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Saint Mary’s Gaels should look in the mirror after March Madness snub

By Neil Harrington

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: Head coach Randy Bennett of the Saint Mary's Gaels looks on during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: Head coach Randy Bennett of the Saint Mary's Gaels looks on during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Saint Mary’s Gaels are considered one of the biggest 2018 NCAA tournament snubs, but there is more to the story.

Now that the dust has settled from Selection Sunday and the bizarre selection show, it’s easier for us to see a clearer picture of 2018 NCAA tournament field. It’s hard to believe that two nationally ranked teams, the Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Middle Tennesee Blue Raiders were left out of the March Madness bracket.

Middle Tennesee did everything in their power during the non-conference slate to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee, playing the likes of Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Miami (Fl), Auburn, and USC.

However, the snub of Saint Mary’s tells a different tale, revealing that the Gaels have no one to blame for their March Madness exclusion except for themselves.

Why in the world would you say no to playing those three schools? There’s nothing to lose by playing those games. Now, they’ve lost everything, with the Gaels on the outside looking in, falling into the depths of the NIT. 

All three of those schools, Rhode Island, Nevada, and Creighton earned at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. If Saint Mary’s plays all three of those games and wins one, just one of those contests, they receive a March Madness bid. Without question.

Instead, Saint Mary’s thought that playing Sacramento State and their 305 RPI would “wow” the selection committee. Or that playing the worst team in the Mountain West Conference in San Jose State was a far more excellent choice than playing its regular season champion Nevada and their 17 RPI.

The Gaels boast one of the most impressive wins during the college basketball season, winning in Spokane, defeating WCC perennial powerhouse the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Going into the “Kennel” and beating the Zags in enemy territory is no easy feat. That alone should have pushed Saint Mary’s onto the right side of the bubble.

Saint Mary’s non-conference SOS ranked at 182 out of 351 NCAA Division I college basketball teams. Those three games would have boosted that closer to 100, catching the eye of the selection committee in the process.

Losing two critical contests to Washington State and Georgia in the Wooden Legacy tournament all but sealed the Gaels’ fate. Losing to BYU in the WCC semi-finals delivered a crushing blow as well, not only hindering the Gaels from earning the automatic bid but from getting another quality opponent in Gonzaga.

Next: 5 biggest snubs on Selection Sunday

Randy Bennett and the Saint Mary’s athletic department have some explaining to do to their fans, by refusing dates with three NCAA tournament teams. They could have won at least one, if not more of those contests. Instead, the Gaels are playing another home basketball game, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

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