St. Mary's will Win the NCAA Tournament - Reasons Why By Steven Miller

1.Saint Mary’s boasts the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation, holding its opponents to 60.7 points per game. In a tournament that frustrates shooters (maybe due to over-inflated basketballs?), the right draws can reward a defensive team.

2.Saint Mary’s is 4-3 in Quad 1 games this year. No NET top-30 team has fewer than three Quad 1 losses. Now the Gaels just have to keep that number at three. 

3.The Gaels went 0-16 from three against Gonzaga in the WCC Championship Game. They’re clearly saving their made threes for the tournament that matters. 

4.What is a Gael? A person of Celtic origin. St. Patrick’s Day kicks off tournament week. The Luck of the Irish knows no bounds.

5.Saint Mary’s men’s basketball might be the last notable sports team in the Oakland metro area. They’ll be backed by an entire, desperate, the-Raiders-left-to-get-milk-and-never-came-back city. 

Steven Miller