Men's Basketball is #24, according to USA Today Coaches Poll

Gaels Men’s Basketball Ranked in Top 25 in USA Today Coaches Poll

Saint Mary’s is is one of the hottest teams in the country. A new poll places them at No. 24 nationally. The Gaels have one of the best defenses going. And NCAA Net Rankings put SMC at No. 8.

by SMC Athletics Staff | January 17, 2023

After the metrics have showed how good Saint Mary's Men's Basketball has been this season, the Gaels are getting some well-earned recognition. In Week 11 of the national polls, Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. It’s the first time the Gaels have cracked the top-25 this season. This gives the West Coast Conference two ranked teams, with Gonzaga at No. 6.

Saint Mary's is one of the hottest teams in the country. They have won seven in games in a row. For those keeping tabs, that’s the ninth-longest active winning streak in the NCAA. When the Gaels cracked into the rankings last season in Week 14, they also entered on a seven-game winning streak. This season five of those seven wins have come in WCC play, where the Gaels are one of two teams in the conference to open with a 5–0 record.

No. 8 in NET Rankings—and one of the best defenses going

The numbers have been staunchly in favor of SMC this season, particularly in the NET Rankings and in KenPom. The Gaels rank No. 8 in the country in the NET Rankings, a combination opponent's winning percentage, strength of schedule, and efficiency, among other details. This is the highest that Saint Mary's has ever been in the NET Rankings since it was introduced prior to the 2018–19 season. NET Rankings are a determining factor in NCAA Tournament selection and seeding. The Gaels are also No. 9 according to KenPom, which is a combination of advanced analytics that focus on efficiency on both ends of the floor. Prior to this season, the Gaels had never cracked the top-10 in KenPom.

It's no secret that Saint Mary's has one of the best defenses in the country, indicated by their sixth-best scoring defense in the NCAA at 57.8 points per game. The Gaels have also been great at winning games by large margins, leading the WCC and ranking 13th nationally with a scoring margin of 14.0. SMC is 13–0 in games decided by 10 or more points. They've also been great on the boards, ranking 12th in the country in rebound margin, at 8.1.

Saint Mary's holds an all-time 90–39 record while nationally ranked, and they will put that mark to the test twice this week. The Gaels take on Pepperdine in Malibu on Thursday, January 19 on ESPNU before heading back to the Bay and hosting Santa Clara on Saturday, January 21 on NBC Sports Bay Area. Last season, the Gaels went 5–4 while ranked, and spent four weeks in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.