Game Date: Jan 5th, 2040
St. Marys
Nelson Cooke - PF
Team: St. Marys Gaels [ID #65] 
Location: Moraga, CA (West)
Conference: II.1 [Division 1]
President:
naph
[since February 29th 2020 | last seen July 26th 2024]
Coach: Darren Scales
Arena: McKeon Pavilion
Rating: 383.56 - Overall Position: #22
Fan Mood: 108.35
Alumni Mood: 208.15
Prestige: 216
Team Notes:
• Dec 15 2039: 3-star prospect Burt Denton committed.• Oct 13 2039: Eric Strauss was hired as the new assistant coach.
• Oct 13 2039: Assistant coach Vance Shepherd was let go.
• Sep 01 2039: Vance Shepherd was hired as the new assistant coach.
• Sep 01 2039: Assistant coach Sam Flaherty leaves to pursue head coaching opportunities.
• Mar 13 2039: Made the national tournament field.
• Feb 19 2039: 2-star prospect Chet Evans committed.
• Dec 11 2038: 3-star prospect Jeff Reinhardt committed.
• Feb 20 2038: 2-star prospect Stewart Fenton committed.
• Jan 28 2038: 3-star prospect Cameron Jankowski committed.
Record:
Wins: 13 Losses: 10 Pct: .565 Conf Wins: 6 Conf Losses: 7 Conf Pct: .462 Conf Rank: 11 Last10: 6-4 Streak: W3Pts Ave: 75.9 - 74.8 Pts Diff: +1.1 Team Power Index: 142.9
Press Releases:
Apr 02 2039: 2039 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on June 27th, 2024Season
Heading into the season the Gaels returned almost everyone and confidence was high. A 9-1 OOC record, including D1RT wins over Columbia, Houston Baptist and West Georgia certainly seemed encouraging.
The Gaels started conference play hovering around .500, but as the season wore on they seemed to find their groove. Still, it was an up and down year. Wins over all 3 promoting teams, Cal Poly Pomona, St. Thomas Aquinas and Marquette were all offset by losses to Mississippi, St. Bonaventure and Transylvania who were all bound for demotion.
The season looked like it may have ended early with a whimper after a first round loss in the CT to bot ETSU. But, the Gaels still finished 7th (again), and were awarded a 15-seed where they were matched against old conference foes Central Arkansas. As has been the case in the two teams' recent history it was all Bears in the NT opener.
"Choc" Chitwood surprised many by almost doubling his junior production to become the team's top scorer. "Leopard" Clark at SF and "Hotrod" Haskell at PF complemented him in what was a balanced offensive attack. Haskell, Cleveland and Benavides did damage on the inside, whilst Clark and Chitwood averaged almost 16 3PA/game at about 40% between them. Dent distributed the shots and made some timely ones of his own. Benny eventually would take over a starting position at the expense of Cleveland, but he slipped a disc against ETSU and would miss the national tournament.
So, and up down season. Early on the fans got to worry about demotion. Mid-to-late some might have had hopes of a late surge to promotion, but in the end it was a mid-table finish and a 4th first round exit from the tournament in the last six years.
Roster
PG: Gordon "Mouth" Dent (RS SR 6' 3" 195lbs PG sg 155 - 17 PD, 16 Pass, 15 Hnd/Spd, 12 Rng/Drv)
42gms 38gs 26.7mins 8.9p (.451/.352/.736 eFG%:.509) 2.2r 5.7a 1.5s 0.1b 3.6to 2.0pf OeFG%:.539
SG: Harley "Choc" Chitwood (RS SR 6' 1" 165lbs SG sf pf 160 - 19 Rng, 17 Spd, 15 PD/Pass, 14 OS, 13 Str, 12 Sta)
40gms 36gs 28.4mins 16.5p (.481/.432/.714 eFG%:.637) 2.6r 2.6a 1.6s 0.3b 1.5to 1.7pf OeFG%:.467 POTF:14
SF: "Leopard" Steve Clark (RS SR 6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 164 - 16 Rng/Fin, 15 Spd, 14 IS/PD, 13 OS/Str/Sta)
37gms 33gs 29.8mins 14.6p (.435/.377/.848 eFG%:.554) 4.7r 0.4a 1.0s 0.1b 1.3to 1.8pf OeFG%:.523 POTG:3
PF/bC: "Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (RS JR 6' 9½" 245lbs C PF 164 - 20 ID, 18 IS, 16 Str, 15 OS, 14 Fin/IQ, 12 Hnd)
42gms 42gs 28.3mins 14.1p (.569/.333/.892 eFG%:.571) 7.2r 0.7a 1.5s 1.1b 1.2to 2.5pf OeFG%:.468 POTG:9
C: "Whirls" Eddie Cleveland (RS SR 7' 235lbs C 140 - 18 Str, 17 IQ, 15 OS, 14 ID, 12 Reb)
42gms 32gs 22.0mins 10.0p (.606/.286/.763 eFG%:.620) 6.9r 0.6a 0.9s 1.1b 1.2to 2.1pf OeFG%:.451
bPF/bC/bSF: Armando "Benny" Benavides (RS JR 6' 9½" 230lbs PF C sf 161 - 17 IS, 15 IQ, 14 Str, 13 ID/Spd, 12 OS/PD/Sta)
38gms 17gs 22.8mins 8.9p (.555/.333/.659 eFG%:.561) 5.8r 0.5a 1.3s 0.9b 1.1to 1.7pf OeFG%:.472 POTG:1
bPG: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS SO 6' 6½" 205lbs PG sg pf 144 - 16 Spd, 14 Sta, 13 Hnd, 12 OS/Pass)
41gms 4gs 13.5mins 2.9p (.404/.294/.720 eFG%:.461) 1.4r 2.3a 0.3s 0.0b 1.8to 1.2pf OeFG%:.536
bSG: Ed "e.g." Sample (RS FR 6' 2½" 180lbs SG SF pg 145 - 16 IQ/Spd, 15 OS, 14 Rng/PD/Str, 13 Fin)
41gms 4gs 12.1mins 5.1p (.433/.312/.692 eFG%:.514) 0.7r 0.7a 0.6s 0.0b 0.9to 0.7pf OeFG%:.433
bSF/bPF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS SO 6' 5½" 215lbs SF PF c 132 - 16 Spd, 12 Rng)
41gms 4gs 12.2mins 2.9p (.378/.278/.600 eFG%:.441) 1.5r 0.2a 0.9s 0.1b 0.6to 0.6pf OeFG%:.421
bPF: Nelson "Bammy" Cooke (RS FR 6' 9½" 245lbs C pf 128 - 14 IQ, 13 OS)
41gms 0gs 11.5mins 2.7p (.414/.360/.750 eFG%:.460) 3.0r 0.6a0.4s 0.6b 0.5to 1.2pf OeFG%:.467
Farewell Seniors
"Leopard" Steve Clark (6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 164/11)
A fixture on the wing (123 starts), Steve was a bucket, able to score in a variety of ways from anywhere on the floor. With over half his career FGA coming from behind the arc he will best be remembered for spacing the floor, his devastating pump-fake and extreme reluctance to pass the ball. Whilst he probably peaked as a junior, he was still solid as both a sophomore at SG as well as a senior.
356 3PM (#8)
.378 3P% (#8)
2014 Points (#17)
Gordon "Mouth" Dent (6' 3" 195lbs PG sg 155/11)
A vocal floor general, "Mouth" was given the keys to the offense as a junior and organised the team for 2 years. Not a great shooting threat, but he picked his spots and was reasonably efficient with timely drives and threes in numerous games. Became quite respectable defensively. Had all the skills, but his decision-making was below average, which was able to be exploited by some opponents.
406 Turnovers (T9)
626 Assists (#12)
"Whirls" Eddie Cleveland (7' 235lbs C 140/10)
After two years as an understudy Eddie started most games as an upperclassman. He had a good jumper and was reliable at the free throw line. He kept it basic in the post, became adequate in time, particularly after his work in the gym paid dividends. Whilst decent offensively, I suspect the Gaels will miss his 7' 8" wingspan on defense and the glass more than anything else.
Harley "Choc" Chitwood (6' 1" 165lbs SG sf pf 160/11)
Choc-Chit had really deep range, but it took a while to iron out the kinks in his form. After 2 years in junior college and a redshirt he was a starter, but only the 5th or 6th option as a junior. It all came together his senior year however as he led the team in scoring, almost doubling his production from the previous year and hit a scorching .431 from deep on over 8 attempts a game. The lightning-bug fearlessly launched from anywhere all season long including a memorable game against Kansas where he made ten threes. Although skewed by only playing with the Gaels for 2 seasons, Choc has set the SMC record for 3PM/gm (2.7) and will graduate 4th in career 3P%. Perhaps more impressively his 18 POTG awards sees him tied for 15th in the SMC record books.
Development Highlights
Ed Sample (128 -> 145 = +18)
Armando Benavides (147 -> 161 = +14)
Bennie Ishikawa (78 -> 92 = +14)
Josh Harris (131 -> 144 = +13)
Ken Brewer (120 -> 132 = +12)
Nelson Cooke (116 -> 128 = +12)
Brian Brooks (91 -> 103 = +12)
Rodger Haskell (153 -> 164 = +11)
Harley Chitwood (150 -> 160 = +10)
Coaching
Fred Foster (offensive coordinator) and Sam Flaherty (lead recruiter and motivational guru) have provided great stability in their roles behind head coach Darren Scales. Flaherty has given the college notice that he has the 50 year old itch and won't be content to be an assistant much longer. Theo Hudson has become the assistant defensive coordinator and helps out in all areas except motivation.
Darren Scales moves his head coaching record to 174-88 in his 6th year as head coach, and 18th year on the Gaels bench.
Recruiting
Mid-December signing Jeff Reinhardt (3* 6' 4½" SG pg pf c 106/11) was the first to sign. The heady prospect shows signs of becoming a ranged threat and should be able to play on either wing where he can put his near 7' wingspan to good use disrupting passing lanes.
It wasn't until Mid-February that Canadian Chet Evans (2* 6' 9½" C PF 101/10) would make his commitment. Already a good size, he should become a dominant scorer in the paint and solid rebounder, though his lack of defensive instincts could restrict him to the bench for a while.
Outlook
Losing 135 starts and 4/5 of the most frequent starting line up is always going to be hard. Paint warrior Haskell returns for his final year and will be joined by classmate Benavides in the frontcourt who actually ended up playing more minutes than Cleveland. They will undoubtedly be the first two on the scouting report for opponents next season.
Harris will look to step out of Dent's shadow and become the starting PG, likely for the next 2 years. He's athletic enough, but still lacks the polish, especially defensively that Gaels fans have become accustomed to at the point. Hopefully his extra size and length can help make up the deficit. Joining him in the backcourt, will be Ed Sample. Whilst his splits weren't amazing this year, there was plenty of buzz around the redshirt freshman in 2039 and big things are expected from the shooting guard who has really impressed the coaches with his work ethic in training.
The swingman will most likely be Brewer, who has been good defensively, but has not found a reliable way to score. Hopefully some starting minutes will get him to tap into his vast potential.
The bench will be led by the Jumpin' Jamaican Nelson Cooke who may well see minutes at SF/PF/C. He'll be assisted by Canadian JuCo big, Fenton who has taken quite some time to adapt to division 1 basketball. Also coming off redshirts are the true freshmen pairing of Jankowski and Brooks. Both guards are looking pretty raw and the Gaels could certainly have some issues if the starting backcourt see foul trouble or injuries next season.
Apr 03 2038: 2038 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on May 2nd, 2024
Season
Going into the season expectations were low. On paper this was one of the least talented SMC rosters ever and the competition in II.1 was looking fierce. A soft OOC schedule and a 1-2 record in the D1RT did little to assuage fans' fears. Nobody wanted to hear that LL6 Union College were actually pretty good (1 point home win). The D1RT win over Louisiana-Lafayette was sandwiched between double-digit losses to Azusa Pacific and Arizona State. The lack of a name opponent in OOC round 10 didn't help much either.
Early conference results were surprisingly encouraging. A narrow win over LUPA and an OT loss against ranked UCLA was followed by 4 straight wins. The next stretch quickly brought those early season hopes back to earth as the Gaels would lose 8 of 9, the sole win a 2 point OT win over Northwest Missouri State. The Gaels at the conference turn were 6-9 and well below the demotion line, much as expected.
The legend of Saint Mary's conference second halves continued to grow as the Gaels would win 10 of their next 11 games (somewhat ironically, the only loss was Northwest Missouri State). 2-2 in the final 4 games was good enough for an 18-12 overall record, tied for 5th most wins in the conference, but placing 7th on goal difference. The Gaels would finish with wins over all the teams in conference except Central Arkansas and the University of New England.
Whilst the Gaels would miss the tournament, the fact they were even in the conversation to make the field late in the season was a pleasing surprise.
Leopard and Hotrod (Clark and Haskell) emerged as the leaders of the team. The team jelled. Roles were set and commited too and the team learned how to win, resulting in a much better season than expected.
Roster
PG: Gordon "Mouth" Dent (RS JR 6' 3" 195lbs PG sg sf 149 - 16 PD, 15 Pass/Spd, 14 Hnd, 12 Drv)
42gms 42gs 28.4mins 7.5p (.445/.329/.628 eFG%:.502) 2.2r 5.5a 1.5s 0.1b 3.2to 2.2pf OeFG%:.522 POTG:2
SG: Harley "Choc" Chitwood (RS JR 6' 1" 165lbs SG SF PF pg 150 - 18 Rng, 16 Spd, 14 PD/Pass, 13 OS, 12 Str)
41gms 36gs 27.4mins 8.7p (.387/349/.727 eFG%:.508) 2.6r 2.6a 1.0s 0.4b 1.7to 1.5pf OeFG%:.488 POTF:4
SF: "Leopard" Steve Clark (RS JR 6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 160 - 16 Rng, 15 Fin/Spd, 14 PD, 13 IS, 12 OS/Str/Sta)
39gms 39gs 31.1mins 16.1p (.484/.440/.776 eFG%:.609) 3.8r 0.4a 1.3s 0.3b 0.8to 2.1pf OeFG%:.422 POTG:5
PF/bC: "Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (RS SO 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 153 - 18 ID, 17 IS, 15 Str, 14 OS, 13 Fin/IQ)
42gms 42gs 27.7mins 14.5p (.551/.---/.883 eFG%:.551) 5.6r 0.4a 1.4s 1.2b 1.4to 2.7pf OeFG%:.459 POTG:4
C: Eddie Cleveland (RS JR 7' 235lbs C 135 - 18 Str, 17 IQ, 14 OS/ID, 12 Reb)
42gms 39gs 24.7mins 9.1p (.543/.150/.762 eFG%:.549) 7.3r 0.6a 1.0s 1.3b 1.2to 2.7pf OeFG%:.506 POTG:6
bPF: Armando "Benny" Benavides (RS SO 6' 9½" 230lbs PF C sg sf 147 - 16 IS, 14 IQ, 12 ID/Str/Spd)
42gms 2gs 23.7mins 9.3p (.539/.250/.746 eFG%:.540) 5.1r 0.5a 1.1s 0.6b 1.3to 2.1pf OeFG%:.456 POTG:1
bSG: "Lou" Lucas Coombs (RS SR 6' 205lbs SG pg pf 154 - 18 Spd, 17 Rng/Drv, 14 Hnd, 13 PD, 12 Fin)
38gms 1gs 16.2mins 6.3p (.405/.304/.716 eFG%:.456) 1.3r 1.4a 0.7s 0.0b 1.2to 1.1pf OeFG%:.494
bSF/bPF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS FR 6' 5½" 215lbs PF sf c 120 - 15 Spd)
42gms 1gs 10.7mins 2.2p (.333/.286/.600 eFG%:.373) 1.6r 0.2a 0.5s 0.1b 0.5to 0.9pf OeFG%:.536
bSF: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS FR 6' 6½" 205lbs pg sg sf pf 131 - 15 Spd, 12 Hnd/Sta)
37gms 0gs 9.3mins 1.70p (.451/.250/.667 eFG%:.500) 0.9r 0.9a 0.3s 0.0b 1.3to 0.7pf OeFG%:.591
Farewell Seniors
"Lou" Lucas Coombs (6' 205lbs SG pg pf 153/10)
Probably peaked as a sophomore where he had a career best eFG%:.565 including hitting on .414 from behind the arc. Struggled with his shot his last 2 years, unable to produce at those sophomore numbers when handed more responsibility. Picked up his defense and passing game though and was still a fairly steady bench contributor
Development Highlights
Rodger Haskell (133 -> 153 = +20)
Ed Sample (109 -> 128 = +18)
Armando Benavides (130 -> 147 = +17)
Harley Chitwood (135 -> 150 = +15)
Josh Harris (118 -> 131 = +13)
Steve Clark (148 -> 160 = +12)
Gordon Dent (138 -> 149 = +11)
Eddie Cleveland (124 -> 135 = +11)
Ken Brewer (109 -> 120 = +11)
Nelson Cooke (106 -> 116 = +10)
Coaching
Fred Foster replaced Jay Fisher as the offensive coordinator. He also chips in to tactical discussions and with recruiting. Theo Hudson continues to grow his non-motivational, though otherwise well-rounded skillset.
Darren Scales moves his head coaching record to 147-73 in his 5th year as head coach, and 17th year on the Gaels bench. Lead recruiter/motivator Sam Flaherty completes his 12th season on the bench, though at 49 years of age his time looks to be coming to an end.
Recruiting
Long-time, in-region targets Brian Brooks (3* 6' SG pg sg 91/12) and Cameron Jankowski (3* 5' 7½" SG PG pf 106/12) both commited in January. Brooks should develop into a two-way player, and has a high ceiling offensively, but at the moment he's a bit raw, and potentially a bit slow for SG and a bit small for SF. Jankowski projects as a defensive, distributing PG with speed to burn. Quite a late bloomer but should get to, or near 6'.
Late in the cycle Scales instructed Flaherty to seek out a JuCo big. Mid-to-late February saw the commitment of Canadian Stewart Fenton (2* 6' 9" C PF 108/10). He has decent size, some defensive upside and should be okay on the glass and finishing around the rim. Unlikely to ever start, but he will at least provide some decent depth and injury-cover for the frontcourt, particularly the year after Hotrod and Benny graduate.
Outlook
With only a single player graduating, and a bench player at that, the Gaels can have more confidence going into next season. The competition looks like it will be strong again, but SMC should be in the fight. Expectations of at least remaining in LL2 seem reasonable and hopes of making a run at a program best finish in LL2, even perhaps contending for promotion to Legends, might be on the cards.
Dent has developed into a solid, defensive distributor at PG. Harris behind him was looking pretty rough at the start of this year, but should be coming on by the end of next.
Chitwood was not overly efficient this year, but he has made the step from being passable to average or better at most guard skills. Sample might not be as good as Coombs yet, but his ceiling is a lot more exciting.
Clark emerged as the team's leader on both side of the ball. Brewer is still a bit of a project behind him, but should come on next year.
Haskell was often the top scorer on the team and is now elite in the post at both ends. Benavides relished his role as first big off the bench and will press for more time at bSF next year.
Cleveland's size and strength in the post allows him to compete with anyone. His scoring touch continues to improve, particularly on jumpers from the elbows. 4-star Jamaican Nelson Cooke and his 39" vert will also join the frontcourt.
A year more of development and experience on the starters. Improved depth and overall quality on the bench. Stability in coaching. The Gaels fans have every reason to think that 2039 will be at least as successful as 2038.
Mar 19 2037: 2037 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on March 3rd, 2024
Season
The Gaels went 1-2 in the D1RT a record that seems to be happening a lot. The opener was a heart-breaking, overtime loss to Wisconsin-Parkside. Florida Atlantic were way too good. Then some face was saved with a small win over Illinois Wesleyan. A 102-82 win over long-time rival Cal State Dominguez Hills was bittersweet as it will be the last year in the series for the foreseeable future. A scheduling quirk saw a "no-starters" game played against conference foe Northwest Missouri State, which resulted in a big win for the home Gaels. The big outlier was a shock 82-85 home loss to Massachussetts College of Liberal Arts, whou would go on to demote back to LL5 at the end of the year.
The Gaels dropped some games they probably shouldn't have this year which ultimately cost them a chance to contend for promotion. A 5 point loss at Florida State (#16). A 7 point loss at Pittsburgh-Johnston (#11). A 22 point loss to bot Misericordia, after winning by 23 at home.
But there were certainly some high points. An 11 point win over conference winner St. Bonaventure. Two OT wins over Sioux Falls. Splitting the series with New Orleans as well gave the Gaels a 4-2 record against the promoting trio during the regular season. Northwest Missouri State may well have promoted if they didn't drop both games to the Gaels. Central Arkansas also was a season split, with the Bearcats and Bears only finishing above the Gaels on point differential, all locked on 19 wins.
The conference tourney saw a narrow win over Pittsburgh-Johnstown. A 20 point win over ranked New Orleans. It was a third great game this year against Sioux Falls in the CT semi-final, with the Cougars finishing over the top.
The late-season surge at home and decent showing in the CT final proved just enough to get the Gaels into the National Tournament. With a third consecutive 15-seed, Gaels fans are certainly used to sweating it out on selection sunday. This year they drew the prestigious Penguins of Dominican University of California in the opening round. The Legends stalwarts got the jump on the Gaels early and raced to a 38-21 half-time lead. Whilst the second half was better, the Gaels could never seriously challenge, eventually going down 48-59 in a turnover plagued, defensive grind.
Roster
PG: Kelly "Skelly" Steeter (RS SR 6' 3" 190lbs SG sf pf 170 17 IQ/Sta, 16 Spd, 15 Rng/Drv, 13 PD, 12 IS)
44gms 43gs 30.9mins 14.3p (.407/.349/.756 eFG%:.493) 2.3r 6.5a 1.4s 0.2b 4.1to 2.4pf OeFG%:.506 POTG:7
SG: Steve Clark (RS SO 6' 5" 215lbs SF PF c 148 - 14 Rng/Fin/Spd, 13 IS, 12 OS/Sta)
43gms 40gs 29.2mins 14.5p (.431/.345/.772 eFG%:.534) 2.8r 1.1a 1.0s 0.1b 1.8to 1.8pf OeFG%:.431 POTG:2
SF: Alan "Victor E." Goodwin (RS SR 6' 7" 225lbs PF sf 153 - 16 IQ, 14 ID/Sta, 13 Reb)
44gms 35gs 26.5mins 5.9p (.500/.240/.660 eFG%:.528) 6.1r 1.4a 1.3s 0.3b 1.6to 1.6pf OeFG%:.507
PF: Theo "The Greg" Gregory (SR 6' 9" 235lbs PF SF c 176 - 17 Reb/ID/IQ, 16 IS, 15 PD/Sta, 14 Spd, 12 Fin)
40gms 39gs 30.9mins 14.5p (.546/.353/.639 eFG%:.553) 10.6r 0.9a 1.3s 1.3b 1.5to 2.3pf OeFG%:.440 POTG:14
C: Les "Throat" Zeng (RS SR 6' 10" 215lbs C pf 141 - 15 IS/Reb/ID, 13 Hnd, 12 IQ/Drv)
40gms 36gs 23.6mins 8.6p (.556/.000/.540 eFG%:.556) 6.9r 0.8a 1.1s 1.0b 1.4to 2.2pf OeFG%:.472 POTG:2
bSG: Lucas "Puffy" Coombs (RS JR 205lbs SG pg sf pf 148 - 18 Spd, 16 Rng/Drv, 13 Hnd)
43gms 10gs 15.2mins 6.1p (.412/.319/.702 eFG%:.496) 1.1r 1.1a 0.5s 0.1b 1.1to 1.1pf
bC: Eddie Cleveland (RS SO 7' 235lbs C 124 - 17 IQ, 16 Str, 13 OS, 12 ID)
42gms 2gs 14.6mins 5.8p (.541/.143/.689 eFG%:.546) 3.9r 0.3a 0.5s 0.6b 0.7to 1.4pf POTG:1
bSF: Armando Benavides (RS FR 230lbs C sg sf pf 130 - 14 IQ, 13 IS, 12 Spd)
42gms 4gs 14.3mins 3.0p (.463/.500/.731 eFG%:.486) 1.6r 0.4a 0.6s 0.1b 0.9to 0.8pf OeFG%:.449
bPF: Rodger Haskell (RS FR 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 133 - 15 IS, 13 OS/Str, 12 IQ)
44gms 7gs 12.5mins 4.5p (.520/.---/.800 eFG%:.520) 2.8r 0.2a 0.6s 0.5b 0.7to 1.5pf
bPG: Gordon Dent (RS SO 6' 3" 190lbs PG sg sf 138 - 14 Spd/PD/Pass, 13 Hnd)
44gms 1gs 9.4mins 2.0p (.357/.219/.778 eFG%:.399) 0.8r 1.8a 0.5s 0.0b 1.0to 0.7pf
Farewell Seniors
"The Greg" Theo Gregory (6' 9" 235lbs PF SF C 176/13)
The first five star Gael not to redshirt. A natural 4, his defensive versatility let him slide to the 3 or 5, which the Gaels utilized extensively, particularly in the 3 years he played with Z-Bit. Played as a combo-forward off the bench as a freshmen, then started 124 of 129 games from his sophomore season. He was a decent secondary scoring, graduating with a passable face-up game to go with his good post game. Was a force on the glass averaging a 14.5/10.6 as a senior from PF.
25 POTG (T8)
+1073 _/- (#9)
1256 Rebounds (#10)
52.7% FG% (#19)
349 FTM (#19)
177 Steals (#20)
108 Blocks (#20)
"Skelly" Kelly Steeter (6' 3½" 190lbs SG PG sf pf 170/12)
A natural SG, he was asked to play PG as a senior, but despite giving it all, it clearly wasn't his position. Started for three seasons. Had an unorthodox stroke, but he could launch it from distance and he was certainly a beneficiary of his team-mates. With Z-Bit, Throat and The Greg all demanding plenty of attention in the paint, he was the one shooting the long-ball and punishing teams that collapsed too much in the paint. Used his smarts and quicks to become one of the most prolific thieves in Gaels history.
275 Steals (#4)
+1032 +/- (#13)
278 3PM (#13)
358 FTM (#17)
.357 3P% (#18)
1988 Points (#19)
"Throat" Les Zeng (6' 10½" 215lbs C 141/10)
Was given his unusual nickname on a team trip to New Zealand, where the concierge in the team hotel seemed to be calling him Lozenge. It stuck. Not the most talented player, particularly in the weight room, but he maximized his game becoming a solid post player at both ends of the floor. Started 82 games, 77 as an upperclassman.
Alan "Victor E." Goodwin (6 '7" 225lbs SF PF 153/12)
After struggling to get consistent minutes in his first three seasons he was thrust into a starting role, mostly at SF as a senior. He was probably a more natural PF, but the Gaels were loaded at the position during his career. Was a decent glue-guy. Hard-worker, particularly on the fitness track, but fairly unremarkable on the court.
Development Highlights
Alan Goodwin (138 -> 153 = +15)
Steve Clark (135 -> 148 = +13)
Rodger Haskell (120 -> 133 = +13)
Josh Harris (105 -> 118 = +13)
Gordon Dent (126 -> 138 = +12)
Harley Chitwood (124 -> 135 = +11)
Armando Benavides (119 -> 130 = +11)
Lucas Coombs (138 -> 148 = +10)
Coaching
Head coach Darren Scales runs the defense, game-day tactics and development. Sam Flaherty is the recruiter and motivator. Jay Fisher made way for Fred Foster who is both younger and even more of an offensive savant. Theo Hudson continues to improve and is now the assistant for defense and player development.
Recruiting
Ed Sample (3* 6' SF PG SG 109/12) has been on the Gaels radar for years and he wasted little time committing early in November. He's a classic 3-&-D guard that is unlikely to create much for others. Already has pretty solid finishing at the rim which should keep teams honest if they over-play him on the perimeter.
Before Christmas the Gaels were done with the commitment of Jamaican big man Nelson Cooke (4* 6' 9½" C 106/13). Nelson projects as a great rim-protector and all-around defender, should be solid on the boards and has a wet jumper. He averaged 15.4p 10.9r with a steal and block in 25 games as a HS senior, slashing .567/.452/.700 in the process. He's surprisingly mobile for his 230lbs and his 39" vert is gravity defying.
Outlook
The Gaels almost never graduate four players at once. This year they do. Four of them were starters. There's no way to sugar-coat it, next year's roster is under-manned by Saint Mary's standards and it is going to be a struggle to stay up in LL2.
That said, opportunity knocks as there will be more minutes for younger players than usual. Dent will be given the keys to the offense and whilst he doesn't have the offense of Skelly, he's already a better all-around floor general. Coombs will likely start at SG, but will have solid competition from former JuCo Chitwood, who has a similar game. Clark won the battle for SG this year but will move to SF next.
The trio of Cleveland, Haskell and Benavides will get the lion's share of the minutes at the 4 & 5 next year. All three were reliable contributors off the bench this year. Tipsy is particularly high on Haskell who is already filling out nicely and growing into a good 2-way threat.
Josh Harris (bPG) and Ken Brewer (bSF) round out the bench after completing their redshirt seasons. Both are still a little raw, but they should both see regular minutes in any case.
LL2 always has plenty of stars, and its arguable that the Gaels will have none. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, steps up to change that in 2038.
Mar 29 2036: 2036 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on January 11th, 2024
Season
The Gaels largely feasted on a home-heavy OOC schedule going 8-2. The most notable wins were in the D1RT over West Georgia and Drury, as well as the rivalry game win over CSDH. The losses were to D1RT rival Illinois Wesleyan and the Gaels were also stunned by LL5 New Mexico the game after.
A hot 5-1 start to conference play including an OT road-win over Clark and an OT home win over Maryland had fans hopeful early. But the Gaels would drop 3 of their next 4, all home losses, starting with a heartbreaking 1-point loss to Central Arkansas. The Gaels would then go 6-3 on a protracted homestand.
Any hope of challenging for promotion was largely snuffed with a 1 point road-loss to bogey team Maryland. A 4 game winning streak was followed with a 1-4 swoon. The road win in the All-Gaels battle against Iona gave the team some much needed momentum heading into the conference tournament.
A tight 64-62 win over Washington State came at a high cost as both C Zeng and bC Cleveland picked up injuries that would see them out until the 2nd weekend of the national tournament. The Gaels did however benefit from an already-tournament-secure Clark resting their starters after they also picked up some injuries in the opening round. That set up a 3rd game against Yale, who scored the last 13 points of the game to win the CT semi-final by 5 points and leave the Gaels sweating on the bubble on selection Sunday.
After nervously waiting through the other regions Saint Mary's finally heard its name called in the Western region where they were given a 15-seed, playing against Legends stalwart Alabama.
Almost everything went right in the opening round as the Gaels had 15 steals and 10 blocks, completely shutting down the paint and running away in the second half to win 75-57. Z-Bit (23p 10r 4b) and Skelly (21p 3a 4s) doing most of the damage.
The second round game was a rematch against West Georgia who were also missing their starting C. Despite a big game from Brody Willis, the Gaels would again prevail with Skelly (24p 7a), Z-Bit (20p 10r 2s 3b) and The Greg (18p 12r) all scoring freely in the 83-70 win.
Zeng was back for 3rd round, and so was a familiar opponent. Conference Rival Yale had swept the Gaels by 18, 5 & 5 on the year. It was a spirited game with the Gaels rallying from a 10-point half-time defecit to grab the lead twice, before finally succumbing 71-75. Nathan Fitzpatrick (26p 13r 3b) dominated Zeng and the Gaels bench shot just 3/11 from the field.
The run to the Sweet Sixteen did give Z-Bit just enough games to become just the second Gael to pass 3000 career points (finishing with 3008 after scoring 14 in the S16 game). A fitting milestone for a Gael who will surely see his number elevated to McKeown's rafters sometime soon.
All told, a 30-win season, 18-12 and 7th placed finish in II.1 and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen for the 2036 Gaels.
Roster
PG: Leonard "Hassle" Hoffman (RS SR 6' 7" 210lbs PG pf c 154 - 16 Pass, 14 Fin/ID/Hnd, 13 Reb, 12 PD/Spd)
45gms 44gs 27.8mins 7.3p (.447/.352/.700 eFG%:.535) 2.4r 4.8a 1.6s 0.3b 3.7to 2.0pf OeFG%:.494 POTG:1
SG: Kelly "Skelly" Steeter (RS JR 6' 3" 190lbs SG sf pf 166 - 17 IQ/Sta, 16 Spd, 14 Rng/Drv, 13 PD, 12 IS)
43gms 43gs 33.1mins 16.3p (.454/.373/.765 eFG%:.561) 2.3r 3.6a 2.3s 0.2b 1.7to 1.4pf OeFG%:.459 POTG:7
SF: Theo "The Greg" Gregory (JR 6' 9" 235lbs PF SF c 171 - 17 IQ, 16 Reb/ID, 15 IS, 14 PD/Spd/Sta, 12 Fin)
45gms 45gs 32.1mins 12.2p (.482/.281/.654 3FG%:.525) 8.0r 0.9a 1.6s 0.4b 1.3to 1.9pf OeFG%:.451 POTG:5)
PF: Zachary "Z-Bit" Bittner (RS SR 6' 9" 210lbs PF C 180 - 20 IS, 18 Drv, 16 Reb, 15 Fin, 14 IQ/Sta, 13 Hnd)
43gms 43gs 31.7mins 19.0p (.603/.---/.609 eFG%:.603) 10.3r 1.0a 1.1s 1.6b 1.3to 2.8pf OeFG%:.420 POTG:16
C: Les "Throat" Zeng (RS JR 6' 10" 215lbs C pf 141 - 15 IS/Reb/ID, 13 Hnd, 12 IQ/Drv)
41gms 41gs 26.0mins 10.9p (.536/1000/.504 eFG%:.537) 6.2r 0.7a 1.2s 1.0b 1.6to .4pf OeFG%:.493 POTG:2
bSF: Steve Clark (RS FR 6' 5" 215lbs SF PF c 135 - 14 Spd, 13 Rng, 12 IS/Fin)
45gms 9gs 18.0mins 4.4p (.410/.329/.725 eFG%:.494) 2.3r 0.3a 0.7s 0.2b 1.1to 1.2pf OeFG%:.486
bC: Eddie Cleveland (RS FR 7' 235lbs C 116 - 17 IQ, 14 Str, 12 OS)
41gms 0gs 14.1mins 4.3p (.493/.333/.547 eFG%:.500) 3.2r 0.6a 0.5s 0.6b 0.8to 0.9pf
bPG: Gordon Dent (RS FR 6' 3" 190lbs PG sg sf 126 - 14 Spd, 13 Pass, 12 PD)
46gms 2gs 13.0mins 2.7p (.449/.293/.676 eFG%:.510) 0.6r 1.5a 0.7s 0.0b 1.7to 1.0pf
bSG: Lucas "Puffy" Coombs (RS SO 205lbs SG pg sf pf 138 - 18 Spd, 14 Rng/Drv, 12 Hnd)
46gms 3gs 9.9mins 3.5p (.461/.414/.750 eFG%:.565) 0.7r 0.7a 0.3s 0.0b 0.9to 0.9pf
bPF: Alan "Vic" Goodwin (RS JR 6' 7" 225lbs PF sf 138 - 15 IQ, 12 Reb/ID/Sta)
35gms 0gs 7.1mins 1.5p (.451/.125/.750 eFG%:.461) 1.8r 0.2a 0.4s 0.3b 0.4to 0.4pf POTG:1
Farewell Seniors
Zachary "Z-Bit" Bittner (6' 9" 210lbs PF C 180/13)
A post prodigy who hard arguably the greatest array of post moves and best finishing in the country by the end of his sophomore season. Just the 2nd Gael to surpass 3000 points. His career numbers stack up against any of the Gaels' greats in any era. A fantastic post presence at both ends of the floor. Was the 2nd option on a national tournament runner-up team as a freshman and was then the #1 option his last 3 years. Could play either PF or C, but was probably at his best at PF.
58 POTG (#1)
617 FTM (#1)
34 DQ’s (#1)
3008 points (#2)
1654 rebounds (#2)
262 blocks (#2, 1 off 1st)
543 PF (#2, 3 off 1st)
1193 FGM (#2)
5436 minutes (#3)
+1566 (#4)
.580 FG% (#7)
211 steals (#10)
FR: All Tournament, III.2 FOTY
SO: III.2 All Conference
JR: III.2 All Conference Centre, Promotion
SR: All-Discord PF
Leonard "Hassle" Hoffman (6' 7½" 210lbs PG pf c 154/12)
Probably would have made a better SF, but that's not how what squad-building around him would allow. Came off the bench for three years, before finally starting as a senior. Picked his spots on offense, somewhat surprisingly hitting on .345 from deep for his career. Was able to use his size and length to good effect at the top of the key. Not a great player, but he'll still be missed next season as the cupboard is quite bare in the playmaking department.
Development Highlights
Theo Gregory (151 -> 171 = +20)
Steve Clark (119 -> 135 = +16)
Gordon Dent (113 -> 126 = +13)
Leonard Hoffman (142 -> 154 = +12)
Kelly Steeter (155 -> 166 = +11)
Rodger Haskell (109 -> 120 = +11)
Armando Benavides (108 -> 119 = +11)
Lucas Coombs (128 -> 138 = +10)
Eddie Cleveland (106 -> 116 = +10)
Coaching
No changes in the coaching box this year for the Gaels. Head coach Darren Scales runs the defense, game-day tactics and development. Sam Flaherty is the recruiter and motivator. Jay Fisher remains the offensive coordinator.
Theo Hudson continues to develop into a rounded coach of the future, though his more reserved nature sees him to defer to the other coaches on game day. At his most recent performance appraisal he was found to be above average or better in 4 coaching areas. Combined with his youth he has secured a long-term contract.
Recruiting
Whilst it was disappointing to see Australian big man Edward Young decide to go to Queens College, the eventual early January signing of Ken Brewer (3* 6' 5" PF pg sf c 100/13), who chose the Gaels over Azusa Pacific helped to salve that loss. He projects as a 2-way wing with lightning quicks and plenty of upside.
Shortly after, long-time lead Josh Harris (3* 6' 2" pg sg sf pf 105/12) also inked his letter of intent. He brings a rounded offensive game, though probably not out to the 3-point line, and should be versatile enough to play 1-3. Given the state of PG stocks in Moraga, don't be surprised if he mostly plays point. How quickly can his defense come around? That's the big question mark.
Late in the season the coach's attention was drawn to JuCo SG Harley Chitwood (2* 6' 1" PG SG SF pg 124/11) who signed on the first day of march. He has a game very similar to Lucas Coombs, primarily basing his game around quicks and range, though he perhaps has a slightly more refined jumper. The coaches are also high on his potential as a secondary playmaker as passing has become something of an issue on the current roster.
Outlook
One simply does not replace a talent like Z-Bit and even if PG was not his most natural position Hassle was streets ahead of any other PG on the roster. The departures of those 2 starters will certainly be felt next season.
Skelly, The Greg and Throat all return. Zeng will reprise his role as the starting C. Almost certainly being backed up by Cleveland. But those could be the last positions that are locked in.
Rumour has it that Skelly may be asked to try his hand as a scoring PG. Coombs was a real weapon off the bench this year at bSG and will be keen to see Skelly succeed. If Skelly can't handle the position then Dent could be thrown into the fire at PG a year ahead of schedule instead.
It should be The Greg's turn at PF, but that may depend on who wins the job at the other forward position. Steve Clark (SF) and Alan Goodwin (PF/SF?) will duel it out and it could well come down to who has the better off-season.
Dent or Coombs will be coming off the bench. Even if Dent starts it seems likely Skelly will be bPG, so Coombs should play plenty. If Coombs starts then 2036 redshirt Benavides might be an unlikely bSG. The other redshirt Haskell should be the bPF, which leaves the loser of Clark/Goodwin at bSF.
The Gaels have plenty of targets with The Greg, Zeng and perhaps Haskell operating in the paint and Skelly/Coombs/Clark spacing the floor. The problem is likely to be getting the ball to those targets with ball movement and ball security looking likely to be issues. Defensively they should be okay, particularly on the interior.
Realistically it looks like a squad that should battle for mid-table, will hopefully be safe from demotion, but is unlikely to threaten the frontrunners in II.1 next season.
Mar 22 2035: 2035 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on November 14th, 2023
Season
A very up and down year.
The Gaels had their first undefeated OOC in as long as anyone can remember, winning their first 12 games of the season and peaking at #5 in the rankings. The team looked set for a high seed and the talk around office water coolers was about whether they could go as far as the 2033 team or maybe even one better?
II.1 had other plans however as SMC would lose 6 of its next 10 games. After a 3 game winning streak they then lost 7 of 10, and instead of questions around "what seed?", the questions turned to whether demotion was a possibility and whether they would make the post-season at all. Late in the season a 4-game winning streak including wins over Huntington U and UPRRP had them hovering around the bubble. 2 more wins in the conference tourney proved enough to earn them a 15-seed.
The Gaels looked good in the first half against the III.1 champion Bucknell Bison, but it was the LL3 team that made the better adjustments at half time, turning the Gaels over repeatedly and ultimately bouncing them out in the first round.
Roster
PG: "Tup" Ira Mott (RS SR 6' 2" 175lbs PG SG pf 166 - 18 OS/Drv, 17 Str, 14 PD/Pass/Spd, 12 Rng/Fin)
42gms 42gs 25.3mins 12.7p (.475/.387/.869 eFG%:.542) 1.6r 5.4a 1.2s 0.1b 2.7to 2.1pf OeFG:.451 POTG:4
SG: Kelly "Skelly" Steeter (RS SO 6' 3½" 190lbs SG sf pf 155 - 16 I7, 16 Spd, 15 Sta, 13 Drv, 12 Rng)
43gms 43gs 24.4mins 31.2p (.456/.338/.618 eFG%:.529) 1.8r 3.1a 1.9s 0.1b 2.2to 1.9pf OeFG:.512
SF: Cliff "Cha Cha" Chavis (RS SR 6' 9½" 240lbs PF c 153 - 16 Reb, 15 PD, 14 IQ, 13 ID, 12 Drv/Spd)
42gms 42gs 28.3mins 6.1p (.432/.357/.490 eFG%:.525) 4.5r 1.6a 1.7s 0.2b 1.2to 1.2pf OeFG:.413
PF: Theo "The Greg" Gregory (SO 6' 9" 235lbs PF C sf 151 - 16 IQ, 15 Reb, 14 IS, 13 ID/Sta, 12 Spd)
44gms 40gs 29.2mins 14.6p (.570/.488/.582 eFG%:.594) 7.4r 0.6a 0.8s 0.8b 1.5to 2.3pf OeFG:.506 POTG:6
C: Zachary "Z-Bit" Bittner (RS JR 6' 9" 210lbs PF C 175 - 20 IS, 17 Drv, 16 Reb, 14 Fin/IQ/Sta, 12 Hnd)
41gms 41gs 30.8mins 18.7p (.585/.---/.672 eFG%:.585) 9.7r 0.8a 1.3s 1.6b 1.7to 3.6pf OeFG:.479 POTG:19
bSF/bSG: Dion "Dingo" Goss (RS SR 6' 5" 220lbs SF sg 149 - 16 Pass, 14 Fin/PD/Sta, 14 Sta, 12 IS)
44gms 0gs 19.9mins 3.6p (.455/.268/.862 eFG%:.496) 1.7r 1.6a 1.1s 0.0b 1.2to 1.0pf
bC/bPF: "Throat" Les Zeng (RS SO 6' 10½" 215lbs C pf 138 - 14 IS/Reb/ID, 13 Hnd, 12 IQ/Drv)
41gms 5gs 18.7mins 7.6p(.680/.---/.569 eFG%:.568) 4.9r 0.6a 0.5s 0.6b 0.9to 1.6pf
bPG: Leonard "Hassle" Hoffman (RS JR 6' 7½" 210lbs PG pf c 142 - 14 Pass, 12 Fin/Reb/ID/Hnd)
42gms 3gs 15.7mins 3.5p (.431/.373/.769 eFG%:.520) 1.2r 1.9a 0.8s 0.1b 2.0to 1.2pf
Farewell Seniors
"Tup" Ira Mott (6' 2" 175lbs PG SG pf 166/11)
A talented shooter who could get wherever he wanted on the floor. Became a better playmaker and distributor as an upperclassmen which eventually saw him take over PG duties as a senior after playing almost exclusively at SG his first 3 seasons. Became a competent defender over time. A better finisher inside than he got to show at Saint Mary's as the Gaels needed him to space the floor more than drive the lane.
Cliff "Cha Cha" Chavis (6' 9½" 240lbs PF c 153/11)
After two years of backing up the four, Cliff found a starting role at SF for his final 2 seasons. Not a big offensive threat, but he was generally good for 1 timely three per game and the off put-back. Very good defender and an especially good rebounder for his position. Was certainly a physical presence on the wing and we'll no doubt miss his hard-nosed style.
Dion "Dingo" Goss (6' 5" 220lbs SF sg 148/12)
He was simply a little underwhelming. Enough so that his minutes dwindled as a junior, behind both Chavis and Gregory in the depth chart at SF. He was a decent secondary creator, but didn't really do enough of anything else to earn regular minutes.
Development Highlights
Theo Gregory (135 -> 151 = +16)
Kelly Steeter (140 -> 155 = +15)
Dion Goss (138 -> 149 = +11)
Alan Goodwin (118 -> 130 = +12)
Steve Clark (107 -> 119 = +12)
Harvey Payton (107 -> 118 = +11)
Eddie Cleveland (95 -> 106 = +11)
Coaching
Darren Scales remains the head coach the 46yo is highly regarded for his defensive schemes, player development and in-game tactical adjustments.
Sam Flaherty remains the primary motivator/recruiter and was called upon for his offensive accumen as well this season.
Bud McNamara was moved on at the start of the year making way for an offensive guru in the form of Jay Fisher. At 46yo he is the same age as both Scales and Flaherty, which could make for an interesting off season in a few years. Whilst Fisher isn't a huge positive in any other area, Scales needs an offensive coordinator and Fisher should provide a solid pairing for at least a few years.
30yo Theo Hudson is considered better than average at offense, defense, development and recruiting, and seems likely to remain on staff for some time.
Recruiting
In early December, a brief courting process was completed when Rodger Haskell (3* 6' 8" C PF 109/12) was the Gaels first signing. He should get another inch and should be a scoring 4/5 that can also provide some rim protection and already shows a good baseline of strength for a HS player. His work on the glass might take a little longer to come good.
Early in the new year, long-time target Armando Benavides (3* 6' 7" C sg pf 108/12) made his commitment. Benavides was considering Pepperdine, but after a head coaching change the Gaels became the clear favourite. He projects as a great all-around defender and already has some offensive polish, particularly in the post. Also expected to finish up around 6' 9" he could possibly play some 3 as well as 4/5.
Its somewhat unusual for the Gaels to double up with 2 bigs a 2-man class. It will be interesting to see how the roster shapes around this pair.
Outlook
Various misses in recruiting on floor generals saw Mott move to PG this year, and next year the options are worse again. Journeyman Leonard Hoffman looks likely the best option, but he'd more naturally play as a role-playing SF than the guy with the keys to the offense.
Steeter will return as a skilled junior with a year of starts already under his belt. Whilst his game is still primarily built around speed, smarts and stamina, his shooting and defense are also becoming more respectable.
The Greg most likely moves to SF where he split time as a freshman. How effective can he be with a clear weakness in handling and driving? Time will tell. An improved shooting stroke should help.
Z-Bit likely moves back to PF after a year at C. He appears to have reached his peak, but fortunately that peak is pretty good. He remains arguably the premier post scorer in the nation, and is now adept at driving to diversify his scoring options. He is also a high level rebounder.
Despite his affliction with a rare muscle-wasting disease, Zeng looks likely to move to the starting 5 position next season. He's a skilled post-scorer/defender and rebounder, who can also take it to the rack off the bounce. All good positives until he starts getting pushed around by the opposition.
The bench will be as raw as it has been in quite some time. Dent, Coombs, Clark, Goodwin, Cleveland make up the 2nd unit. 3 redshirt freshmen, a barely played RS SO, and a barely played RS JR. None of them top 130 SI as yet, so things could be quite the adventure when fouls or injuries strike.
The goal is likely to be trying to stave off relegation. But maybe the star duo of Z-Bit and The Greg will have grander plans in their last season together?