Saint Mary’s Sweet 16 bid may hinge on Marciulionis vs. Alabama All-American
A few hours before Augustus Marciulionis celebrated his 23rd birthday with a Saint Mary’s first-round win in the NCAA Tournament, his famous father called into a San Francisco radio show Friday from their native Lithuania.
Naturally, Sarunas Marciulionis, a former Warriors star and two-time Olympic medalist, was asked how he compares to his son, the West Coast Conference’s two-time reigning player of the year.
“He’s a better defender, for sure,” the elder Marciulionis told KNBR 680-AM co-hosts Greg Papa and Greg Silver.
Elite defense is necessary Sunday if Saint Mary’s is to reach its second-ever Sweet 16. The No. 7-seed Gaels are plotting to upset No. 2 Alabama, college basketball’s highest-scoring team. Tipoff is 3:10 p.m. PT in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena (TNT).
Augustus Marciulionis figures to draw the marquee matchup, against All-American guard Mark Sears.
“He plays with a lot of pace. He tries to get to the basket. He’s going to shoot deep 3s,” Augustus Marciulionis told reporters Saturday in Cleveland. “He’s going to be a key cover, he’s a good player and I’m excited for that matchup.”
Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett’s follow-up response: “Augustus is a good player and he’s played against good ones the last four years. Sears is good. They have others that are good, too. But he’s the head of the snake, for sure, and he’s constantly attacking.”
Stopping Sears, a fifth-year guard averaging 18.8 points per game, will not be a one-man job. Not when Alabama has others to help pump out an NCAA-best 91.1 points per game. And not when Saint Mary’s swarms with the nation’s fourth-best defense (60.5 points per game).
“It won’t be a one-on-one matchup. It’ll get down to team coverage,” Bennett added.
That team-oriented approach kept Saint Mary’s afloat Friday with a 59-56 win over Vanderbilt. The Gaels were down 12 points when, only four minutes into the second half, Marciulionis picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench for a spell.
His teammates rallied and Marciulionis eventually rejoined them in shaking off early-game shooting woes, with the fourth-year guard making a pair of go-ahead 3-point baskets with 7 and 4 ½ minutes remaining. He also made two free throws with 1:15 remaining for what stood as the winning points.
Fellow point guard Jordan Ross, as well as fifth-year senior Mitchell Saxen, were bigger influences in the Gaels’ comeback, but Marciulionis’ ability to finish strong provides confidence for Sunday’s second-round encore.
Not bad for a kid Bennett first met 22 years ago, when he traveled to Lithuania to help at Sarunas Marciulionis’ basketball academy.
“When he picked me up at the airport, he had this little 1-year-old sitting on the little middle part in the car, and he’s buzzing around. That was Augustas,” Bennett humorously recalled Saturday to reporters. “I was like, this is crazy, he doesn’t even have a seatbelt on and he’s whipping around these streets.”
Augustus popped up by surprise on Bennett’s recruiting radar years ago, and now the coach marvels at how that “innocent kid” has grown into a big-time leader, especially the last two seasons.
Sarunas Marciulionis said on KNBR about his son’s path: “After the second season, he had thoughts to maybe look somewhere else. But we decided ‘No.’ He went such a long way and Coach Bennett is a legend, so, ‘Be patient and your time will come.’ We made the right decision to stay and he’s had a successful third and fourth season.”
All four seasons have featured an NCAA Tournament appearance, including a first-round upset last season and second-round exits in 2022 and ’23.
“We didn’t come here just to win one game. We’ve done it before,” forward Luke Barrett said. “We’re trying to leave a legacy on this program and do something special.”
Added Marciulionis: “The excitement is gone, and we’re just focused on playing a good team in a tough environment, and that’s our job.”
The primary task will be stopping Sears, who totaled 22 points (11-of-13 free throws, 1-of-5 3-point shooting, 10 assists) in Alabama’s 90-81, first-round win over Robert Morris.
“Mark is a big-time competitor, as you see in the way he plays. He kind of sets the tone like competitive-wise,” Alabama teammate Chris Youngblood said. “If he’s on, he’s a point guard, so naturally we follow.”
Same could be said for Marciulionis and the Gaels.
“Every time I think of Marciulionis, I think of Sarunas,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said Saturday. “… I loved watching his dad play. He could really shoot. He’s crafty. He’s skilled. He’s tough. I loved watching him play.
“If (Augustus) Marciulionis played in our pace, he’d probably score more points, but he’s very good at what they need him to do,” Oats added. ” … He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s crafty. He hits big shots in big games for them, and he knows how to run their team, and it’s hard to get him out of his rhythm. You can tell he probably grew up watching a lot of basketball, watching his dad and all the NBA players play. I don’t know the kid at all. I’ve watched him on film, and I have a bunch of respect for him.”