The Saint Mary’s Gaels men’s basketball team has victories over Louisiana Tech and Akron to open the 2013-2014 season. It’s the first time Saint Mary’s is without Matthew Dellavedova since 2009.
For college hoops fans, there are a few takeaways from the first two games.
The PG situation is anything but clear.
Most were under the impression that Stephen Holt would assume the PG duties this year. Instead, Holt has split the duties with Jordan Guisti thus far. While Guisti didn’t light up the box score against LA Tech, he reached career highs in points (12) and steals (6) against Akron.
When Guisti runs the point, it allows Holt to move off the ball and create space. Against LA Tech, Holt led the Gaels in 3-pointers, going 4-5 from behind the arc. He also led the team in defensive rebounds (7) and assists (6).
Brad Waldow may be poised for a breakout season.
In 2009, the Gaels had just lost Patty Mills to the NBA draft. It was supposed to be a “rebuilding year.” Instead, Omar Samhan declared it a “remodeling year.” The senior center would go on to lead St. Mary’s to the sweet sixteen. That year he went from a good college center to arguably the best player on that team. Could Waldow emerge the same way Samhan did in 2009?
Waldow’s performance thus far may indicate an answer in the positive. Waldow led the Gaels with 28 points and 2 blocks against LA Tech. He also tied Holt for the team lead in rebounds with 8, including 4 offensive boards. He continued his scoring ways against Akron, leading the Gaels with 16 points.
Waldow emerged as a true freshman in the 2011-12 season. Now a junior, he has improved every year. One area coach Randy Bennett will surely want him to improve is from the charity stripe, where he shot .505 as a freshman and .536 as a sophomore. It seems he worked on improving on those numbers during the offseason. He went 6 of 8 against LA Tech and 4 of 5 against Akron.
Of the newcomers, Kerry Carter and Garret Jackson look like they will make the most impact.
In both the LA Tech and Akron games, Carter and Jackson led the bench in minutes. Jackson has logged 9 and 17 minutes, respectively, while Carter played 15 minutes in both games.
Garret Jackson transferred to St. Mary’s from the University of Southern California and projects as a SF or stretch-4.
In limited time, it’s hard to see exactly how Jackson will fit in the Gaels’ scheme. He most likely will spell Beau Levesque. Levesque has had some of the best games of his career coming off the bench or while playing limited minutes.
Carter, a JUCO transfer from Citrus College, brought a tremendous amount of hustle and energy off the bench in both games this season. He also went 2 for 3 from behind the arc against LA Tech, a place St. Mary’s is currently lacking a consistent threat.
Carter could eventually find himself in a timeshare with James Walker III. While Walker III had a career-high 15 points against Akron, he struggled against LA Tech, notching only 9 points. Furthermore, he fell out of favor with Coach Randy Bennett last year, barely playing in the second half of the season.
A seventh consecutive postseason appearance should be within reach.
Many experts have written the Gaels off this year. However, Stephen Holt can easily become one of the best players in the WCC as he emerges from Dellavedova’s shadow. Furthermore, if Brad Waldow continues to refine his game, the Gaels will be well positioned for yet another postseason run.
St. Mary’s will look to go 3-0 Thursday night against a 1-0 North Dakota State team.
