For the first time since Randy Bennett left for Arizona State, Saint Mary's tips off with a new coach. Mickey McConnell, who won games at UCU Pavilion as a Gaels player and as an assistant, coaches his first game Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. against Illinois State. The game streams on ESPN+. The Gaels host North Dakota State two days later, on Wednesday.
Protecting home court
Saint Mary's has won 26 straight games in Moraga, a program record and the fourth-longest home streak in the country. The Gaels haven't lost at home since December 2024, and they've won five home openers in a row going back to 2019-20. McConnell is the program's 27th head coach. Thirteen of his predecessors won their first game in charge.
Preseason All-WCC guard Joshua Dent runs the offense again, alongside veteran wings Kevin Gad, Rory Hawke and Mantas Juzenas. The 10 newcomers include transfers Jeremy Dent Smith (from Stanford), Vangelis Zougris (Louisville), Salih Altuntas (Miami), Luke Fennell (Syracuse) and Thomas Ndong (Cal Baptist). They also include Darius Bivins, the program's first McDonald's All-American, and Oakland native Jalen Lewis, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks' G League team. The Gaels were picked second in the WCC.
A tough first opponent
Illinois State has won 20 or more games two years running and reached the NIT semifinals last season, the furthest the program has gone in that tournament. Coach Ryan Pedon's team brings back Johnny Kinziger and Chase Walker. Both have scored 1,000 career points, and Walker was a two-time All-Missouri Valley first-team pick. The Redbirds say this is the earliest start to a season in program history.