Top 25 Men’s Hoopsters

To celebrate 100 years of men’s basketball, Saint Mary’s is recognizing its top 25 players of all time with a countdown at home games this season. By press time, the top 22 had been announced, including such players as Al Lewis (1987–89), Joe Barry (1956–59), Kenny Jones (1977–78) and E.J. Rowland (2003–05). (For the complete list, go to www.smcgaels.com.)

Several outstanding players are still vying for the No. 1 slot, which will be announced at the Feb. 25 game against San Diego. Will it be all-time leading scorer Daniel Kickert ’06, with 1,865 points in four seasons? LaRoy Doss ’59, who reached the “Elite Eight” in the 1959 NCAA Tournament? Or Tom Meschery ’61, who went on to a 10-year pro career and whose number (14) was retired by the Warriors? Or could it be someone else?

The century milestone allowed the College to remember some glorious seasons, such as the productive stretch from 1933–46, when the team posted a 175–105 record, and 1952, when it became a charter member of the West Coast Conference.

The celebration of Gael greats came as SMC was ranked twice this season in non-conference play, upsetting the then-ranked Oregon Ducks and winning the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.