Moraga is a quiet town. It's tucked away in the rolling hills of the East Bay, away from the noise of San Francisco and the tech grit of Oakland. You wouldn't expect a perennial basketball powerhouse to live here. But every March, like clockwork, Saint Mary's March Madness runs become the talk of the West Coast. It’s not just a fluke anymore. It’s a system.
Randy Bennett has built something that defies the modern "one-and-done" era of college hoops. While the blue bloods are chasing five-star recruits who plan on staying for six months, the Gaels are scouting the Australian suburbs and finding guys who want to play together for four years. It’s a different vibe. It's slower. It's more methodical. Honestly, it’s frustrating as heck to play against if you’re a high-seeded power conference school used to running the break.
The Australian Pipeline and the Gaels Identity
You can’t talk about Saint Mary's March Madness without mentioning the Aussies. It started with Patty Mills. Then it was Matthew Dellavedova. Then Jock Landale. It’s a pipeline that has basically turned Moraga into a satellite campus for Basketball Australia. This isn't just about recruiting; it's about a specific style of play. Australian players are often raised in a club system that prioritizes passing, screening, and high-IQ movement over raw athleticism.
Bennett leans into this.
The Gaels usually rank near the bottom of the country in adjusted tempo. They milk the shot clock. They wait for you to make a mistake, to over-rotate on a screen, or to get bored on defense. And then? They punish you. It’s a grinding, physical style that thrives in a tournament setting where nerves are high and every possession feels like it’s worth ten points. When the game slows down in the final five minutes of a Round of 64 matchup, the Gaels are in their natural habitat. Most teams panic when the pace slows. Saint Mary's relaxes.
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Why Selection Sunday is Always Stressful in Moraga
Despite the winning seasons and the Top 25 rankings, the committee doesn't always show the Gaels love. We’ve seen it before. The West Coast Conference (WCC) is top-heavy. When Saint Mary's doesn't beat Gonzaga in the conference finals, their "strength of schedule" often gets picked apart by the talking heads on TV.
People look at the Quad 1 wins and the metrics like KenPom, but there's a lingering bias against mid-majors that don't play a "sexy" style of basketball. But here's the thing: the metrics actually love them. Their defensive efficiency is almost always elite. They rebound the ball at a rate that would make Big Ten coaches blush. In 2024, for example, they entered the tournament as one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, which is usually the best predictor of an upset. If you can’t get second-chance points, you can’t beat the Gaels.
The Gonzaga Rivalry and Its Impact on March
To understand the Saint Mary's March Madness trajectory, you have to look at their relationship with Gonzaga. It's arguably the best rivalry in college basketball that nobody east of the Mississippi watches. For years, the Zags were the only show in town. Then Bennett showed up.
Playing Gonzaga three times a year prepares this team for the tournament in a way that other mid-majors just don't get. They aren't scared of the bright lights. They’ve played against lottery picks in a packed McCarthy Athletic Center. They've dealt with the pressure of a championship game in Las Vegas. By the time they get their seed on Sunday, they’ve already been through the ringer.
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Recent Tournament History and the "Second Round Wall"
- 2010: The Sweet Sixteen run. This was the peak. Defeating Villanova was the moment the rest of the country realized this wasn't a one-hit-wonder program. Omar Samhan was a force of nature.
- 2022: A dominant win over Indiana. They completely dismantled a historic program on a national stage. It wasn't even close.
- 2023: A tough battle against UConn. They ran into the eventual national champions. No shame there, but it highlighted the gap in pure depth when facing a powerhouse.
- 2024: A disappointing early exit against Grand Canyon. It showed that even the most disciplined systems can be disrupted by high-energy, athletic opponents who refuse to play at a slow pace.
How to Scout a Saint Mary's Upset
If you’re looking at your bracket and wondering if the Gaels can make a run, look at three specific things. First, check the point guard. Saint Mary's lives and dies by high-level guard play. From Delly to Logan Johnson to Aidan Mahaney, they need a "floor general" who doesn't turn the ball over.
Second, look at the opponent's transition offense. If the opponent relies on fast-break points, Saint Mary's will likely win. They are masters at getting back on defense and forcing you to play in the half-court. Third, look at the three-point percentage. Because they play so slow, they don't take a ton of shots. They have to make the ones they take. If they go cold from deep, the math just doesn't work in their favor.
Misconceptions About the Gaels
Some fans think Saint Mary's is "boring." That's a casual take. It’s actually beautiful basketball if you like seeing screens set correctly or watching a defender get walled off by a perfectly timed back-cut. It’s high-level execution.
Another misconception is that they can't compete with the size of the SEC or the ACC. That’s just false. Mitchell Saxen and the bigs that come through Moraga are typically 6'10" or taller and weigh 240-plus pounds. They are "bruisers." They aren't going to outjump a future NBA lottery pick, but they will put a shoulder in their chest and win the positioning battle. It’s old-school. It’s tough. It’s Saint Mary's.
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The Future of the Program in a Changing Landscape
The transfer portal and NIL have changed everything. Smaller schools are losing their stars to bigger programs with deeper pockets. Yet, Saint Mary's has remained remarkably stable. Why? Because the culture is built on continuity. Players stay. They develop. They like the community.
There's a sense of belonging in Moraga that is hard to replicate. When you see a Gaels team in the tournament, you're usually looking at a group that has played together for three years. In a world of "mercenary" rosters, that chemistry is worth a few points on the spread. It's why they are a nightmare for coaches who have to scout them on a two-day turnaround. You can't simulate their timing in a 40-minute practice.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
When evaluating Saint Mary's during the tournament, don't just look at their record.
- Watch the Injury Report: Because they play a short rotation, one injury to a key starter ruins their chemistry more than it would for a team like Kentucky or Duke.
- Analyze the Matchup: If they draw a team that ranks in the top 20 for "Pace of Play," lean toward the Gaels. They love to frustrate fast teams.
- Ignore the "Mid-Major" Label: Treat them like a top-tier Pac-12 (or what's left of it) or Mountain West team. They have the resources and the coaching to beat anyone on a neutral floor.
- Check the Free Throw Line: Since games are often low-scoring, free throw shooting becomes magnified. If they are shooting under 70% as a team, be wary of them in a close game.
The reality of Saint Mary's March Madness is that it’s no longer a "Cinderella" story. It’s a standard. They expect to be there. They expect to win. Whether they can finally break through that Second Round ceiling and get back to the Sweet Sixteen usually comes down to the luck of the draw and whether their shots are falling from the perimeter. But one thing is certain: nobody wants to see them on their side of the bracket.
To stay ahead of the curve, focus on their defensive rebounding percentages leading into the tournament. If they are dominating the glass in late February and early March, they are a lock for at least one tournament win. Keep an eye on the development of their secondary scoring options; when the Gaels have three players in double digits, they are nearly impossible to beat. Success in Moraga isn't measured by flashy dunks, but by the relentless pursuit of the perfect possession. That's what makes them a March staple.