Let’s dance: Jordan Ross in the Gaels’ victory over Utah this season. / Photo by Joe Oliver for SMC Athletics
Gaels Earn Seven Seed in NCAA Tournament, Headed to Cleveland to Take on Vanderbilt
This makes four years in a row Saint Mary’s heads to the Big Dance. Watch the game on Friday, March 21. Meanwhile, national recognition continues to roll in for individual Gaels. Here’s the latest.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Gaels (28–5) are dancing! Saint Mary's secured a seven seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and will head to Cleveland to take on the No. 10 seed, the Vanderbilt Commodores (20–12). The Gaels earned the 2025 West Coast Conference Regular Season Title for a program record third straight year, winning the conference by a three-game margin, their largest ever. They will now head to Rocket Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as part of the East Region of this year’s Big Dance.
The Gaels’ opponent in the opening round will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Also playing in Cleveland in the East Region will be the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide (25–8) and the Robert Morris Colonials (26–8).
Request Your Tickets
To request up to four tickets for both the First Round and Second Round being played in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, March 21 and Sunday, March 23, please complete the ticket request form before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19. Completing the form is not a guarantee of tickets. Tickets will be assigned based on donor level to Saint Mary’s. When you are assigned tickets, you are obligated to purchase the same number of tickets for any First Round tournament game the Gaels play and the Second Round game, should the Gaels advance. All sales are final, no refunds or exchanges. Tickets to all games will be sent electronically from the host site to the email entered on the form 12–24 hours prior to tipoff.
Can’t make it to Cleveland in person? The game will be broadcast live on TruTV. Tipoff is set for 3:15 p.m. Eastern / 12:15 p.m. Pacific.
Postseason Recognitions Roll On
Saint Mary’s captured the West Coast Conference Regular Season Title for the third straight season. The Gaels also received loads of recognition on the end-of-season WCC awards list. There are six major individual awards, and Gaels claimed all but one.
Augustas Marciulionis was named Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Mitchell Saxen earned his second straight Defensive Player of the Year nod. Paulius Murauskas was named Newcomer of the Year, and Mikey Lewis garnered Sixth Man of the Year honors. Marciulionis, Murauskas, and Saxen were all named First Team All-WCC. Luke Barrett received All-WCC honorable mention recognition and was named a first team member of the WCC All-Academic Team. Mikey Lewis was also named to the All-Freshman team. Head Coach Randy Bennett once again received the WCC Coach of the Year award, making it his fourth in a row, tying him with USF’s Phil Woolpert for the second-longest streak in conference history.
Following the WCC Tournament on March 11, Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen were both named to the WCC All-Tournament Team. This was Mitchell Saxen’s first all-tournament nod, and the second for Marciulionis, who joins Mickey McConnell, Matthew Dellavedova, Jock Landale, Jordan Ford, and Alex Ducas as multi-time WCC All-Tournament selections.
Finalist for Lefty Driesell Award | Mitchell Saxen
Mitchell Saxen has been named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award. The award is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I College Basketball, and is named for the late great Head Coach Lefty Driesell, the eighth winningest coach in Division I ball.
Finalist for Riley Wallace Award | Paulius Murauskas
Gaels sophomore forward Paulius Murauskas has been named a finalist for the 2024–25 Riley Wallace Award. The Riley Wallace Award is presented annually to the most impactful transfer in Division I College Basketball, and is named for former Hawai'i Head Coach Riley Wallace, who welcomed many transfers to his Warrior squad while becoming the program's all-time wins leader. A transfer from the University of Arizona, Murauskas started every game for the Gaels at the four.
The Kaunas, Lithuania, native led the WCC in rebounding and double-doubles. His 13 double-doubles rank 18th in the country—and are the most in Gaels history since Jock Landale's legendary senior campaign in which he tallied 19. He became the first Gael in three seasons to score 30 in a single contest, doing so against Washington State on Saint Mary's inaugural Lithuania Night.
Finalist for Lute Olson Player of the Year Award | Augustas Marciulionis
Augustas Marciulionis has been named a finalist for the 2024–25 Lute Olson Award. The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the top player in Division I College Basketball. The award is named for Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who amassed 776 wins over 34 seasons as a Division I head coach.
Carrying the legacy of incredible point guards to play for Head Coach Randy Bennett, Augustas Marciulionis has put together his best season as a Gael this year. Leading the team in both points and assists, Marciulionis has become just the second Gael in program history to tally 1,000 points, 400 assists, and 125 steals for his career. His predecessor in these accomplishments: Matthew Dellavedova. This season, Marciulionis recorded a career-best 202 assists (and counting), making him the sixth-ever Gael to eclipse the 200 assist mark in a single season. He is two assists shy of 500 for his career. On the scoring front, Marciulionis scored 472 points this year, and he will hope to break the 500 point mark for a season during March Madness.
Finalists for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award | Augustas Marciulionis and Paulius Murauskas
The Lithuanian duo of Augustas Marciulionis and Paulius Murauskas have both been named finalists for the 2024–25 Lou Henson Award. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball. The award is named for coach Lou Henson, who is the winningest all-time head coach in both Illinois and New Mexico State history. In 2013, Gael great Matthew Dellavedova became the first ever Saint Mary's player to win this honor.
Finalist for the Nolan Richardson Leadership Award | Luke Barrett
Fifth-year senior Luke Barrett has been named a finalist for the 2024–25 Nolan Richardson Award. The award is presented annually to a Division I player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court. The award is named for legendary college basketball head coach Nolan Richardson, the only coach to win an NJCCA National Title, an NIT title, and an NCAA Tournament Title.
Initially a walk-on, Luke Barrett earned a scholarship in his third year at Saint Mary's, served as the Gaels’ sixth man, and delivered an instant burst of energy off the bench last year. He became a full-fledged starter this season. The Piedmont, California, native put up career numbers in every category and led the WCC in minutes played per game at 36:27. That’s also good for 20th in the country and eighth all-time for a single season in program history. A do-it-all kind of player, Barrett ranked fourth on the team in scoring, third in rebounding, fourth in assists, fourth in steals, third in blocks, fourth in field goals made, and third in three-pointers made. His tenacious offensive rebounding from the small forward position gained him notoriety this season, as he was the only three man in the WCC to rank in the top five in o-boards per game. This helped Barrett to his first six career double-doubles. Off the court, Barrett has led by example in the classroom, earning three WCC All-Academic nods, including back-to-back first-team All-Academic honors.
