The St. Thomas Men’s basketball team begins their season in Moraga, California, playing one of the West Coast Conference’s premier teams, The Gaels of St Mary’s College. St. Mary’s the last three seasons has won the West Coast Conference regular season title, and has made the NCAA Tournament the last four years in a row. St. Mary’s received two first place votes while being ranked second in the WCC’s pre-season poll behind Gonzaga. Harry Wessels, the 7-1 Center from Australia, and Mikey Lewis, a sophomore point guard from Oakland were picked to the all WCC Pre-Season team.
St. Thomas comes into the game with gigantic expectations, picked to finish first in the Summit League in their first year of Eligibility for the NCAA Tournament. St. Thomas has not won a game starting the season on the road since they became D-1 Eligible (losses to Chicago State, Creighton, and UC-Berkely). Carter Bjerke and Nolan Minnessale for UST achieved Pre-Season All-Summit First Team. St. Thomas is recieving votes in the CollegeInsider.Com Men’s Mid Major top 25, while St. Mary’s is ranked second behind Gonzaga. Perhaps there is some coastal bias in the CollegeInsider.Com Poll as four teams from the WCC are ranked in that poll.
St. Mary’s is a considerable younger team than the one last season that was ranked, and lost to 2-seed Alabama in last year’s round of 32. St. Mary’s added Mantas Juzenas, who last season was playing professional basketball in Lithuania. NIL must pay more at St. Mary’s than top-flight basketball in Lithuania, go figure. St. Mary’s is a heavy favorite for good reason, their focus is firmly on making it to a fifth straight NCAA tournament, and by all accounts they have the roster to do so.
Prediction: St. Mary’s 78 St. Thomas 60.
Plus Three
1.) Predicting the Future
Other than last year picking Kansas City, Summit League voters have a great track record of their Pre-Season favorites to win the conference tournament and go to the dance. Correct predictions in 2022-24 where the pre-season favorite has cut down the nets in Sioux Falls. Hopefully history favors St. Thomas this season.
2.) Conference Re-Alignment
Denver will be joining St. Mary’s in the West Coast Conference in 2026. Godspeed to Denver who appeared for a bit to be making an effort to put some investment into their basketball program. Charley Walters of the St Paul Pioneer Press on Sunday reported that there is little doubt that St. Thomas will join the Big East. I would hope St. Thomas can make some waves in the Summit League before pursuing a gigantic step up for basketball.
3.) Travel Tommies
St. Thomas begins today in Moraga, travels back to play Army on Friday, and then has to immediately go back on a plane to Pullman Washington to play Washington State. That is a lot of time zone traveling. Hopefully “fall back” means UST can endure a busy early season travel schedule. I hope the 9 PM tip tonight does not affect them too much.