Game Date: Jan 31st, 2054

St. Marys

Team: St. Marys Gaels [ID #65]

Location: Moraga, CA (West)

Conference: I.1 [Division 1]

President: naph
          [since February 29th 2020 | last seen September 25th 2026]

Coach: Dejuan Nelson

Arena: McKeon Pavilion

Rating: 518.12 - Overall Position: #10

Fan Mood: 108.05

Alumni Mood: 248.05

Prestige: 294

Team Notes:

• Dec 27 2053: 4-star prospect Ramon Cardona committed.
• Dec 25 2053: 3-star prospect Craig Billings committed.
• Jun 24 2053: Isaiah Pfeifer was drafted round #2, pick #14 by Detroit.
• Jun 24 2053: Arnold Harlow was drafted round #1, pick #28 by Toronto.
• Jun 24 2053: Bryan Irwin was drafted round #1, pick #22 by Washington.
• Mar 09 2053: Made the national tournament field.
• Mar 01 2053: Won the I.1 conference.
• Feb 13 2053: 2-star prospect Victor Reinhart committed.
• Dec 12 2052: 5-star prospect Marty Friend committed.
• Oct 10 2052: Lyle Andrews was hired as the new assistant coach.

Record:

Wins: 11 Losses: 19 Pct: .367     Conf Wins: 6 Conf Losses: 14 Conf Pct: .300 Conf Rank: 14     Last10: 5-5 Streak: L1

Pts Ave: 80.2 - 80.2     Pts Diff: 0.0     Team Power Index: 142.4

Press Releases:

Mar 29 2053: 2053 Season Review (I.1 Champs!) - by naph on August 20th, 2026

Season
6-4 OOC including a 2-1 D1RT win of The D1RT Classic (L WMU, W CPP, W Earlham). The other 3 losses were to Belmont(III.1), Christopher Newport(IV.5) & Nebraska-Omaha(IV.1). The wins were NC State(IV.5), Lebanon Valley(IV.5), California(III.2) & annual rival LUPA(II.1), definitely a mixed bag, but there was enough experimentation in there to work out how they were going to run and some extra minutes were doled out to the younger guys.

Conference play started tamely enough with a win over SRSU and a loss to UNCC (who surprised early, but faded late). Then 7 of the next 9 losing only on the road at Stanford and at PVAM (-Kohl). Then a 12 game winning streak which saw the Gaels steadily climb until they reached the top of the rankings. Their were a few more losses, @LCC, PVAM at home (-Kohl), and the season finale @Marian, but the Gaels had done enough and held on to attain the conference championship. The Gaels had one of the most efficient defenses in the past 30 seasons and their eFG differential was truly elite. They were good but not great at the possession stats, but their efficiency at both ends let them finish the season with 24 wins and +553 differential. They swept 2nd place Illinois Springfield (24 wins) and 3rd place Yale (20 wins).

After putting away Fresno Pacific in the CT opener the Gaels were outclassed by a motivated Stanford team, but the wind was taken out of their post season sails when Clay Kohl cracked a rib and was told he would miss 3 weeks.

The Gaels were awarded the #1 overall seed.
R64: Norfolk State 85 - St. Mary's 91 __ Rupp 20p 17r 2s, Pfeifer 25p 5r 8a
R32: Sam Houston 79 - St. Mary's 82 __ Rupp 20p 18r 2b, Pfeifer 19p 6r 4a
R16: Assumption 103 - St. Mary's 84 __ Irwin 26p 8r 2s, Rupp 16p 9r 4b

The Gaels weren't particularly convincing in either of the opening rounds and were blitzed in the early minutes of the Sweet Sixteen matchup against Assumption and were never in that game. Was the loss of Kohl too much? Or was there a bit of a Legends title hangover? Regardless the curtains closed on an historic Gaels side that will be long remembered.


Roster
PG: Arnold "There He Go" Harlow (RS SR 6' 1½" 200 PG SG sf 179 - 18 OS/PD/Hnd, 17 Sta, 15 Spd, 14 Pass, 13 IQ, 12 Drv)
45gms 45gs 32.0mins 13.4p (.442/.298/.859 eFG:.494) 2.3r 7.0a 1.8s 0.1b 3.8to 2.6pf OeFG:.457 POTG:4 EPM:4.6 VORP:6.1

SG/bPG: "White Gold" Isaiah Pfeifer (RS SR 6' 3½" 220 SG PG 185 - 19 Spd, 18 Drv, 17 Rng, 16 Fin, 15 IQ/Hnd, 14 PD, 13 OS/Pass)
44gms 44gs 29.8mins 19.5p (.517/.439/.733 eFG:.628) 3.3r 4.4a 1.6s 0.1b 1.9to 2.3pf OeFG:.503 POTG:11 EPM:7.5 VORP:7.6

SF: "The Tornado" Bryan Irwin (SR 6' 7½" 220 SF PF C pg 186 - 18 Spd, 17 Rng/Hnd, 16 OS/ID/Sta, 15 Fin, 13 Str, 12 IS/PD)
45gms 45gs 30.7mins 17.2p (.478/.435/.781 eFG:.598) 4.3r 0.5a 2.0s 0.2b 1.0to 2.2pf OeFG:.452 POTG:6 EPM:5.7 VORP:6.7

PF: Rashad "Stunts" Rupp (RS SO 6' 10½" 250 C PF 161 - 18 Str, 17 IS, 15 Rng/ID, 14 Spd/Sta, 13 Reb, 12 PD/IQ)
43gms 43gs 31.2mins 13.0p (.616/.250/.634 eFG:.617) 10.1r 0.6a 1.2s 1.5b 1.4to 2.6pf OeFG:.475 POTG:7 EPM:6.3 VORP:6.9

C: Clay "Blackout" Kohl (RS SR 7' ½" 245 C 146 - 16 Reb, 15 ID, 14 IS/OS/IQ)
40gms 40gs 27.7mins 12.7p (.640/.---/.830 eFG:.640) 8.8r 0.5a 1.0s 1.6b 1.1to 2.7pf OeFG:.460 POTG:6 EPM:6.2 VORP:5.7


bC/PF: "Nails" Alan Emery (RS FR 6' 9" 210 C PF 130 - 14 Spd, 13 Str, 12 Reb)
44gms 7gs 14.8mins 3.4p (.508/.636/.778 eFG:.538) 3.9r 0.3a 0.2s 0.5b 0.9to 1.5pf OeFG:.518 EPM:-3.3 VORP:-0.1

bSG: "Samma" Sam Mahoney (RS SO 6' 4" 195 SG pg sf 167 - 17 Drv, 16 PD/IQ, 15 OS/Rng, 14 Pass, 12 Spd)
44gms 1gs 14.6mins 6.6p (.419/.348/.806 eFG:.526) 1.4r 1.5a 0.8s 0.1b 1.2to 0.9pf OeFG:.409 EPM:5.2 VORP:2.9

bSF: Damon "Spider" Webster (RS FR 6' 5" 175 SF pg pf 141 - 14 OS, 13 Drv/Str/Spd, 12 Reb/Pass)
45gms 0gs 10.9mins 4.1p (.485/.434/.769 eFG:.571) 1.5r 0.9a 0.3s 0.0b 1.2to 0.9pf OeFG:.629 EPM:-5.9 VORP:-0.8

bPF: Bart "Lee Lee" Shirley (RS FR 6' 8" 235 PF C 135 - 13 IS/Rng, 12 Pass)
44gms 0gs 10.1mins 1.8p (.403/.211/.647 eFG:.429) 2.8r 0.4a 0.2s 0.2b 0.4to 0.9pf OeFG:.555 EPM:-1.5 VORP:0.4

bC: "Generic Derrick" John Crane (FR 6' 10" 225 C pf 100 - 12 IS)
12gms 0gs 10.1mins 3.7p (.455/.---/.700 eFG:.455) 2.3r 0.0a 0.3s 0.5b 0.4to 1.5pf OeFG:.525 EPM:-3.2 VORP:0.0


Best Individual Performances
C Kohl vs Lebanon Valley - 34p (11/12 0/0 12/12) 9r 2s 2b 1to 4pf in 28mins
SG Pfeifer vs ASSMPT - 34p (13/16 3/4 5/7) 3r 3a 2to 1pf in 30mins
SG Pfeifer @ AMI - 33p (13/18 5/6 2/4) 3r 6a 3s 1b 2to 4pf in 32mins
SF Irwin vs AMI - 33p (13/21 5/10 2/2) 5r 7s 0to in 1pf in 32mins
SG Pfeifer @ Trans - 31p (11/18 3/8 6/7) 7r 8a 4s 1to 1pf in 30mins
SF Irwin vs STAN - 25p (10/13 5/6 0/0) 5r 6s 1to 1pf in 32mins
bSG Mahoney vs LCC - 25p (6/11 4/9 9/10) 1r 3a 3s 2to 0pf in 29mins
PF Rupp vs CPP - 25p (10/16 0/0 5/5) 12r 2b 2to 3pf in 28mins
PG Harlow @ SRSU - 22p (7/15 1/5 7/7) 1r 10a 6s 5to 2pf in 34mins
C Rupp vs Norfolk State - 20p (10/14 0/0 0/0) 17r 2s 2to 2pf in 33mins
C Rupp vs Sam Houston - 20p (9/17 0/0 2/4) 18r 2b 0to 1pf in 33mins

Farewell Seniors

Arnold "There He Go" Harlow - 6' 1½" 200 PG SG sf (179/13)
142 starts. He could defend right out of the gate and his shooting and handles weren't far behind. His passing wasn't quite as good and turnovers remained a frequent problem over his 2 years starting at PG. His offense took a bit of a downturn as a senior, but he still ran the most efficient Gaels offense of all time.
858 Assists (#4)
235 Steals (#7)
.842 FT% (#8)
405 FTM (#14)
+1342 +/- (#8)
522 TO (#3)

Isaiah "White Gold" Pfeifer - 6' 3½" 220 SG PG (185/13)
99 starts. Played well at both guard positions, but really came on as a scorer in his final 2 seasons. An elite combo guard that was just as adept exploding past defenders for dunks in the lane as he was pulling from deep and chaining 3's to spark a run. Solid defender.
2233 Points (#13)
372 FTM (#18)
313 3PM (#15)
+1494 +/- (#5)
23 POTG (T15)

Bryan "The Tornado" Irwin - 6' 7½" 225 SF pf c (186/13)
138 starts for the 5-star recruit who did not redshirt. A career .403 shooter from deep. Became an elite defender by his senior year. Athletic, and great at creating space off the bounce for his threes.
4845 Minutes (#12)
2205 Points (#16)
239 Steals (#8)
375 3PM (#6)
+1365 +/- (#6)

Clay "Blackout" Kohl - 7' ½" 245 C (146/11)
One of the slowest recruits the Gaels have had, but the eye black wearing giant quickly became a fan favourite. Formed the largest frontcourt in Gaels history with Nicholas Howell his junior year and anchored the paint at both ends as a senior.
1110 Rebounds (#20)
194 Blocks (#11)
.600 FG% (#2)
.814 FT% (#11)
+1237 +/- (#9)


Development Highlights
bSG Mahoney (+21 > 167)
PF Rupp (+15 > 161)
bbC Crane (+14 > 100)
bSF Webster (+13 > 141)
bC/bPF Emery (+10 > 130)


Coaching
Dejuan Nelson climbs one of the HW pinnacles in his first season as head coach. The offense was the best ever seen in McKeown pavilion. Charlie Ballard moved to lead offense assistant in addition to his player development role. Rafael Carroll maintained his motivator/recruiter duties. New to the team Lyle Andrews joined the staff after 6 years of toiling in D3 for Michigan State and Missouri State. He became the lead defensive assistant and is a creditable aid Carroll in the motivation and recruiting operations.


Recruiting
On the 12th day of Christmas the Gaels were given the signature of local Californian talent Marty Friend(5* ~6' 5" 185 PG PF sg 111/14). Despite a bit of a funky form on his jumper he should become a multi-level scoring threat, strong perimeter defender, as well as a creator. He's also lightning quick and already has a wingspan over 6' 10". Long time fans say he has the highest ceiling since Toby Henry wore the blue and red, and are excited to see how much of that he can fulfil in his time in Moraga.

In mid February Victor Reinhardt(2* ~6' 8" 210 PF sg c 89/11) committed. A late-growing forward prospect, he'll need a redshirt to grow into his frame, but already shows promise as a rebounder and floor-spacer.


Outlook
A big transition year looms as the Gaels graduate 4 players, and 4 starters for the first time under their current AD. Harlow(PG), Pfeifer(SG), Irwin(SF) & Kohl(C) had the same starting roles in each of the past 2 seasons and Harlow and Irwin also both started as sophomores. So it will be very different look in 2054.

The lone holdover from the starting 5 is rising senior Rashad Rupp who had a breakout season averaging a double-double and was an important cog in an exceptional defense. He may make the move to C with Kohl's graduation. Rupp has an intimidating physique and backs it up with a strong post game, decent rebounding and excellent defensive skills.

Webster may have the inside running at PG, but there are some questions around his (and the rest of the team's) handles. His triple-double in the pre-season of 2053 is hopefully signs of good things to come.

Mahoney has made great strides forward as the understudy to Pfeifer the last two seasons and looks more than ready to take over the mantle as the Gaels lead guard. If Webster implodes at PG, then Mahoney may get a chance as he is currently the best returning combination of IQ and passing on the roster.

Friend likely won't redshirt and will join Glick providing depth in the backcourt.

Shirley, Emery and McDonald are all in the 6' 8" - 6' 9" range and each have their strengths and weaknesses, 2 of these 3 likely start at the forward positions. A step behind them but also needing minutes are Holt(SG?/SF/PF) and Crane(C/PF?).


Mar 30 2052: 2052 Season Review (I.1) - by naph on June 25th, 2026

Season
9-1 OOC including a 3-0 D1RT win of The Sandlot Showdown (Lipscomb, Edinboro, Utah Valley). The only stumble coming against Missouri-St. Louis. Other notable wins in the OOC came against Xavier and UC Irvine who would both finished ranked in the top 25 as well as the 2 point win over long-time rival LUPA.

The Gaels got off to a great start in conference play, opening 9-1. They'd lose 3 of the next 4, but then won 9 of the next 10 and were in serious contention for the title. With a chance to get some separation at the top, the Gaels fell at Assumption, and from there things spiralled as the Gaels would lose the next 7 games in a row, including 3 OT losses and a first round exit form the conference tournament. Ultimately a 3rd place finish was the best finish in Gaels history, but its hard to be happy with how the season finished, particularly the results in close games down the stretch.

Despite the late season swoon, the Gaels were awarded a 2-seed.
R64: Western Michigan 88 - St. Mary's 91 __ Pfeifer 23p 5a 2s, Harlow 21p 6r 7a
R32: Alcorn State 65 - St. Mary's 89 __ Irwin 20p 7r 3a, Howell 15p 14r
R16: Barry 81 - St. Mary's 80 (OT) __ Irwin 28p 6r, Kohl 20p 14r 5b

A tight win over WMU who were finishing hard. A strong game against ASU. The Gaels had a double-digit lead against Barry, but those late season demons and failure to close out close games came back again the Gaels couldn't quite get over the line.

A successful year objectively, but the way conference play and the post-season ended left you wondering "what if?".


Roster
PG: Arnold "There He Go" Harlow (RS JR 6' 1½" 200 PG SG sf 178 - 18 OS/PD/Hnd, 17 Sta, 15 Spd, 14 Pass, 13 IQ, 12 Drv)
44gms 44gs 33.5mins 15.0p (.443/.401/.866 eFG:.521) 2.5r 6.8a 1.6s 0.1b 4.0to 2.8pf OeFG:.499 POTG:4 EPM:2.2 VORP:4.3

SG/bPG: "White Gold" Isaiah Pfeifer (RS JR 6' 3½" 220 SG PG 179 - 18 Drv/Spd, 16 Rng, 15 Fin/IQ, 14 Hnd, 13 OS/PD/Pass)
42gms 42gs 29.5mins 17.2p (.468/.366/.813 eFG:.561) 3.1r 3.9a 1.4s 0.2b 2.2to 2.1pf OeFG:.490 POTG:11 EPM:4.9 VORP:5.5

SF: "The Tornado" Bryan Irwin (JR 6' 7½" 220 SF PF C pg 177 - 18 Spd, 16 OS/Rng/Hnd, 15 ID/Sta, 14 Fin, 12 IS/Str)
44gms 44gs 30.8mins 14.2p (.423/.367/.750 eFG:.527) 3.8r 0.5a 1.7s 0.2b 1.0to 1.6pf OeFG:.504 EPM:2.5 VORP:4.2

PF: "Wolf" Nicholas Howell (RS SR 7' 1" 255 PF C 149 - 16 Reb, 15 IS, 14 ID, 13 Rng/Spd, 12 Str)
43gms 43gs 29.3mins 11.9p (.537/.667/.713 eFG:.540) 10.4r 0.4a 1.4s 0.9b 1.2to 2.3pf POTG:7 EPM:6.8 VORP:6.9

C: Clay "Blackout" Kohl (RS JR 7' ½" 245 C 144 - 16 Reb, 15 ID, 14 IS/OS/IQ)
44gms 44gs 27.8mins 12.6p (.584/.250/.811 eFG:.591) 8.9r 0.6a 0.8s 1.4b 1.1to 2.6pf POTG:5 EPM:2.8 VORP:4.0


bSG: "Samma" Sam Mahoney (RS FR 6' 4" 195 SG SF pg 146 - 15 IQ, 14 Drv, 13 OS/Rng/PD, 12 Pass)
40gms 2gs 16.9mins 5.9p (.441/.327/.864 eFG:.530) 1.3r 2.2a 0.9s 0.0b 1.2to 1.3pf OeFG:.440 EPM:4.9 VORP:3.0

bC: Rashad "Stunts" Rupp (RS SO 6' 10½" 250 C PF 146 - 16 Str, 15 IS, 14 Rng, 13 ID/Spd, 12 Reb/Sta)
44gms 1gs 13.5mins 5.7p (.537/.---/.627 eFG:.537) 4.2r 0.4a 0.4s 0.8b 0.7to 1.3pf OeFG:.497 EPM:0.6 VORP:1.2

bPF: Bart "Lee Lee" Shirley (RS FR 6' 8" 235 PF C 128 - 12 IS/Rng)
44gms 0gs 10.8mins 2.3p (.486/.571/.651 eFG:.514) 2.8r 0.5a 0.3s 0.1b 0.6to 0.9pf OeFG:.624 EPM:-0.8 VORP:0.6

bSF: Damon "Spider" Webster (RS FR 6' 5" 175 pf pg sf 128 - 13 OS, 12 Drv/Spd)
41gms 0gs 10.4mins 1.5p (.308/.265/.750 eFG:.365) 1.2r 0.3a 0.4s 0.0b 0.5to 0.5pf OeFG:.661 EPM:-3.9 VORP:-0.2


Best Individual Performances
SG Pfeifer vs CPP - 36p (12/17 7/11 5/6) 3r 2a 3s 3to 4pf in 29mins
SG Pfeifer vs Sul Ross State - 32p (13/25 4/13 2/3) 3r 7a 3s 0to 1pf in 35mins (OT)
SF Irwin vs PVAM - 30p (11/22 5/12 3/4) 2r 2s 0to 0pf in 38mins (OT)
C Kohl vs UC Irvine - 29p (11/14 0/1 7/9) 8r 3s 3b 1to 2pf in 28mins
PG Harlow vs Sul Ross State - 29p (10/23 5/6 4/4) 2r 8a 4s 2to 2pf in 40mins (OT)
PG Harlow vs ECU - 28p (11/18 3/6 3/5) 5r 9a 1to 2pf in 37mins
SG Irwin vs Transylvania - 27p (8/12 3/7 8/8) 3r 4a 2s 1to 3pf in 30mins
SF Irwin vs Alabama - 25p (9/14 3/6 4/4) 2r 1a 5s 1b 1to 4pf in 30mins
PF Howell vs CPP - 25p (8/13 0/0 9/10) 14r 2s 1b 2to 2pf in 30mins
SG Mahoney vs UC Irvine - 23p (8/15 6/13 1/2) 1r 2a 3to 0pf in 28mins
PF Howell vs Utah Valley - 22p (11/12 0/0 0/0) 8r 1a 1s 0to 5pf in 22mins
PG Harlow vs Stanford - 21p (8/15 3/6 2/2) 4r 12a 6s 4to 3pf in 37mins
C Kohl vs Barry - 20p (7/0 0/0 6/7) 14r 2a 5b 0to 2pf in 33mins (OT)
C Kohl vs Wheelock - 20p (7/10 0/0 6/6) 10r 2s 3b 1to 3pf in 27mins
PF Rupp vs ECU - 20p (7/9 0/0 6/9) 9r 2a 2s 2b 3to 4pf in 32mins
PF Howell vs Ripon - 17p (7/12 0/0 3/6) 17r 3s 0to 2pf in 30mins


Farewell Seniors

"Wolf" Nicholas Howell - 7' 1" 255 PF C (149/11)
A 3 year starter, Wolf was a strong rebounder and defender over his entire career. He was only a support scorer, but still averaged double digit points every year he was a regular starter. 1737 Points, 1366 Rebounds (#8), 202 Steals (#15), 137 Blocks, +970 +/- (#17). Just a solid all around big and formed the biggest frontcourt pairing in Gaels history starting beside Clay Kohl.


Sal "T-Dog" Robinson - 6' 4" 235 SG sf pf (133/12)
One of the slowest developing players I have ever had the misfortune to recruit. Never got remotely close to his evaluation. I was fortunate that Harlow had such high stamina and I could minimize his minutes as a senior.


Development Highlights
SG Pfeifer (+19 > 179)
SF Irwin (+19 > 177)
bSG Mahoney (+19 > 145)
bC Rupp (+15 > 146)
C Kohl (+14 > 144)
PG Harlow (+13 > 178)
bSF Webster (12 > 128)


Coaching
Darren Scales goes out with a Sweet Sixteen appearance and the highest finish in Legends in program history.

41yo Dejuan Nelson takes over and will bring a greater offensive focus to the Gaels. Rafael Carroll (motivator/recruiter) and Charlie Ballard (Player development/game-day assistant) remain on bench. Watch this space for a new assistant early in the new season.


Recruiting
An early Christmas present came in the form of Paul McDonald(3* ~6' 8½" 225 C pf 115/11). A long time target for the Gaels he has a well rounded game built around his post scoring.

Early February added another long time target in Denny Glick(3* 6' 3½" 200 PG sg sf pf c 117/12). A one-time 5-star prospect he dropped all the way down to 3-star in his senior year. The Gaels haven't lost faith in him though he projects as a 3 & D wing, and may have the length to play some 3.

Kirk Painter (5* PG) ultimately chose USC in mid February, which opened a scholarship for Billy Joe Holt(3* ~6' 8" 205 PF C pg 97/12). Holt might be able to play 2-3-4, but it might take him a while to be an impact player at any one position.

It was Wade Decker (4* C) who next broke Gaels hearts by choosing DUCA over Fresno Pacific and SMC.

There was talk the Gaels class might be done, but they made an offer to John Crane (2* ~6' 9½" 215 C pf 86/10). He had an interesting recruiting journey, initially considered a Redlands lock, he had some academic issues and looked to be going JuCo, which saw Redlands fill all their scholarships. He got his grades in order and then had numerous offers, ultimately choosing the local Gaels. He's a post scorer/defender who's a bit raw right now and has a low ceiling, but should become good frontcourt depth in the future.


Outlook
Howell was a very good PF, but 4 returning starters is a great baseline and Rupp is ready to step in as a starter.

Harlow, Pfeifer, Irwin and Kohl are all quality starters and all have plenty of room to improve next year so they should be really elite by the end of next season.

The problem comes when you get to the bench. Mahoney is a fine bSG. Webster probably needs to be the bSF/bbPG and he was not good this year. Neither Shirley, nor Emery are tall enough to be bC, but one of them will have to be. There is some rumblings about potentially moving Shirley to SF, Emery to PF and not red-shirting Crane. But even that option comes with a lot of question marks.

Expectations will be high next year after the success of 2052. The Gaels should be looking to compete for the Legends title and another high seed in the National Tournament.



Apr 01 2051: 2051 Season Review (I.1) - by naph on April 30th, 2026

Season
A second season in Legends.

A 3-0 D1RT schedule against Simpson, Cal State East Bay & Benedictine. A rivalry win against fellow Legends team LUPA. 6-0 against a very, very soft OOC schedule outside of those 4 games. Only CSEB would make the tournament. Still 10-0 was a great way to start the year.

Conference play started with a pair of home losses, but a 4 game winning streak steadied the ship. SMC played 12 of their next 13 on the road, going 5-8 over that stretch. That made for some stressful thoughts around demotion, but with 9 of the last 10 being at home the Gaels slowly climbed late, ultimately finishing in 6th with a 17-13 record, 1 more win than in 2050 and finishing 2 places higher. It was an erratic year with wins over 4 of the top 5 teams, as well as losses to each team in the bottom 4.

The conference tournament was over almost as soon as it began with an opening round loss to Xavier despite 32 points from Irwin.

Given an 8-seed by the committee the Gaels put together a very solid run back to the Elite Eight for the 2nd time in 2 seasons. Admittedly they had some luck as many of the top seeds in the West were ravaged by injury.

R64: Redlands 81 - St. Marys 100 __ Arcia 21p 7a, Howell 21p 13r 2b
R32: St. Marys 83 - Catholic University of America 60 __ Harlow 25p 2a
R16: Oakland City 67 - St. Marys 75 __ Harlow 25p 5a 3s
R8: East Central 99 - St. Marys 66 __ Balwin 18p 9r 2a - ECU were on fire.

A successful year. Undefeated in OOC. Staying up in a very competitive Legends conference. Finishing in the highest position in Legends to date. A tournament appearance and run to the Elite Eight.

Roster
PG: "El Bow" Juan Arcia (RS SR 6' 3" 200 PG sg 174 - 18 Spd, 16 Pass/Hnd/Drv, 15 Fin/PD, 14 Rng)
45gms 42gs 28.0mins 12.5p (.482/.327/.614 eFG:.521) 2.3r 5.6a 1.6s 0.2b 3.3to 2.2pf OeFG:.478 POTG:6 EPM:6.1 VORP:6.8

SG/bPG: Arnold "There He Go" Harlow (RS SO 6' 1½" 200 PG SG sf 165 - 17 OS/PD, 16 Hnd/Sta, 15 Spd, 13 Pass, 12 IQ)
44gms 44gs 30.3mins 14.7p (.467/.356/.807 eFG:.543) 1.8r 3.3a 1.5s 0.0 2.3to 2.2pf OeFG:.510 POTG:4 EPM:0.8 VORP:2.7

SF: "The Tornado" Bryan Irwin (SO 6' 7½" 220 SF PF C pg 158 - 16 Spd, 15 Rng, 14 OS/Hnd, 13 ID/Sta, 12 IS/Fin)
42gms 42gs 30.2mins 12.8p (.442/.420/.755 eFG:.555) 3.7r 0.3a 1.3s 0.1b 0.9to 1.9pf OeFG:.525 EPM:0.9 VORP:2.4

PF: "Wolf" Nicholas Howell (RS JR 7' 1" 255 PF C 144 - 15 IS/Reb, 14 ID, 13 Spd, 12 Rng/Str)
44gms 43gs 29.0mins 12.0p (.566/.333/.660 eFG:.567) 9.0r 0.3a 1.6s 0.9b 1.2to 2.3pf POTG:6 EPM:3.8 VORP:4.7

C: Joseph "Hails" Balwin (RS SR 6' 10½" 215 C pf 152 - 17 Reb, 16 IS, 15 IQ, 14 Pas, 12 Rng/Hnd)
44gms 43gs 27.8mins 12.5p (.564/.---/.649 eFG:.564) 8.8r 1.2a 0.7s 1.3b 1.3to 2.8pf POTG:9 EPM:0.2 VORP:2.2


bSG/bbPG: "White Gold" Isaiah Pfeifer (6' 3½" 220 SG PG 160 - 18 Spd, 15 Rng/Drv, 14 IQ, 13 Fin/Hnd, 12 OS)
42gms 4gs 19.6mins 8.8p (.419/.325/.670 eFG:.503) 1.8r 2.5a 0.9s 0.0b 1.1to 1.4pf OeFG:.563 EPM:-0.7 VORP:1.1

bC: Clay "Blackout" Kohl (RS SO 7' ½" 245 C 130 - 14 Reb, 13 IS/OS/ID/IQ)
44gms 3.gs 12.6mins 5.9p (.584/.400/.841 eFG:.596) 4.1r 0.3a 0.3s 0.7b 0.5to 1.0pf OeFG:.510 EPM:0.6 VORP:1.1

bPF: Rashad "Stunts" Rupp (RS FR 6' 10½" 250 C PF 131 - 14 IS/Str, 13 Rng/Spd)
44gms 1gs 11.8mins 4.1p (.561/.---/.516 eFG:.561) 3.0r 0.2a 0.5s 0.5b 0.5to 1.0pf OeFG:.456 EPM:0.5 VORP:1.0

bSG: "Dimes" Deron Nicholson (RS SR 6' 4½" 205 SF pf 150 - 16 IQ, 13 IS/OS/Rng, 12 Reb/PD/Hnd/Str)
43gms 3gs 11.6mins 3.6p (.466/.333/.727 eFG:.551) 1.5r 0.4a 0.7s 0.1b 0.4to 0.7pf OeFG:.566 EPM:0.9 VORP:1.3


Best Individual Performances
SG Harlow vs West Florida - 35p (13/21 4/6 5/8) 1r 3a 2to 3pf in 33mins
SF Irwin vs Xavier - 32p (11/16 5/7 5/6) 6r 0to
PF Howell vs Maryland - 31p (11/13 0/0 9/12) 11r 5s 1to 1pf in 30mins
SG Harlow vs Minnesota State - 28p (10/14 4/8 4/4) 1r 5a 1s 2to 3pf in 30mins
SG Harlow vs Oakland City - 24p (8/16 2/6 6/8) 1r 5a 3s 3to 2pf in 36mins (D1 Tournament)
PF Howell @ Wheelock - 22p (9/11 0/0 4/4) 15r 4s 2b 1to 1pf in 35mins (OT win)
SG Pfeifer vs Cedarville - 22p (8/14 3/4 3/4) 6r 7a 2s 1to 2pf in 28mins
C Balwin @ Ripon - 21p (9/12 0/0 3/4) 10r 1a 2s 4b 2to 1pf in 30mins
PG Arcia vs LUPA - 21p (8/15 2/4 3/6 7r 6a 4s 3to 4pf in 30mins
bC Kohl vs Illinois Springfield - 18p (7/10 1/1 3/4) 11r 2s 1b 1to 0pf in 23mins
C Balwin vs DUCA - 15p (6/8 0/0 3/4) 15r 2a 1b 2to 0pf in 29mins


Farewell Seniors

"El Bow" Juan Arcia - 6' 3" 200 PG sg (174/12)
Followed the usual Gaels pathway. 2 years off the bench as understudy to "Rat" Malloy. Started for 2 years as an upperclassman in Legends. He was a solid all-around player, probably at his best finishing in traffic. His weakness was probably his free throw. Just 6 career POTG awards, all as a senior underlines his workman-like career.

Joseph "Hails" Balwin - 6' 10½" 215 C pf (152/11)
Could always score inside and rebound. The question mark was always the defense, but his extreme length (7' 7¼" wingspan) helped on both sides of the floor. After being almost exclusively a finisher early on he became a decent passer out of the post as he matured which helped to diversify his game.

"Dimes" Deron Nicholson - 6' 4½" 205 SF pf (150/12)
He was the second and larger Nicholson on the team for a while. Unfortunately for Gaels fans he simply did not develop as expected, which resulted in Armetta moving to SF as a senior and opening the door for Irwin to start a season earlier this season. He was decent as a bSF as a senior. Was okay defensively, but downright bad offensively his first 3 years.


Development Highlights
PF Rupp (+20 > 131)
SG Pfeifer (+17 > 160)
G Harlow (+17 > 165)
SF Irwin (+16 > 158)
C Kohl (+16 > 130)
C Balwin (+15 > 152)
SG Mahoney (+15 > 126)
SF Nicholson (+12 > 150)
GF Webster (+11 > 116)


Coaching
Unchanged in season 2051. 62yo Scales has announced next year as his last in Moraga. All 3 assistants have a claim to be the next head coach. Jesse Morey is the lead assistant for both game-day and player development. Rafael Carroll is the lead motivator/recruiter and is decent on game-day. Dejuan Nelson is almost as good as Morey on game day and helps out with the motivator/recruiter roles as well.

Recruiting
Allan Emery (3* ~6' 8½" 185 C PF 113/11) committed in early November. The local product has a decent offensive game and should be similarly skilled as an interior defender. What he will most be known for is his nose for the ball rebounding and his high mobility for a power forward.

Unfortunately that was it for the Gaels. Long-time target Rich Schmid decided to go to D3 California Lutheran in early February and the coaches quickly decided that they liked their prospects in the junior class more than any seniors that were available.


Outlook
The Gaels look pretty solid for next year despite the 3 departures including their starting PG & C.

The quartet of Harlow, Pfeifer, Irwin & Kohl all return for their junior seasons and are projected as starters (PG, SG, SF & C respectively) for the next 2 seasons. Howell returns at PF for his senior year. This is a lineup that was previewed at times this season which should give Gaels fans plenty of confidence for the next two.

Harlow has a tight handle and can shoot and defend. Pfeifer and Irwin both have plenty of quicks and the ability to stretch the floor. Inside are a pair of 7 footers for the first time in Gaels history. Howell is a post scorer/rebounder/paint-protector with decent athleticism. Kohl is slow-footed, but surprisingly bouncy, he is a more versatile scorer than Howell and should be good on the glass and the boards as well.

Off the bench expect to see plenty of minutes for the redshirted trio of Mahoney(SG), Webster(PG/SF) and Shirley(PF). All three project as good passers, which is potentially an area of weakness, so it will be interesting to see how quickly they can be a factor creating for others.

Rupp will likely slide across to bC, and depending on the play of Shirley he may also be the bPF in conference play. He's already at a level he could comfortably start so should provide a good steadying influence to they young bench.

Robinson will be in his senior year, but will need to impress, and have younger players in front of him fail, to see anything but garbage time minutes. As usual it appears that his off-court pursuits were his main focus this year.


Apr 02 2050: 2050 Season Review (I.1) - by naph on March 4th, 2026

Season
The Gaels will struggle in Legends. 2050 is a transition year. They've lost too much. Guys aren't ready to step up and are flawed... Nope!

What a season from the Gaels. They defied all expectations (even internal) right from the outset. 3 freshmen started for most of OOC. Armetta was learning a new position. Question marks about Balwin's defense remained. The competition was dubious, but they kept stacking W's anyway. D1RT was a narrow loss to Benedictine, a win over Sul Ross State and the last was an OT win over Marian. An 8-2 record overall, but that was OOC. Other than the D1RT and game 10 against LUPA (another W!) it was a cupcake schedule and they lost to LL6 bot Marymount. Surely this roster wouldn't hold up?

The Gaels won their Legends opener against Yale. They won their first road game against Illinois Springfield. 2 road losses to Assumption and DUCA, but each was only by 5 points. They were competing. A win over Temple, another against WMU. They'd lose 3 of the next 4, but then a 4 game winning streak. The losses were almost all narrow, the Gaels could win both inside and out, and Armetta at SF was a revelation. Despite a late season swoon, losing 4 of the last 5) SMC would finish 2 games above the demotion line in 8th, and spent most of the season in the top 5.

They had the 4th most efficient offense in the conference, the 6th best OeFG and finished with both a positive rebounding margin and a negative turnover differential. The Gaels belonged. The offense was balanced, all starters averaging double digits, they could win games scoring inside or out. The bench was great, particularly the youngest guys.

A 2nd round loss in the Legends Tournament to a rampant Assumption team was no surprise, though the margin (22) and defense (allowing .635 from the field) was a concern. The team regrouped and sweated out Selection Sunday, eventually hearing their name called as the 13-seed in the Midwest.

To cap off this surprisingly successful season, it was also time for a Cinderella run in the tournament.

R64: St. Marys 90 - Bowdoin 62 __ Ametta 28p 9r ... and a herniated disc, out until April 1
R32: SUNY Canton 95 - St. Marys 98 __ Hardy 20p
R16: St. Marys 101 - Utah State 64 __ Balwin 20p 17r 3s 4b.... Kohl hamstring
R8: Wheelock 81 - St. Marys 84 __ Balwin 21p 14r ... big bench performances (Harlow, Pfefier, Rupp)
R4: St. Marys 73 - Stanford 88 __ Hardy 24p 2a ... Armetta & Kohl back, but Stanford's frontcourt was too much.

Good OOC performances. Surprisingly competitive in conference, never really flirting with demotion. A great tournament run. All-in-all a memorable 2050 for the men from Moraga.


Roster
PG: "El Bow" Juan Arcia (RS SO 6' 3" 200 PG sg 173 - 17 Spd, 14 Fin/Pass/Hnd/Drv, 13 Rng/PD)
47gms 41gs 26.7mins 11.9p (.484/.438/.642 eFG%:.539) 1.8r 6.3a 1.1s 0.1b 3.3to 2.4pf OeFG:.543 EPM:4.8 VORP:2.3

SG: Derrick "Party" Hardy (RS SR 6' ½" 205 SG pg sf 172 - 18 OS, 17 Pass, 16 Fin, 15 Rng/PD/IQ/Spd, 12 Hnd)
41gms 41gs 29.0mins 15.4p (.467/.388/.818 eFG%:.588) 1.8r 3.6a 1.2s 0.1b 1.8to 1.7pf OeFG:.554 POTG:5 EPM:6.1 VORP:4.7

SF: "Styx" Douglas Armetta (RS SR 6' 9½" 230 SF PF C 161 - 18 IS, 16 Reb/Hnd, 15 Spd, 14 Rng, 12 Fin/IQ)
44gms 44gs 30.0mins 16.5p (.515/.413/.709 eFG%:.596) 6.6r 0.5a 1.1s 0.1b 0.8to 1.6pf OeFG:.515 POTG:7 EPM:5.5 VORP:6.4

PF: "Wolf" Nicholas Howell (RS SO 7' 1" 255 PF C 128 - 13 IS/Reb, 12 Spd)
47gms 42gs 27.0mins 10.4p (.547/.324/.729 eFG%:.563) 7.3r 0.5a 1.1s 0.8b 1.8to 2.6pf OeFG:.539 POTG:2 EPM:3.8 VORP:2.1

C: Joseph "Hails" Balwin (RS JR 6' 10½" 215 C pf 144 - 17 Reb, 16 IS, 14 IQ, 12 Rng)
45gms 45gs 28.3mins 15.7p (.587/1.000/.593 eFG%:.588) 9.9r 0.8a 1.0s 1.9b 1.2to 2.7pf OeFG:.516 POTG:12 EPM:4.0 VORP:4.4


bPF/bSF: "The Tornado" Bryan Irwin (FR 6' 7½" 220 PF C pg sf 139 - 15 Spd, 13 OS/Rng, 12 Hnd)
47gms 7gs 17.8mins 5.7p (.450/.360/.822 eFG%:.509) 2.6r 0.4a 0.4s 0.2b 0.8to 1.1pf OeFG:.544 EPM:0.2 VORP:0.3

bPG: Arnold "There He Go" Harlow (RS FR 6' 1½" 200 PG sg sf 146 - 15 OS, 14 PD/Spd, 13 Hnd/Sta)
42gms 8gs 14.9mins 4.0p (.481/.341/.839 eFG%:.534) 1.2r 2.3a 0.4s 0.0b 1.7to 1.1pf OeFG:.455 EPM:0.1 VORP:1.5

bSG: "White Gold" Isaiah Pfeifer (6' 3½" 220 SG PG 140 - 17 Spd, 13 Rng/IQ/Drv)
47gms 7gs 14.8mins 5.7p (.497/.400/.754 eFG%:.589) 1.6r 1.5a 0.6s 0.1b 0.7to 0.9pf OeFG:.474 EPM:1.1 VORP:3.5

bC: Clay "Blackout" Kohl (RS FR 7' ½" 245 C 114 - 12 IS/OS/Reb/IQ)
46gms 0gs 11.9mins 5.3p (.588/.375/.750 eFG%:.597) 3.8r 0.3a 0.2s 0.8b 0.5to 1.2pf OeFG:.447 EPM:1.5 VORP:1.7


Farewell Seniors

Derrick "Party" Hardy - 6' ½" 205 SG pg sf (172/12)
Was pretty rough off the bench for 2 years, but flourished once he started. Developed into a very good SG and played his best basketball as a senior in Legends after being instrumental in the promotion to get there. Good playmaker and scorer, was a little under-sized to be an elite defender, but was credible on that end as well.

"Styx" Douglas Armetta - 6' 9½" 230 SF PF C (161/11)
bC as a freshman. Worked his way into the starting lineup at PF as a sophomore. All Conference PF as a JR, the leading scorer on the team that broke through to Legends. Then learned another position and became the SF as a SR. Mostly known for his strong post-game and rebounding he would step out and hit 3's with surprising regularity, and it really became part of his game as a senior.
#4 in 3P% (.412 - 129 3PM)
13th in FGM (848)
14th in POTG (23)
16 in Rebounds (1148)
18th in FG% (.549)


Development Highlights
F Bryan Irwin (+20 > 139)
PG Arnold Harlow (+17 > 146)
SG Isaiah Pfeifer (+15 > 140)
PG Juan Arcia (+13 > 173)
FC Nicholas Howell (+12 > 128)
C Clay Kohl (+12 > 114)


Coaching
61yo Darren Scales remains the head coach. How long will he keep going? After 6 seasons, lead game-day assistant Lenny Hutchins was let go. He was replaced with 39yo Dejuan Nelson who is fairly solid in most areas, but particularly offensively. Morey takes over as offensive coordinator and game day assistant. Carroll remains the primary motivator/recruiter, but is enjoying the extra assistance on the recruiting trail that Nelson can provide.


Recruiting
A relatively early signing of Bart Shirley (3* ~6' 7½" 210 C PF pg 113/11) in December kicked things off. He's an offensively gifted forward who projects as an interior scorer that can step out and stretch the floor as well as create for others. Already respectable on the glass and defensively. He's a lunch-pail, high floor, low ceiling kind of big that should be good as an upperclassman.

It was a long wait until late February for the next signing, that of Damon Webster (3* ~6' 5½" 150 PF pg 105/12). Webster's a bit of late bloomer that should be able to play 1-2-3. Despite some questionable decision-making at times, he may be the PG behind Harlow sooner rather than later. Passing and shot mechanics are the stand-out skills, but he is also a plus rebounder, handler and his speed should keep coming along as he grows into his frame.

Less than a week later was the commitment of the one the Gaels had sweated on the most. Sam Mahoney (4* ~6' 4" 170 SF pg sg 111/13) was hotly contested late and took his time making a decision. UC Riverside came hard at the end of his JR year. Mahoney will be a floor-stretching SG with size, defense and some playmaking. He likely backs up Pfeifer from 2052 and the future at the 2 looks bright.

Keyshawn Hawkins was reportedly crushed that the Gaels didn't offer him a scholarship despite his High interest for years. Eventually he became sick of waiting for an SMC offer that never came and signed with legendary manager kladu (of Misericordia fame) who has stepped out of retirement to take over Concordia-Irvine. All the best Keyshawn.


Outlook
Armetta leaves a big hole at SF. Hardy likewise at SG. Both were instrumental to the team's success. How instrumental? We will find out in 2051. Scoring may be a problem as the #1 and #3 options graduate. Can Balwin carry even more of a load? Who will step up and will anyone be able to space the floor well enough so that the bigs can operate inside effectively?

Arcia stepped up in a big way when given the keys to the offense and Harlow is already a quality backup. PG should be a position of strength, but of course the level of PG play in Legends is incredibly high.

Harlow is more ready to go so probably plays SG/bPG next year. That will still leave plenty of minutes for Pfeifer who is more explosive and a better ranged threat.

SF is the biggest question mark. Its probably going to be Irwin who is the most talented, though Nicholson also provides a fairly well rounded alternative. The disappointing Robinson will be deep depth on the wings, and maybe an emergency PG option if one of the top 2 go down.

Howell and Balwin both return in the frontcourt. Kohl exceeded expectations at bC and 2050 redshirt Rupp looks more ready to go than most freshman bigs. Whilst not stars, 2050 has shown this is a frontcourt that can get a job done and it will only be better for the extra year of development and experience.

The recruit trio are all expected to redshirt.

The Gaels will be a bit light for star power with the departures, but should be a decent chance of staying up again in the ever competitive Legends conference.



Mar 18 2049: 2049 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on January 4th, 2026

Season
A classic Gaels starting 5. A distributing PG who scores enough to keep the defense honest. A pair of floor-spacing wings that can hit the 3-ball. A pair of post scoring threats that can do the dirty work on the inside. A good enough bench, developing and waiting their turn.

The Gaels had their softest schedule in years and used it to blood some of the younger players. Their upperclassmen were all approaching their basketball peaks and it was deemed better to keep them healthy and see who could and could not contribute off the bench. D1RT was a disastrous 0-3 (Ripon, Cal Poly Pomona & UNC-Charlotte), but the rest of OOC looked okay in the W/L column with a 5-2 record, albeit mostly cupcake wins. LUPA trounced the young lineup on the road to close out the non-con.

A 7-game road trip (8 if you count LUPA) started conference play. They split the opening 2, but then reeled off the last 5. They were largely close victories with 5 of the first 6 wins coming by single digits, 1 of them in OT, but the team was jelling nicely and belief was rising. They won their next 3, 2 home games sandwiching a road game. A big road loss to West Virginia State would be the last road game for almost a calendar month. The Gaels went 8-3 over that period, with losses to MMA and Assumption (ultimately promoting teams) and Emporia State the only blemishes. Another 4 game win streak just about sealed promotion. LUPA were once again too good on the road, winning the season series 2-1, but the win over Eastern Kentucky in late February sealed the long awaited promotion to Legends. The partying went late, and ultimately too hard. The Gaels closed out the regular season with a pair of losses to fellow promotes Assumption and MMA, were stunned by SUNY Canton in the opening round of the conference tournament. Awarded a 10-seed with their 2nd-place finish, the Gaels made it 0-9 on the year in quad 1 games losing to 7-seeded Nevada in the opening round of the national tournament.

A disappointing finish too an otherwise historic and memorable season.


Roster
PG: Braydon "Rat" Malloy (RS SR 6' ½" 175 PG 169 - 18 PD/Hnd/Drv, 17 Pass, 15 OS/IQ/Sta, 13 Fin)
41gms 37gs 27.6mins 10.3p (.465/.264/.852 eFG%:.497) 1.9r 7.6a 0.6s 0.1b 3.2to 2.6pf OeFG:.474 POTG:1 EPM:1.7 VORP:3.2

SG: Derrick "Party" Hardy (RS JR 6' ½" 205 SG pg sf 164 - 17 OS, 16 Pass, 15 Fin/IQ/Spd, 14 Rng/PD)
40gms 40gs 27.2mins 11.1p (.437/.370/.729 eFG%:.555) 2.0r 3.2a 1.1s 0.0b 1.7to 1.5pf OeFG:.507 POTG:1 EPM:3.9 VORP:4.5

SF: Chris "Arrows" Farrow (RS SR 6' 4½" 230 SF PF c 158 - 18 OS, 16 Rng/Drv/Spd, 13 IS/IQ)
41gms 34gs 25.2mins 11.9p (.427/.398/.764 eFG%:.541) 3.3r 0.6a 0.8s 0.1b 0.9to 1.5pf OeFG:.451 POTG:4 EPM:2.6 VORP:3.4

PF: "Styx" Douglas Armetta (RS JR 6' 9½" 230 C pf 156 - 18 IS, 16 Reb, 15 Hnd/Spd, 13 Rng, 12 IQ)
42gms 34gs 25.1mins 15.5p (.568/.466/.738 eFG%:.598) 9.1r 0.4a 0.6s 0.6b 0.9to 2.1pf OeFG:.535 POTG:14 EPM:5.5 VORP:5.3

C: "Cheese" Eric Myles (RS SR 6' 9" 240 C pf 156 - 18 IS/ID, 16 Str, 14 IQ, 12 Pass)
41gms 34gs 24.3mins 13.0p (.589/.---/.601 eFG%:.589) 6.5r 0.3a 0.8s 1.5b 1.0to 2.5pf OeFG:.437 POTG:1 EPM:3.0 VORP:3.5


bC/bbPF: Joseph "Hails" Balwin (RS SO 6' 10½" 215 C pf 134 - 15 IS/Reb, 14 IQ)
42gms 7gs 15.7mins 9.0p (.625/.000/.621 eFG%:.625) 5.4r 0.3a 0.4s 0.7b 0.7to 1.9pf OeFG:.493 POTG:4 EPM:3.2 VORP:2.4

bSF: "Dimes" Deron Nicholson (RS SO 6' 4½" 205 SF pf 131 - 16 IQ, 12 Rng)
42gms 8gs 15.6mins 2.6p (.368/.333/.500 eFG%:.453) 2.0r 0.4a 0.8s 0.1b 0.7to 1.1pf OeFG:.508 EPM:0.2 VORP:1.2

bPF/bbC: "Wolf" Nicholas Howell (RS FR 7' 1" 245 C pf 115 - 12 Spd)
42gms 8gs 15.0mins 4.9p (.522/.---/.667 eFG%:.522) 4.1r 0.3a 0.5s 0.4b 0.9to 1.4pf OeFG:.511 EPM:-0.5 VORP:0.9

bSG: Sal "T-Dog" Robinson (RS FR 6' 4" 235 SG sf pf c 114 - 16 Spd)
41gms 0gs 13.6mins 2.5p (.438/.259/.735 eFG%:.481) 1.4r 1.0a 0.5s 0.0b 1.0to 0.7pf OeFG:.532 EPM:1.0 VORP:1.3

bPG: "El Bow" Juan Arcia (RS SO 6' 3" 200 PG sg 158 - 17 Spd, 14 Fin/Pass/Hnd/Drv, 13 Rng/PD)
37gms 4gs 13.5mins 5.1p (.427/.281/.667 eFG%:.455) 1.2r 2.4a 0.4s 0.2b 1.7to 1.2pf OeFG:.503 EPM:-1.0 VORP:0.6


Farewell Seniors

Braydon "Rat" Malloy - 6' ½" 175 PG (169/12)
Rat graduates with the 2nd highest assist total in Gaels history. He didn't have great quicks, but was always in the right position on the perimeter which made him a solid defender by the time he graduated. Decent interior scorer with a solid finish and even better pull-up game. He'll still be mostly remembered for his great handles, passing and vision which helped orchestrate one of the best offenses in Gaels history.

Chris "Arrows" Farrow - 6' 4½" 230 SF pf c (158/11)
A long-time recruiting target he took a 2 season detour through junior college, but he was worth the wait. He graduates with a career 3P% of .402 good for 4th best in school history. He rarely went off for big scores, but his spacing allowed the bigs to flourish on the inside. He was also a surprisingly sound defender and did a great job of looking after the ball.

"Cheese" Eric Myles - 6' 9" 240 C pf (156/11)
Cheese graduates with 1900+ points, 1000+ rebounds and 200+ blocks. In the Gaels' record books he is top 10 in FG%, 5th in blocks and just sneaks into 20th in FTM. A great post scorer and defender he often gave up a couple of inches, but his muscular game stood up time and again. Started 138 games, including 20 as a freshman, a rarity for the Gaels.

Tory Yates - 6' 3" 210 sf (123/10)
One of the most skilled walk-ons for the Gaels in some time. He appeared in 7 games including a surprise appearance at PG in the National Tournament. Will always be able to say that he made two thirds of the shots he took in college.


Development Highlights
SG Derrick Hardy (+17 > 164)
SG Isaiah Pfeifer (+16 > 123)
PG Juan Arcia (+15 > 159)
FC Clay Kohl (+14 > 101)
PG Arnold Harlow (+13 > 128)
SF Deron Nicholson (+12 > 131)
FC Joseph Balwin (+11 > 134)
PF Douglas Armetta (+10 > 156)
FC Nicholas Howell (+10 > 115)


Coaching
No changes. 60yo Darren Scales remains the head coach. Lenny Hutchins is the offensive coordinator and lead game-day assistant, though he is getting more help from Jesse Morey these days. Morey is also the 2nd in command of player development. Rafael Carroll has a fairly rounded skillset, but through 7 years he hasn't become particularly good at anything, but is still the best motivator/recruiter on the staff.


Recruiting
In late October the Gaels signed their first 5-star since 2034 (Theo Gregory) in Bryan Irwin (5* ~6 '7" 210 C PF pg 118/13). Irwin projects as a long 2-way wing, who might even play some spot minutes at PF. He should be an elite shot-maker in time.

Early in the new year the 2-man class was completed with big man prospect Rashad Rupp (3* ~6' 10" 215 C pf 99/12). Rupp's a classic big man who can score and defend in the post and rebound the ball. He's mobile, strong and occasionally steps out and strokes a 3-ball, albeit with some funky mechanics.


Outlook
Legends. The Gaels finally break through the LL2 ceiling and make the top-flight. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be a transition year. All 3 graduating seniors had elite attributes. Malloy was an elite distributor and point of attack defender. Myles a master in the paint at both ends. Farrow was the premier marksman on the team.

Returning senior Hardy will be leaned on for more scoring, but his questionable motor will be felt even more so next season. Whilst Arcia is a good PG in his own right, his junior year will surely be a step down from Malloy's senior year. The new faces in the backcourt of Harlow and Pfeifer have plenty of talent, but even after a redshirt will need to exceed expectations to make any impact in LL1. Of course with Hardy's lack of cardio someone will be getting decent minutes at bSG.

SF is a real question mark. Nicholson is smart glue-guy type, but is undersized and a bit raw for Legends. So perhaps Irwin just gets thrown in the fire early and starts from day 1? Can his defense pick up quick enough? Will he be offensively better enough to be worth it anyway? Robinson is another option, but is even more raw than Nicholson, trading quicks for smarts. Its likely that either Nicholson or Robinson is the odd-man out next year. Perhaps none of these options will work and the Gaels end up running 3 bigs?

Armetta is a very good interior scorer and rebounder with great mobility. But it will be interesting to see how his defense holds up without Myles cleaning up his mistakes.

Balwin is another interior scorer/rebounder, he can block shots but his positional defense is questionable at best. He does have a developing passing game. Howell is taller and already probably a better defender, but lacks polish on the offensive side. Balwin probably has the inside running, but is no certainty. Clay Kohl is another big bodied option with a fairly classic big-man skills base with some bonus shooting, albeit without any foot speed.

The Gaels will fight to try and stay up next year, but barring an unexpected leap are seriously lacking in star-power for LL2, let alone Legends. That said the future is bright with Harlow, Pfeifer and Irwin all showing a level of talent that Gaels haven't seen in many years. Howell, Kohl and Rupp should become a formidable frontcourt with all 3 having the potential to score, rebound and defend, and will be the tallest frontcourt ever assembled in Moraga.




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