Saint Mary's Basketball

In an amazing upset against the No. 2 seeded Villanova Wildcats on Saturday, we learned a lot about how scary of a team Saint Mary's can be for the rest of the tournament.

With an impressive 75-68 win against the Wildcats, we have found out for sure that the Gaels can play and we have learned quite a lot about them after this win. Here are a few things we have learned after the victory: 

Omar Samhan is the best Center in this years tournament

Yes, I know that this is a long shot to say that he is the best center in the tournament just after two impressive games, but have any other centers made this much of an impact on a team as he has? He is undoubtedly the best player and the leader on this Cinderella team.

During the season as well, he was also the center who made the biggest impact on his team. In these two games, he has averaged 30.5 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game. He has also been just dominating games and has made sure to not get enough fouls to foul out of the game, which is one problem he has.

Even though he does look very wide, he still can play and he does remind me of a young Shaq or a young Dejuan Blair. After seeing his two big performances I can guarantee you that his draft stock is rising and a lot of NBA scouts will be looking at drafting him.

The Australians "got game"

Throughout the game I was hearing quite a lot about the Australians who are playing in the Gaels' starting lineup (Ben Allen, Clint Steindl, and Matthew Dellavedova). At first, I was a bit skeptical of how good the Australians were going to be. But after seeing the three Australians play today, I can see why Saint Mary's coach, Randy Bennett, would go so far away to get stellar talent.

On the offensive end, only the freshman Dellavedova was hot from the field, with 14 points and some good 3-point shooting during the game. But the most impressive part of the Australians' game was their defensive gameplay, as all three Australians in the starting lineup held Villanova to 36 percent shooting in the game. Also, the Australians held Villanova's big three (Fisher, Redding, and Reynolds) to only 22 points combined throughout the afternoon.

Saint Mary's can beat Baylor in the next round to get to the Elite Eight if Baylor beats Old Dominion

Yes, I know what your thinking: that if Baylor wins against Old Dominion, it will be the end of the Cinderella story for Saint Mary's. But by seeing the Gaels win these last two tough games, anything is possible for Saint Mary's.

First of all, there are some key things that Saint Mary's will have to do if they want to beat a team like Baylor or Old Dominion in the next round. The key to winning the game is defense, defense, and defense. I know it sounds corny, that defense wins games, but that is how Saint Mary's beat Villanova. The reason they won was that they tried to stay out of foul trouble and held Villanova best players to all under 10 points.

With Samhan, Dellavedova, and Micky McConnell scoring well on the offensive end, then all the Gaels will need to really worry about is stopping the good scorers on Old Dominion or Baylor. If Old Dominion wins, then Saint Mary's will need to have Ben Allen especially step up because Old Dominion's big men (Frank Hassell and Gerald Lee) are really good scorers.

If Baylor wins, then the big three of Saint Mary's (Samhan, Dellavedova, and McConnell) really need to step up to stop Baylor's big three, with guards LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, plus Center Ekpe Udoh.

It'll be a tough road for Saint Mary's to beat either team, but with Samhan playing outstanding on the offensive and with some really good defense by the rest of the team, Saint Mary's will have a date against the other team in the South in the Elite Eight.

For more information about the writing of this author go onto www.thesportsdish.com and if you would like to write for his sports blog or add your articles to the sports blog email him at chiballa4life@aim.com

Omar Samhan is a 6'11", 260-pound center from San Ramon, Calif., and he is a senior on Saint Mary's basketball team.

He is possibly the best player in the NCAA tournament that you have never heard of, but with Saint Mary's recent win over Villanova, maybe he'll become more well known.

He is physically dominating under the basket with his size, and he can even step back and shoot a mid-range jump shot.

His physical dominance shows up not only in the game, but on the stat sheet. He is averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game on the season.

This season has really been his coming-out party, although he has been a solid contributor throughout his time at Saint Mary's. His best season up to this one was last year, when he averaged 14 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game.

I even think that you can argue that Omar Samhan is the best player in the NCAA tournament, period. No one has even come close to performing the same or better, and they have also not come close to putting up similar numbers.

Samhan is not pulling a Luke Harangody—he is showing up big time in the NCAA tournament. He has put up 29 and 32 points, respectively, against Richmond and Villanova.

Not only is he scoring, but he is making the opposing team's players think twice before going into the lane against him. And when they do drive the lane, he is making them alter their shot.

Samhan is almost carrying Saint Mary's through the tournament, and I would even dare to say that they have a very good chance to beat the winner of the Baylor/Old Dominion game.

I don't think that anybody left in the South Region has the size to defend Omar Samhan or the rest of the Saint Mary's team.

If Saint Mary's plays well, they can make it to the Elite Eight. And if everything goes their way, they can possibly make it to the Final Four by defeating the Duke Blue Devils.

Had enough March Madness yet?

Things are just starting to get interesting—so sit back, relax, and watch the Cinderellas crush your bracket.

In an almost unfathomable scenario, 6'11" Omar Samhan led his Gaels to a 75-68 victory over the Final Four-projected, No. 2-seeded Villanova Wildcats.

Yes, you read that right. St. Mary's College just toppled a juggernaut—Jay Wright's Wildcats are finished, forced to watch the rest of this weekend's games from the comfort of their hotel. 

Samhan pounded his way to a game-high 32 points and looked nearly unstoppable in the paint. 'Nova had no answer for the Gaels' big man—none whatsoever, zilch, zero.

The Gaels are pushing the trend of tournament shockers, one Samhan post-move at a time.

The so-called "little guys" are showing up in a big way: Upsets seem to be a trend thus far, with each "Cinderella's" win more and more impressive.

Ohio stunned third-seeded Georgetown 97-83, a No. 14 slotted team over one of the Big East's top dogs (pardon the pun).

Louisville fell victim to California 77-62  in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 duel. The Cardinals' loss wasn't exactly a shocker, but it did turn some heads—the Pac 10 needed that one. 

These losses have turned heads away from the Big East. The conference was believed to be the nation's cream of the crop in regards to college basketball, but its upper-echelon teams like Marquette, Georgetown, and Villanova are taking a not-so-graceful early bow.

It is now up to West Virginia to right league's ship, and show the world of college basketball that it won't endure the same fate that its counterparts have—dropping like flies.

How many of these underdogs are going to keep riding their waves of confidence?

Murray State? Old Dominion? 

The aforementioned teams are precisely the reason why millions of college hoops fans watch the madness—to witness the incredible, improbable, and flat-out exciting double-digit seed teams slay giants.

And on the other hand, those giant-killers are precisely the reason why your bracket is likely in shambles.

How hot for how long?

That's the real question that the Gaels are facing. Will dominant play down low continue to trek them along?

What about the perimeter attack?

That all depends on how long its long-ball artists stay hot, how long the sharpshooters ride their momentum. Mickey McConnell stroked 3-for-6 from three-point range, and timely ones at that.

Samhan may have a little something to do with St. Mary's new found glory, too. The center posted his fifth 30-plus-point game of the season, and was just shy of that mark against Richmond in the opening round of festivities, with 29.

The San Ramon, Calif. native is beasting his way into March's calamitous limelight. Forget about guys like Scottie Reynolds, they are done.

Forget about Greg Monroe—there is a new tower looking to claim the nation's attention; and it's St. Mary's 6'11" monster in the middle, Samhan.

The Gaels are now officially one of the hottest tournament stories, thanks to their escapades against Villanova.

Let the madness ensue.

Last year the Saint Mary's Gaels got super-Aussie Patty Mills back just in time to make a run at securing an NCAA bid only to get drilled by their kryptonite (aka Gonzaga).  This year they faced the same scenario with more support in their case for an at-large bid and an unlikely super-Aussie in the form of freshman Jordan Page. Page had one double-digit scoring effort this season before breaking that barrier in both conference tourney games.

As it turns out, the Gaels didn't need the pundits to stump for them as they took care of business.  Might this be the first year the Gaels win a tourney game?  They're probably a nine seed and those 8/9 games are always a coin flip.  If Omar Samhan can matchup against a smaller center it could definitely happen.

Meanwhile, Siena and Old Dominion also eliminated hand-wringing by the selection committee as they won their conference tourneys, though Siena once again made it interesting by eliminating a 15-point lead and hunting down the Fairfield Stags in overtime. 

Finally, the Wofford Terriers became the first team to make their Dance debut by running out to an early lead over Appie State(who were saddened by the fact they would not face the Michigan football squad) and holding on for dear life.  Congrats, doggies.  Now fall ever so gently upon that sword as a 14-seed.

Little has changed since yesterday but I'll post the bracket again.

East Region(Syracuse)

1 Duke(ACC) v. 16 Lehigh(Patriot)

2 Kansas State(Big 12) v. 15 Vermont(America East)

3 Michigan State(Big 10) v. 14 Sam Houston State(Southland)

4 Temple(Atlantic 10) v. 13 MURRAY STATE(OVC)

5 Tennessee(SEC) v. 12 Arizona State(Pac-10)

6 Georgetown(Big East) v. 11 San Diego State(MWC)

7 Northern Iowa(MVC) v. 10 Virginia Tech(ACC)

8 Oklahoma State(Big 12) v. 9 Notre Dame(Big East)

South Region(Houston)

1 Kentucky(SEC) v. 16 Jackson State(SWAC)

2 West Virginia(Big East) v. 15 Morgan State(MEAC)

3 Ohio State(Big 10) v. 14 WOFFORD(Southern)

4 Texas A&M(Big 12) v. 13 SIENA(MAAC)

5 Brigham Young(MWC) v. 12 Rhode Island(Atlantic-10)

6 Gonzaga(WCC) v. 11 OLD DOMINION(CAA)

7 Florida State(ACC) v. 10 Missouri(Big 12)

8 Clemson(ACC) v. 9 Marquette(Big East)

Midwest Region(St. Louis)

1 Kansas(Big 12) v. 16 Play-In Winner

2 New Mexico(MWC) v. 15 North Texas(Sun Belt)

3 Villanova(Big East) v. 14 Oakland(Summit)

4 Maryland(ACC) v. 13 Kent State(MAC)

5 Wisconsin(Big 10) v. 12 Memphis (Conference USA)

6 Richmond(Atlantic 10) v. 11 Utah State(WAC)

7 Texas(Big 12) v. 10 Ole Miss(SEC)

8 Louisville(Big East) v. 9 ST. MARY’S(WCC)

West Region(Salt Lake City)

1 Syracuse(Big East) v. 16 Quinnipiac(Northeast)

2 Purdue(Big 10) v. 15 Pacific(Big West)

3 Pittsburgh(Big East) v. 14 Weber State(Big Sky)

4 Baylor(Big 12) v. 13 CORNELL(Ivy)

5 Butler(Horizon) v. 12 Georgia Tech(ACC)

6 Vanderbilt(SEC) v. 11 California(Pac-10)

7 Wake Forest(ACC) v. 10 Nevada Las-Vegas(MWC)

8 Xavier(Atlantic-10) v. 9 Texas El-Paso(Conference USA)

Play-In Game: ETSU(Atlantic Sun) v. WINTHROP(Big South)

With Saturday’s 81-76 win over the University of Oregon, Saint Mary’s quietly remains atop the West Coast Conference in overall standings.

Before the season started, nobody was expecting much out of Saint Mary’s College. They lost their star Aussie Patty Mills to the NBA Draft, and the school’s all-time leader in rebounds, blocks, steals, and free throws in Diamon Simpson to graduation. It was said by many that not only would they finish behind WCC powerhouse Gonzaga, but they might also finish behind the University of San Diego and Portland.

Well, don’t look now, but coach Randy Bennett and Saint Mary’s (7-1) could well be on their way to yet another top 25 ranking and a third consecutive season playing past the regular season (last year in the NIT, the year before that in the NCAA tournament). Maybe C Omar Samham was right when he told the San Francisco Chronicle this was not a rebuilding year, but just a remodeling year.

While they, like every mid-major, have a hard time creating a competitive schedule, they are 2 points away from being undefeated, as they lost to Vanderbilt 72-70. Their other wins have been over New Mexico State, San Diego State, Cal Poly, Cal Maritime, San Jose State, and Utah State.

In the Utah State game, which they won 68-63, they stopped the Aggies’ home winning streak at 37, and the nation barely seemed to notice.

And while Simpson and Mills are of course missed, their loss has been cushioned due to the emergence of a different Aussie in freshmen Matthew Dellavedova (13.9 ppg), who has been compared to the likes of Steve Nash.

Omar Samham is their senior leader as well as their leader in points, averaging 19.6 a game, and rebounds where he averages 12.4 a game. F Ben Allen , whom many had written off due to his erratic play last year, seems to have stepped up and is playing respectably in his senior year.

Furthermore, while Mickey McConnell is no Patty Mills, he certainly knows how to play the point well enough, and is leading the team with 6.3 apg and 1.4 stl/g.

Saint Mary’s will most likely go into conference play with only two losses, unless they find the will to win the Diamondhead Classic in Hawaii, which features: Hawaii, Southern California, SMU, UNLV, College of Charleston, Western Michigan, and Northeastern.

Come March, we may very well see Saint Mary’s in the tournament, or at least gain another NIT bid, with Samham saying “I told you so.”

Even though the Gaels' season ended one game short of a trip to Madison Square Garden, does that mean Patty Mills won't be at Madison Square Garden before year's end?

Although not as hot a topic as Davidson's Stephen Curry or as impacting as Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, Mills could join their ranks at the NBA Draft in June. He has been predicted as high as a lottery pick and as low as not being drafted at all.

If you were a NBA executive, what would be your take on Mr. Mills?

Let's look at the positives:

1. Mills can take control of a game at any moment. Because he is a very streaky shooter, he can become incredibly hot very quickly. He showed this against Gonzaga by going 6-8 from three-point range in the first half before he broke his wrist. His crowning achievement was his SMC freshman record 37 points against Oregon last season.
2. His leadership ability. Even though he is only a sophomore, he became the team's emotional leader and as he went, so did the team. He is always the first off the bench to congratulate a teammate and puts the team before anything else.
3. His speed is his most glaring attribute. At the Beijing Olympics, he was able to leave Deron Williams and Chris Paul trailing behind him. The kid's speed with the ball has been compared to Tony Parker and Monta Ellis.

Of course with every positive, there is a negative:

1. He is a streaky shooter. He will have games where he goes 6-8 from the field but he will have games where he shoots 7-24. His shot is inconsistent at best. He shot a hair above 40 percent for the season, although improving his three-point and free throw percentage. There is a chance he will improve and common sense says he will.
2. Is he injury prone? After an injury, especially a wrist injury, you need to see if it is a recurring theme. This is something that can only be found out in time.
3. Can he limit his turnovers? He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.2. This was tied for 21st...in the West Coast Conference. This is completely inexcusable for a point guard. He is out of control at times and loses the ball many times by driving into an overcrowded lane.
   

Taking these things into consideration, Mills is better served by staying another year, despite a weak draft class, and honing his shot and turnover prowess. This will also allow him to play with his native Australia and improve before he returns for the college basketball season.

According to DraftExpress, Mills will declare for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent. He is leaving the option to return to Saint Mary's but begs the question, should he?

As the Saint Mary's Gaels enter the offseason following their NIT quarterfinal loss to San Diego State, there are many questions that must be answered before next season.

1. The Status of Patty Mills

The most pressing issue is whether or not Patty Mills will return to the Gaels for his junior season or jump to the NBA. Some ESPN pundits have him as high as the lottery, but many draft boards have him down in the late first round, if at all.

If he is to be a lottery pick, it will be "Adios, Moraga" and "Hello, NYC" for Patty. If not, he will be the key to a team that could possibly win 20 or more games again.

2. Replacing Diamon Simpson

Is there anything harder than replacing someone who holds six school records? Probably not.

Let's see...Simpson is tops in university history in rebounds, steals, blocks, free throws made, free throws attempted, and wins. He is also the only player in WCC history to win two Defensive Player of the Year awards (2007-2008, 2008-2009).

Freshman Tim Williams, who red-shirted this past season, will more than likely be the starting power forward next year, but how will the freshman adjust? He is incredibly athletic and is more explosive on the offensive end than Simpson, but there will probably be a rotational system, and possibly four guards in the lineup at times.

3. Will Randy Bennett Stay?

It is the question that comes up after every year for a successful mid-major. Will the coach stay? Virginia Commonwealth just lost their head coach to Alabama.

If the University of Arizona or Oregon come calling, who's to say Bennett wouldn't leave?

He might be a good fit for the Ducks, as they are looking to rebuild that program. Bennett has experience with such projects, as when he took over at Saint Mary's, the team was 2-27.

After eight years at the helm of the Gaels, you never know.

4. Progression of Role Players

I'm speaking of Wayne Hunter, Ben Allen, Clint Steindl, Mickey McConnell, Collin Chiverton, and Tim Williams.

The progression of these six players will be the key to the Gaels' success. Whether or not Mills returns, the production of center Omar Samhan will not be enough to carry a team; the good news is that McConnell and Hunter made great strides this season.

Many believed McConnell would be red-shirted, but he developed into a very serviceable point guard. His biggest problem was turnovers; they may have been due to first-year jitters or his lack of quickness. His ability to handle the ball and control the game could mean a difference of two or three wins over a campaign.

Hunter's shot improved drastically from his freshman and sophomore years. He became a reliable three-point shooter and ended the season at 37.8 percent. To boot, he'll be a candidate for 2010 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, and outside of Mills, was the best on the team at creating his own shot.

Steindl has the most fluid shot of anybody in a Gael uniform. His ability to consistently hit his shot could make the squad one of the best long-distance shooting teams on the West Coast.

Allen's toughness down low and the progression of freshmen Williams and Chiverton will also be crucial.

After consecutive seasons of 25 wins, this mid-major is looking to continue their success and prove something in the NCAA Tournament. To say the least, this will be a crucial summer for the Gaels' program.

Stephen Curry. Patty Mills.

Two of the best point guards in the nation and neither of them are on the biggest stage in college basketball. Oh, well. It will still make for one hell of a showdown Monday night.

Curry captured the imagination of every college basketball fan during Davidson's NCAA Tournament run last season—dropping 40 on Gonzaga—another 30 on Gonzaga.

He followed this by leading the nation in scoring and helping his Wildcats to 27 wins.

Can anybody match this guy?

Well, how about the freshman who stormed the scene last season to get Saint Mary's to an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament?

Mills led the Gaels in scoring last season and was quickly noticed by the national media, when he dropped a Saint Mary's freshman record 37 points on then—No. 11 Oregon.

After his first college season, he captured the international stage in Beijing for the 2008 Australian National Team. He led the Aussies by averaging 14 points per game.

Most notably, he dropped 20 points on Team USA, while being guarded by NBA All-Stars Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Jason Kidd.

He then proceeded to return to California and lead Saint Mary's to a school-record 27 wins. All the while, he was injured for a month with two broken bones in his wrist until the West Coast Conference Tournament.

Both could be playing in the NBA next season but for now, they will settle for the second round of the NIT.

Monday night, the two teams will meet each other for the first time and highlighting the sold-out event is the Curry-Mills matchup. The two guards combined to average near 50 points per game, and both teams average around 75 points per game.

Both mid-major programs have the chance to make a run for the NIT Championship, and it would be a first for both programs.

The farthest in the postseason Davidson has ever made is their Elite Eight run last year. When Saint Mary's defeated Washington State last week, it was the first postseason win since 1959.

Both programs have something to prove to the Selection Committee and the public at-large about their teams. Saint Mary's was left out due to the injury to Mills, and Davidson was punished due to their losses in the Southern Conference.

Moraga will be raucous and much rides on this game for both teams.

There are several items I leave out of my resume, because, well, they won't help me get a job.  Similarly, St. Mary's upcoming game against Eastern Washington won't help them get selected.

St. Mary's recently added another game to their schedule after the WCC tournament versus Eastern Washington, who has an RPI of 234 and an SOS of 219. Eastern Washington didn't even qualify for the Big Sky Tournament.  Wow, what an addition to St. Mary's resume.

This game will do nothing for St. Mary's.  If anything, it could actually hurt them.

A big win will be expected. If St. Mary's does anything less than win big, this will hurt them.

Assuming they beat Gonzaga tonight, a sloppy win will hurt their seed.

If they lose to Gonzaga, a sloppy win will hurt their at-large chances.  A loss would be catastrophic.  A loss to a team with an RPI of 234, a team that didn't even qualify for their tournament, would all but ruin St. Mary's hopes.

Other bubble teams will crack a smile, though.

As bad as Creighton looked against Illinois State, a team in the RPI Top 50, this would be incomparable to a loss against Eastern Washington.

Surely, Patty Mills should thrive against Eastern Washington.  Hopefully, St. Mary's didn't add the game to show off their star guard to the selection committee, because, who knows, perhaps, someway, somehow, Patty Mills could get injured again.

Obviously, the best case scenario for St. Mary's is they destroy Eastern Washington and Patty Mills scores around 40 points.  However, even under the best case scenarios, this is something that would be expected of them.  Thus, once again, this game does nothing for St. Mary's.

This game can only hurt St. Mary's.

So, I ask you, St. Mary's, what were you thinking? 

If you like what you read here, check you my blog Ballin' is a Habit.

In a unique bit of strategy, Randy Bennett is considering adding another game after the WCC tournament, but before Selection Sunday.

The NCAA allows a team to play 29 games, plus one for the conference tournament if it is not in an exempt tournament. If the team does play in an exempt tournament (like the Anaheim Classic that St. Mary's played in is), then the number of games the team is allowed to play goes up to 32.

The Gaels played 29 games this season, which means that they can still add another one legally.

Playing in the game would not effect St. Mary's RPI rankings much, and likely would not influence the committee much at all because the Gaels would either be playing a D2 team or an independent D1 team.

So why play the game?

Reps.

Randy Bennett is trying to get a team that was missing its star player, a guy who dominates the ball, for a month back into a rhythm. Missing a guy that is that instrumental in your offense changes the way a team plays. You have to adjust how you play without the star, but you also need to adjust to the way you play with your star.

If St. Mary's does end up getting into the dance, having an extra game to get back into a rhythm, both for the team and for Mills, could really benefit the Gaels.