Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
Kroner's Corner Vol.16: An Evening of Celebrations
4/16/2025 12:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Saint Mary's players usually display their shooting, passing and rebounding skills at UCU Pavilion. But on Thursday night at the pavilion, the Gaels displayed other skills, notably public speaking and comedic chops.
The men's basketball team held its annual end-of-season banquet. Longtime SMC fan Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area hosted the event with special guest Tom Tolbert, the former NBA forward and longtime KNBR afternoon host who recently started a podcast, the Tom Tolbert Show.
Head coach Randy Bennett, his staff and players shared a meal and laughs with SMC staff and fans. Bennett and Tolbert have been friends for two decades, since Bennett began appearing on KNBR with Tolbert. One big reason for their friendship, Tolbert said, is "our love for basketball."
Tolbert paid tribute to the players on this season's team, which went 29-6, won the outright WCC regular-season title for a second straight year and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. "It's fun to watch you guys play basketball," Tolbert said.
He added that for the Gaels, "it's not about points. It's not about rebounds." He said their main focus is "just about making the right plays to help the team win." Tolbert then entertained the crowd with stories of his playing days with teammates Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr on the 1987-88 Arizona Wildcats, who reached the Final Four.
Tolbert also told a story or two about his days playing for the Warriors in the early 1990s, when his teammates included Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin and Sarunas Marciulionis.
Sarunas' son Augustas was named the WCC Player of the Year for a second straight season. When Bennett spoke about the 2024-25 Gaels, he stressed how important the leadership of Marciulionis and fellow seniors Luke Barrett and Mitchell Saxen was to the team's success.
"This was one of the three best teams we've had here," said Bennett, who just finished his 24th season in Moraga. "We were talented, but where we were the best was our senior leadership."
One highlight of the evening was the annual ritual of players introducing each other to the audience. Bennett began the stretch by introducing freshman guard Liam Campbell, who redshirted this season. The final two introductions were Marciulionis setting up Barrett and then Barrett giving props to his good friend Saxen, the center who was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season.
Many players showed they know how to deftly needle their teammates and coaches. To a man, the players and coaches also showed they truly appreciate each other and they appreciate the men and women in the SMC community who have helped those players and coaches on and off the court.
Note: Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly for KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has begun working alongside Brian Brownfield on the Gaels' men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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