Senior Sendoff: Saint Mary’s Gaels
By Simon Tryzna
Paul McCoy scores his first two points at McKeon Pavillion. (Courtesy of Andrew Nguyen)
Since Stephen Holt and Beau Levesque had their own senior sendoffs, this post will focus on the rest of the group. Although (except for Eividas Petrulis) they didn’t play their first two year’s at Saint Mary’s, these seniors still played a pivotal role in the development of Saint Mary’s as a solid mid-major and an NCAA Tournament contender, year in and year out.
Paul McCoy
Everyone by now is familiar with the story of Paul McCoy and his journey through SMC. Before this year started, I thought he would be a solid contributor, and by the end of the season, McCoy was getting starters minutes. One of his best moments as a Gael came immediately after Stephen Holt fouled out against Utah. McCoy took over point guard duties, and with the help of Kerry Carter, the Gaels were able to build off the momentum that Holt gave them and defeat Utah, ensuring that the final home game of their careers would be a memorable win on national television. All of the hard work and the difficult recovery paid off as McCoy steered the ship straight against Utah.
Like McCoy, Matt Hodgson had one of his best career games as a Gael that same night. With Brad Waldow being ineffective, Hodgson was able to provide timely blocked shots and was able to finish in the paint. While there were many times he would pick up “questionable” fouls, Hodgson had his share of great moments: his two blocks late in the game last year against BYU gave Saint Mary’s a resume worthy win.
James Walker III and Eividas Petrulis
James Walker III and Eividas Petrulis were two guys that were a lot of fun to watch when they were at the top of their games. Walker III provided an athletic third guard that, in my opinion, worked a lot better than a regular small forward. His ability to catch and shoot as well as drive to the basket made him perfect as a wing option in Randy Bennet’s system, and with Aaron Bright and Joe Coleman on board next year as the two premier guards, Kerry Carter will slot in nicely in the James Walker III three-guard role. Petrulis, on the other hand, was a useful guy to have on your bench. His banked shot late in the game against Memphis gave Saint Mary’s hope that they could pull off a miracle comeback against Memphis. While Delly’s shot didn’t fall, it did provide for a very interesting “What if?” moment.
Ultimately, all four of the aforementioned players, in addition to Holt and Levesque, left the program in a better place than when they came in. With six players departing, the Gaels will have a very interesting mix of youth and new veterans, and can hopefully build on the achievements of these six seniors.