MBB | Gaels Return to Australia for 2026 Summer Foreign Tour, Register Now to Join Them
5/18/2026 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball team will head back to the Land Down Under ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The Gaels will spend the second and third weeks of August getting prepped for the upcoming season with five exhibition contests and team building events in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The Gaels last visited Australia in 2022. Interested in joining your Gaels in Australia. Register to join along here! Spots are limited so be sure to register early!
The Gaels will begin their trip in Sydney, where they will spend four days and take part in a pair of contests against NBL foes the Illawarra Hawks on August 13 and the Sydney Kings on August 14. This leg of the trip will serve as an early homecoming for true freshman and Sydney native Flynn Pavely, as well as for point guard Joshua Dent, who hails from Wollongong, where the Hawks play. The Illawarra Hawks finished in eighth place in last year's NBL season, while the Sydney Kings won the 2026 NBL Title with a team that featured familiar faces Keli Leaupepe (LMU Class of '24), Tyler Robertson (Portland Class of '24), Lachlan Dent (Older Brother of Joshua Dent) and all-time Gael great Matthew Dellavedova.
After their visit to New South Wales, the Gaels will head south the Melbourne for three days (August 15-17) where they will take on their third NBL foe, South East Melbourne Phoenix (Aug. 16), as well as their first NBL1 foe, the Knox Raiders (Aug. 17). This portion of the tour will be a homecoming for transfer Melbourne native Luke Fennell. South East Melbourne finished in third place in the NBL last season, and will walk out a 2026-27 roster that features a pair of Saint Mary's alums, Jordan Hunter and Tanner Krebs. The NBL1 season is currently ongoing, with Knox sitting at 7-3 with Jordan Hunter on their roster.
The Gaels will wrap up the trip with a visit north to Cairns, located in the state of Queensland and about four hours north of Townsville, home of guard Rory Hawke. Saint Mary's will wrap up the competition portion of its trip with an August 19 matchup against the NBL1 Cairns Marlins. The Marlins are unbeaten in the early portion of their season, and are averaging 100 PPG.
While basketball will be the focus, there will be plenty of time for the Gaels to sight see and experience so much of what the Nation of Australia has to offer. This will include visits to Sydney Harbour, Manly Beach, an Australian Rules Football contest, the Melbourne Skydeck and the Great Barrier Reef, amongst other incredible experiences for the Gaels.
Saint Mary's has had a long standing tradition of outstanding players from Australia, with 27 coming to the Gaels in the last 26 seasons. Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills, and Jock Landale have all reached the NBA after spending time in Moraga. This year's Gael roster will feature four Aussies (Joshua Dent, Rory Hawke, Luke Fennell and Flynn Pavely), the most since the 2023-24 campaign.
#GaelsRise
The Gaels will begin their trip in Sydney, where they will spend four days and take part in a pair of contests against NBL foes the Illawarra Hawks on August 13 and the Sydney Kings on August 14. This leg of the trip will serve as an early homecoming for true freshman and Sydney native Flynn Pavely, as well as for point guard Joshua Dent, who hails from Wollongong, where the Hawks play. The Illawarra Hawks finished in eighth place in last year's NBL season, while the Sydney Kings won the 2026 NBL Title with a team that featured familiar faces Keli Leaupepe (LMU Class of '24), Tyler Robertson (Portland Class of '24), Lachlan Dent (Older Brother of Joshua Dent) and all-time Gael great Matthew Dellavedova.
After their visit to New South Wales, the Gaels will head south the Melbourne for three days (August 15-17) where they will take on their third NBL foe, South East Melbourne Phoenix (Aug. 16), as well as their first NBL1 foe, the Knox Raiders (Aug. 17). This portion of the tour will be a homecoming for transfer Melbourne native Luke Fennell. South East Melbourne finished in third place in the NBL last season, and will walk out a 2026-27 roster that features a pair of Saint Mary's alums, Jordan Hunter and Tanner Krebs. The NBL1 season is currently ongoing, with Knox sitting at 7-3 with Jordan Hunter on their roster.
The Gaels will wrap up the trip with a visit north to Cairns, located in the state of Queensland and about four hours north of Townsville, home of guard Rory Hawke. Saint Mary's will wrap up the competition portion of its trip with an August 19 matchup against the NBL1 Cairns Marlins. The Marlins are unbeaten in the early portion of their season, and are averaging 100 PPG.
While basketball will be the focus, there will be plenty of time for the Gaels to sight see and experience so much of what the Nation of Australia has to offer. This will include visits to Sydney Harbour, Manly Beach, an Australian Rules Football contest, the Melbourne Skydeck and the Great Barrier Reef, amongst other incredible experiences for the Gaels.
Saint Mary's has had a long standing tradition of outstanding players from Australia, with 27 coming to the Gaels in the last 26 seasons. Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills, and Jock Landale have all reached the NBA after spending time in Moraga. This year's Gael roster will feature four Aussies (Joshua Dent, Rory Hawke, Luke Fennell and Flynn Pavely), the most since the 2023-24 campaign.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
MBB | Highlights from Mickey McConnell's Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Mickey McConnell Introductory Press Conference, 3-25-26
Wednesday, March 25
MBB | Liam Campbell, Joshua Dent and Randy Bennett Postgame Interview vs Texas A&M, 3-19-26, presented by University Credit Union
Thursday, March 19
MBB | Harry Wessels, Joshua Dent and Rory Hawke Featured on ESPN Australia
Wednesday, March 18
