Patty Mills led the Gaels with 23 points.

Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season working as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC's men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.