Saint Mary’s Gaels (Overall: 28-4, Conf: 16-2)
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Team Strengths
Saint Mary’s (+10,000) was one win shy from winning its first WCC title since 2012, but the team’s overall performance this season is good enough to guarantee them a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
The Gaels have a dynamic duo in juniors Jock Landale (16.8 PPG) and Calvin Hermanson (13.0 PPG) to headline their offense that averages 72.0 points per contest, the third-highest in the conference. But the strength of this team is built upon its rock-solid defense, which ranks second across the nation in points allowed (56.5).
Team Weaknesses
The Gaels eat opponents alive on the defensive end, but they sometimes get swallowed on the other side of the floor. Other than Landale and Hermanson, there are no other players scoring in double figures for the team. This was brutally exposed in Saint Mary’s 74-56 loss to Gonzaga in the WCC title game.
Team Statistics (from teamrankings.com)
| Category | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Points Per Game | 72.0 | #191 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 35.6 | #168 |
| Blocks Per Game | 3.2 | #179 |
| 3-Point Percentage | 39.9 | #12 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 74.8 | #44 |
Starting Lineup
| Position | Name | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| F | Calvin Hermanson | 13.0 |
| C | Jock Landale | 16.8 |
| C | Evan Fitzner |
5.7 |
| G | Joe Rahon |
8.1 |
| G | Emmett Naar | 9.5 |
Writer’s Prediction
Saint Mary’s (+10,000) gets eliminated in the second round.
Create a betting account now and place your bets already for March Madness 2017.
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