Monday, November 2
Moraga, CA
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
Illinois State
Vangelis Zougris (35) is one of 10 Gaels newcomers looking to make a splash here in 2026-27
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
10/29/2026 1:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — The wait is nearly over! Saint Mary's Men's Basketball returns to University Credit Union Pavilion, opening the 2026-27 campaign on Monday, Nov. 2, hosting Illinois State, before having a quick turnaround and taking on North Dakota State, on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The two contests will mark the first two in the head coaching career of Mickey McConnell, who has won on the floor at UCU Pavilion as a student-athlete and an assistant coach, and will look to earn two wins in his first two tries as the head coach of the Gaels.Â
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Illinois State Redbirds
Monday, November 2 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. North Dakota State Bison
Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
HOME COURT HEROES
Saint Mary's enters the 2026-27 campaign riding the nation's fourth longest home winning streak, having won 26 straight inside UCU Pavilion. The Gaels have not suffered defeat at home since December of 2024. The 26 in a row is a current program record, having bested the previous record of 23 straight home wins in a row set between Feb. 22, 2021 and Nov. 30 2022. In this current record span, the Gaels have gone a perfect 18-0 in home conference games, with a pair of victories over former conference rival Gonzaga, as well as 8-0 in non-con games. The Gaels will also look to win their sixth straight home opener dating back to the 2019-20 season.Â
COACHING HISTORY
Mickey McConnell was hired as the Gaels' 27th head coach dating back to the program's founding in 1907. He will now look to be the 14th of those 27 to win his first game at the helm of the Gaels, joining the likes of Frank Boek (1909), Fred Broderick (1914), Louis Conlan (1927), Jim Underhill (1934), Jack Otten (1938), Thomas Foley (1950), James Weaver (1955), Mike Cimino (1962), Frank LaPorte (1973), Bill Oates (1979), Lynn Nance (1986), Ernie Kent (1991), Dave Bollwinkel (1997).Â
MEET THE PERSONNEL
The Gaels' roster will look a little different here in 2026-27, but will be anchored by a quartet of players who have each started at least one game for Saint Mary's in their careers. Preseason All-WCC selectee Joshua Dent will run the offense for a second straight year, joined by a trio of veteran wings in Kevin Gad, Rory Hawke and Mantas Juzenas. This group, along with redshirts from a season ago Jazz Gardner and Trent MacLean, should help Coach McConnell set the winning team culture of Saint Mary's for a group of 10 newcomers.
To complement this group of Gael vets are 10 newcomers, broken down into five transfers, four true freshmen, and one former G-League Player. With NCAA DI hoops experience under their belts, Jeremy Dent Smith (Stanford), Vangelis Zougris (Louisville), Salih Altuntas (Miami (FL)), Luke Fennell (Syracuse) and Thomas Ndong (Cal Baptist) will bring veteran leadership to the group. The future also looks extremely bright with the likes of true freshmen Darius Bivins (program's first McDonald's All-American), Flynn Pavely, Cooper Lewis and Sam Curvy mixing into the fold. A local product out of Oakland, Jalen Lewis rounds out the group of newcomers after spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.Â
ABOUT THE REDBIRDS
The Gaels first opponent on the 2026-27 schedule is a formidable one, as Illinois State will make the trek from Normal to Moraga, fresh off of a 23-13 campaign and a trip to the NIT Semifinals. Fifth year head coach Ryan Pedon has seen his Redbird team get better by the year, going from 11 wins in his first year at the helm, to 23 a year ago. Illinois State played a pair of exhibitions this October, defeating Northwestern at home 70-64, before falling on the road to Green Bay, 79-71. Fourth year Redbird Johnny Kinziger was the most consistent offensive presence in those two contests, averaging 14.5 points per game and burying 6-13 three point attempts. Kinziger joins fellow returning senior Chase Walker and transfers Noah Cleveland and Malik Messina-Moore on the preseason Missouri Valley Conference watch list, as the Redbirds were picked to finish second in the preseason MVC poll. This will be the third all-time meeting between the Gaels and Redbirds, with Illinois State winning both prior meetings in 1993 and 1994.Â
ABOUT THE BISON
The Gaels will get their first look at another 2026 NCAA Tournament team in their second contest of the year, as the North Dakota State Bison will play their first road contest of the season inside UCU Pavilion after opening up at home against DII side Minnesota Crookston. David Richman is in his 13th year as the coach in Fargo, and has been on staff for the Bison since 2003. In his 13 seasons, Richman has taken the Bison to the NCAA Tournament four times (including the canceled 2020 tournament), and will look to take the Bison to back-to-back tournaments for the second time in his tenure here in 2026-27. North Dakota State played a single exhibition tune up, playing host to DII Minnesota State-Moorhead, and defeated the Dragons 80-74. More than a third of NDSU's points in that one were scored by Long Beach State transfer point guard Rob Diaz III, who dropped 23 on 9-13 shooting. Despite being picked to repeat as the Summit League champs, the Bison had just one player named to the preseason all-conference team, third year veteran Andy Stefonowicz, who will join Diaz III to make up a dynamic backcourt for Coach Richman. The Gaels defeated the Bison in their only other meeting, back on Nov. 14, 2013.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
Built by generations of Gaels. Driven by the work that comes next.
2026–27 SINGLE GAME TICKETS — PURCHASE HERE
2026–27 SEASON TICKETS — CLAIM YOUR SEAT HERE
Â
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Illinois State Redbirds
Monday, November 2 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. North Dakota State Bison
Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m.
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.Â
WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
HOME COURT HEROES
Saint Mary's enters the 2026-27 campaign riding the nation's fourth longest home winning streak, having won 26 straight inside UCU Pavilion. The Gaels have not suffered defeat at home since December of 2024. The 26 in a row is a current program record, having bested the previous record of 23 straight home wins in a row set between Feb. 22, 2021 and Nov. 30 2022. In this current record span, the Gaels have gone a perfect 18-0 in home conference games, with a pair of victories over former conference rival Gonzaga, as well as 8-0 in non-con games. The Gaels will also look to win their sixth straight home opener dating back to the 2019-20 season.Â
COACHING HISTORY
Mickey McConnell was hired as the Gaels' 27th head coach dating back to the program's founding in 1907. He will now look to be the 14th of those 27 to win his first game at the helm of the Gaels, joining the likes of Frank Boek (1909), Fred Broderick (1914), Louis Conlan (1927), Jim Underhill (1934), Jack Otten (1938), Thomas Foley (1950), James Weaver (1955), Mike Cimino (1962), Frank LaPorte (1973), Bill Oates (1979), Lynn Nance (1986), Ernie Kent (1991), Dave Bollwinkel (1997).Â
MEET THE PERSONNEL
The Gaels' roster will look a little different here in 2026-27, but will be anchored by a quartet of players who have each started at least one game for Saint Mary's in their careers. Preseason All-WCC selectee Joshua Dent will run the offense for a second straight year, joined by a trio of veteran wings in Kevin Gad, Rory Hawke and Mantas Juzenas. This group, along with redshirts from a season ago Jazz Gardner and Trent MacLean, should help Coach McConnell set the winning team culture of Saint Mary's for a group of 10 newcomers.
To complement this group of Gael vets are 10 newcomers, broken down into five transfers, four true freshmen, and one former G-League Player. With NCAA DI hoops experience under their belts, Jeremy Dent Smith (Stanford), Vangelis Zougris (Louisville), Salih Altuntas (Miami (FL)), Luke Fennell (Syracuse) and Thomas Ndong (Cal Baptist) will bring veteran leadership to the group. The future also looks extremely bright with the likes of true freshmen Darius Bivins (program's first McDonald's All-American), Flynn Pavely, Cooper Lewis and Sam Curvy mixing into the fold. A local product out of Oakland, Jalen Lewis rounds out the group of newcomers after spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.Â
ABOUT THE REDBIRDS
The Gaels first opponent on the 2026-27 schedule is a formidable one, as Illinois State will make the trek from Normal to Moraga, fresh off of a 23-13 campaign and a trip to the NIT Semifinals. Fifth year head coach Ryan Pedon has seen his Redbird team get better by the year, going from 11 wins in his first year at the helm, to 23 a year ago. Illinois State played a pair of exhibitions this October, defeating Northwestern at home 70-64, before falling on the road to Green Bay, 79-71. Fourth year Redbird Johnny Kinziger was the most consistent offensive presence in those two contests, averaging 14.5 points per game and burying 6-13 three point attempts. Kinziger joins fellow returning senior Chase Walker and transfers Noah Cleveland and Malik Messina-Moore on the preseason Missouri Valley Conference watch list, as the Redbirds were picked to finish second in the preseason MVC poll. This will be the third all-time meeting between the Gaels and Redbirds, with Illinois State winning both prior meetings in 1993 and 1994.Â
ABOUT THE BISON
The Gaels will get their first look at another 2026 NCAA Tournament team in their second contest of the year, as the North Dakota State Bison will play their first road contest of the season inside UCU Pavilion after opening up at home against DII side Minnesota Crookston. David Richman is in his 13th year as the coach in Fargo, and has been on staff for the Bison since 2003. In his 13 seasons, Richman has taken the Bison to the NCAA Tournament four times (including the canceled 2020 tournament), and will look to take the Bison to back-to-back tournaments for the second time in his tenure here in 2026-27. North Dakota State played a single exhibition tune up, playing host to DII Minnesota State-Moorhead, and defeated the Dragons 80-74. More than a third of NDSU's points in that one were scored by Long Beach State transfer point guard Rob Diaz III, who dropped 23 on 9-13 shooting. Despite being picked to repeat as the Summit League champs, the Bison had just one player named to the preseason all-conference team, third year veteran Andy Stefonowicz, who will join Diaz III to make up a dynamic backcourt for Coach Richman. The Gaels defeated the Bison in their only other meeting, back on Nov. 14, 2013.Â
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
Built by generations of Gaels. Driven by the work that comes next.
2026–27 SINGLE GAME TICKETS — PURCHASE HERE
2026–27 SEASON TICKETS — CLAIM YOUR SEAT HERE
Â
Players Mentioned
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