No. 10 Saint Mary's CA (25-6) vs. No. 7 Miami Fl (22-10)

By Shaun Gogna
Don Best Associate Editor

The St. Mary's Gaels cracked the top-25 for the first time in almost two decades this year after opening the season with seven straight wins and finishing with a 25-6 overall mark. On Friday, the Gaels will attempt to show the nation that Gonzaga isn't the only WCC team that can make an impact on the tournament when they face Miami (FL) in the opening round.

St. Mary's fast-paced, high-scoring style of play ripped through the West Coast Conference to finish at 12-2, second only to the Zags (13-1). The Gaels also proved they can hang with big conference opposition when they defeated then-No. 11 Oregon 99-87 back in November.

Much of the Gaels' success has to be attributed to freshman guard Patty Mills, who possesses lightning speed and quickness that poses matchup problems for just about any defense. Mills led the Gaels in scoring (14.5) assists (3.4) and steals (1.8), including 37 points in the win over Oregon.

Mills will have a tough task on his hands Friday when he competes against Miami's star guard Jack McClinton and a solid Hurricane defense. McClinton put the 'Canes on his back this season and carried them from the basement of the ACC to 22 wins and a .500 conference record (8-8). McClinton logged 22 points when Miami posted a 96-95 win over then-No. 4 Duke, a victory that likely punched the Hurricanes' ticket to this postseason dance.

The tempo of this game will go a long way in determining which team will be playing in Round 2. St. Mary's is extremely dangerous when it can quickly push the ball up the court in transition and create turnovers.

Although Miami has the capability to win high-scoring games, the 'Canes are more comfortable when games are decided in the 70's. The Hurricanes have done a good job of this all season, holding opponents to 68.6 points per game, good for second in the ACC.

As good as Mills and MClinton are for their respective teams, frontcourt play will be a factor in this opening round matchup. Centers Anthony King (Miami) and Omar Samhan (St. Mary's) will be battling all game long for rebounds, but King will need to keep Samhan from scoring in double digits.

A critical matchup will come at the forward position where St. Mary's F Diamon Simpson (13.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg) will square off against Miami F Dwayne Collins (8.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Simpson compiled 13 double-doubles this year and will be a handful for the inconsistent Collins.

Collins, on the other hand, is a good talent and can certainly be a difference maker, but he has a tendency to disappear at times. His best game, by far, was the incredible 26-point, seven-rebound performance in the victory over Duke, but his six-point disappearing act in the 75-72 loss to Florida State is cause for concern.

Oddsmakers believe this one will be tight, penciling in Miami (Fla.) as a slim 1-point favorite.

The Gaels posted a decent 15-12 ATS record this season, but were a favorable 3-1 ATS in neutral court games. Lack of tournament experience could come into play for St. Mary's - they have played only one NCAA Tournament game over the last 10 years, posting an 0-1 ATS and SU record.

Although the 'Canes are just a slight favorite, they have cashed at an alarming 9-2 rate when entering the game as a chalk. The Canes also beat the Gaels neutral court record this year posting a 4-1 ATS mark. The most impressive ATS statistic in favor of the 'Canes is their 7-0 ATS record against non-conference opponents.

The winner will face either Texas and Austin Peay in the second round on Sunday.

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