Saint Mary's Gaels | |||
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University | Saint Mary's College of California | ||
Conference | WCC | ||
Location | Moraga, CA | ||
Head coach | Randy Bennett (16th year) | ||
Arena |
McKeon Pavilion (Capacity: 3,500) |
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Nickname | Gaels | ||
Colors | Navy, Red, and Silver |
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Uniforms | |||
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NCAA Tournament Elite Eight | |||
1959 | |||
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
1959, 2010 | |||
NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
1959, 1989, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 | |||
Conference tournament champions | |||
1997, 2010, 2012 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
1959, 1980, 1989, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2016 |
The Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy Bennett, who is the school's all-time wins leader. The Gaels have appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments—1959, 1989, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
On March 1, 2013, they were placed on probation by the NCAA for four years due to rules violations.
Their two historic rivals are the San Francisco Dons and the Santa Clara Broncos, two other Catholic schools in the San Francisco Bay Area that are in the WCC. More recently, the Saint Mary's Gaels have developed a rivalry with the Gonzaga University Bulldogs of Spokane, Washington. Many analysts and members of the media have touted the Gaels vs. Zags as one of the best, if not the best, college basketball rivalry on the West Coast.