The Gaels are expected to finish 5th in the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga is first):
2019-20: 6-12/7th in WCC, 12-19 overall
Coach: Paul Thomas (268-179 in 15th season)
Top returning players: Senior guard/forward Maddy Holland (12.6 points. 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists), junior guard Taycee Wedin (12.8 points, 104 3-point baskets), senior guard/forward Emily Codding (14.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 18 games)
Top newcomers: Sophomore guard Jade Kirisome got valuable playing time last season at Furman, and Amy West, a wiry 6-foot-4 sophomore from Liberty, should help boost the Gaels' post defense. The Gaels also welcome three freshman, all of whom could get minutes.
Key non-conference games: The Gaels are playing in a three-game event over Thanksgiving weekend at Arizona State, where they are scheduled to face VCU on Wednesday. SMC also plays a road game against Ohio State on Dec. 16.
What matters: Saint Mary's will forge ahead without preseason All-WCC selection Sam Simons (16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 40% 3-point), who opted out of this season due to COVID-19 concerns and remains at home in Australia, a country coping much better with the virus than the U.S. The return to health of Codding will be significant. She was "our best player," coach Paul Thomas says, when she suffered a season-ending knee injury. Thomas plans to play more old-school basketball this season, trying to score in the paint more often and taking fewer 3-point shots.
Quote: "Was it was tough? Of course. I'm sure it was tougher on her and her teammates than it was on the coaches. As she said, this was not a knee-jerk decision. It was thought out. I'm sure right now they're thinking, `We made a great decision.' " SMC coach Paul Thomas on Sam Simons' decision to opt out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns