As the March Madness craze starts do get underway, all eyes are on the Gaels and St. Mary.

The Gaels were ranked in the high 20s most of last year and finished the season with a 25-6 record and an RPI of 39. Despite all of this, they will go into this season's dance and are ready to put up a good fight. The Gaels will play Miami who is short their senior center, Anthony King, due to an injury. This game will be followed by a showdown with second seeded Texas if the Gaels win.

St. Mary has a great shot at this year's NCAA tournament after achieving some impressive wins against Seton Hall, Drake and the Oregon Ducks. Even though the Longhorns have a good starting five highlighted, the depth behind them is average. Abrams and Augustin will probably be tired by the time they play St. Mary's. Unlike their opponents, St. Mary's doesn't have any exceptionally talented players. However, they do have a deep team with all 5 starters averaging at least 8 points per game.

The Gaels have a strong front line with Omar Samhan (center) and Diamon Simpson (forward ). Together, they have 24 points and 17 rebounds per game. They could take down a small Texas team with their presence on the low block.

Todd Golden is St. Mary's strong player. Even though he only averaged 7 points per game this season, his 3 point field goal percentage was at 45 percent. If Golden continues to play well, he'll be able to carry the weight for the Gaels in future games.

Coach Randy Bennet has led St. Mary to 2 of its 5 all time NCAA tournament bids within the last 4 years. His experience and leadership is invaluable to his team. Later this season, every college basketball fan will remember the Gaels, and for justifiable reasons.