Photo by: Evan Roehrig/Saint Mary's Athletics
MBB | Let the Countdown Begin! Men’s Basketball Locked in at First Official Week of Practice
9/23/2026 1:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's Men's Basketball has begun their first week of official practice this week, which can only mean one thing…the season is just around the corner. The Gaels will play a home exhibition against fellow 2026 NCAA Tournament team Utah State in 25 days on October 17, and will officially open their season in 40 days against Illinois State on November 2. Get your tickets today at smcgaels.com/ticketsÂ
During the early season stretch, the Gaels will also play in quality neutral site matchups with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8), UCLA in San Diego (Nov. 26) and either Georgetown or Texas (Nov. 27), and also host three teams in nonconference play, who made the 2026 NCAA Tournament in North Dakota State (Nov. 4), Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and Hofstra (Dec. 1).
The Gaels will be tested early and often as Saint Mary's builds upon its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, while being led by Gael legend and now first-year head coach Mickey McConnell, and returning the only All-WCC honoree in Joshua Dent.Â
There is a good balance of returners and newcomers in competitive drills and runs at practice. Competition is the word that comes to mind when watching these gritty Gaels grind it out in each and every minute of action in practice. Dent is the only returning starter for the Gaels, but the Gaels return Mantas Juzenas, Rory Hawke and Kevin Gad, who have all started games in their Saint Mary's careers. On top of that group, transfers Vangelis Zougris (Louisville), Jeremy Dent-Smith (Stanford) and Thomas Ndong (Cal Baptist) all started games for their respective programs a year ago, and redshirt junior Jazz Gardner started at Pacific before transferring to Moraga and taking a redshirt year last season. All this being said, there is a clear competition for key roles this year, and it has brought out the best of all of these Gaels, both returners and newcomers, in these lively practice sessions.Â
While these are the first official practices ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Gaels have plenty of familiarity with one another, after spending nearly two weeks on a foreign tour of Australia. This offered both an opportunity to bond as a group as well as an ability to take on stout competition against NBL and NBL1 foes, as the Gaels were able to show off their new identity on the floor under Coach McConnell. On the court, the Gaels were led by Vangelis Zougris, who scored in double-figures every game, averaging nearly 16 points per contest, while adding six boards per game and shooting 68% from the field. Mantas Juzenas added 13 PPG, including a tour-high 24 points in the opener against the Illawarra Hawks, while Joshua Dent averaged 11 PPG and 3 APG.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
A new era of Saint Mary's Men's Basketball officially tips off this fall with former standout Gael Mickey McConnell now serving as the Gaels' head coach after having been an instrumental piece of the program for decades, first as a student-athlete and then as associate head coach.
Saint Mary's has built a competitive non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season, which includes a home game against Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and neutral site contests with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8) and UCLA (Nov. 26) and Texas or Georgetown (Nov. 27) during Feast Week in San Diego's Rady Children's Invitational. The Gaels will also be tested during road games at Oklahoma State (Dec. 5) and New Mexico (Dec. 12).
Saint Mary's Men's Basketball season tickets are available now and can be purchased by clicking HERE.
The Gaels, who are seeking their fifth straight West Coast Conference title and sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, will also play a designated 16-game league slate with home and road games against LMU, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Seattle U, along with one home-only opponent (San Diego) and one away-only opponent (Denver), as the conference officially announced on June 2.Â
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
Built by generations of Gaels. Driven by the work that comes next.
2026–27 SEASON TICKETS — CLAIM YOUR SEAT HERE
Â
During the early season stretch, the Gaels will also play in quality neutral site matchups with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8), UCLA in San Diego (Nov. 26) and either Georgetown or Texas (Nov. 27), and also host three teams in nonconference play, who made the 2026 NCAA Tournament in North Dakota State (Nov. 4), Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and Hofstra (Dec. 1).
The Gaels will be tested early and often as Saint Mary's builds upon its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, while being led by Gael legend and now first-year head coach Mickey McConnell, and returning the only All-WCC honoree in Joshua Dent.Â
There is a good balance of returners and newcomers in competitive drills and runs at practice. Competition is the word that comes to mind when watching these gritty Gaels grind it out in each and every minute of action in practice. Dent is the only returning starter for the Gaels, but the Gaels return Mantas Juzenas, Rory Hawke and Kevin Gad, who have all started games in their Saint Mary's careers. On top of that group, transfers Vangelis Zougris (Louisville), Jeremy Dent-Smith (Stanford) and Thomas Ndong (Cal Baptist) all started games for their respective programs a year ago, and redshirt junior Jazz Gardner started at Pacific before transferring to Moraga and taking a redshirt year last season. All this being said, there is a clear competition for key roles this year, and it has brought out the best of all of these Gaels, both returners and newcomers, in these lively practice sessions.Â
While these are the first official practices ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Gaels have plenty of familiarity with one another, after spending nearly two weeks on a foreign tour of Australia. This offered both an opportunity to bond as a group as well as an ability to take on stout competition against NBL and NBL1 foes, as the Gaels were able to show off their new identity on the floor under Coach McConnell. On the court, the Gaels were led by Vangelis Zougris, who scored in double-figures every game, averaging nearly 16 points per contest, while adding six boards per game and shooting 68% from the field. Mantas Juzenas added 13 PPG, including a tour-high 24 points in the opener against the Illawarra Hawks, while Joshua Dent averaged 11 PPG and 3 APG.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
A new era of Saint Mary's Men's Basketball officially tips off this fall with former standout Gael Mickey McConnell now serving as the Gaels' head coach after having been an instrumental piece of the program for decades, first as a student-athlete and then as associate head coach.
Saint Mary's has built a competitive non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season, which includes a home game against Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and neutral site contests with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8) and UCLA (Nov. 26) and Texas or Georgetown (Nov. 27) during Feast Week in San Diego's Rady Children's Invitational. The Gaels will also be tested during road games at Oklahoma State (Dec. 5) and New Mexico (Dec. 12).
Saint Mary's Men's Basketball season tickets are available now and can be purchased by clicking HERE.
The Gaels, who are seeking their fifth straight West Coast Conference title and sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, will also play a designated 16-game league slate with home and road games against LMU, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Seattle U, along with one home-only opponent (San Diego) and one away-only opponent (Denver), as the conference officially announced on June 2.Â
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
Built by generations of Gaels. Driven by the work that comes next.
2026–27 SEASON TICKETS — CLAIM YOUR SEAT HERE
Â
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