Stay Tuned: Aussie Pipeline Could Be Stronger Than Ever

Daniel Kickert. Patty Mills. Matthew Dellavedova. Dante Exum?

For those of you who don’t know, Exum is the next greatest thing to come out of Australia. Currently, he is projected to go ninth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. He is a 6’6” PG/SG who lead the 2012 U17 Australian National Team to silver medal. And he could be coming to Moraga.

To DraftExpress, Exum said that he doesn’t intend to declare to the draft and instead go play D-1 basketball and improve on his weaknesses.

He also mentioned this:

One of the most interesting thing about Saint Mary’s that draws students is its Jan-Term, a four week course completely irrelevant to a person’s major. With Exum finishing Australian Institute of Sport (former home of Mills, Dellavedova, and others) in December, he could enroll at Saint Mary’s for Jan Term and contribute right away at the start of conference season.

Granted that tweet was from late April and things could have changed since then. However, I came across this the other night. Outgoing Saint Mary’s president Brother Ronald Gallagher told alumni that an Australian coach will replace Rick Croy on Randy Bennett’s staff this upcoming year (Croy took a head coaching position at Cal Baptist). The name floated around by the alumni: Marty Clarke.

Clarke coached Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills at AIS, was a head coach for NBL’s Adelaide 36ers, and is currently an assistant on the Aussie Boomers team. If Clarke does indeed join the squad, he could help get Exum to come with him to Moraga. Working with the national team’s assistant coach will entice Exum, who should make it onto the Senior Team in time for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

As usual, time will tell how all of this will play out. But don’t be shocked if Clarke comes to Moraga and Exum follows him here. With Exum, Saint Mary’s should be a threat in the NCAA Tournament.