"Aussies" Returning to St. Mary's

Asked what he remembered best of the St. Mary's Gaels basketball team's NCAA run to the Sweet 16 last year, 9-year-old Jason Lee of Moraga said simply: "Dellavedova's mouthpiece."

Matthew Dellavedova's contribution to the Gael's program went far beyond his black and white Goth "chopper protector," of course, but for Jason - it was the big attention getter.  "And the way they talk," he said.

"They" would be the small but scrappy squad of Australians who battled for coach Randy Bennett last season.  Five Australians were out there hustling at McKeon Pavilion last season.  Dellavedova will be returning as a sophomore when school starts again in August.  Fellow Aussie Ben Allen, a key player in Saint Mary's run to the Sweet 16, has signed with the Townsville McDonald's Crocodiles of the National Basketball League in his native Australia. Jorden Page, Clint Steindl and Mitch Young will be reuniting with Dellavedova and coming back for more at McKeon.

The impact they have had on the Gael team - and on the school in general - has been huge, with student fans waving the Australian Blue Ensign aloft during games and shouting the Australian football chant: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... Oi, Oi, OI!"

"It's great to hear that, actually," the mop-topped Dellavedova said upon the team's return from Texas and their Game Three defeat at the hands of Baylor.  "Gives us a lift."

The "Australian Connection" got its start in 2001 when Coach Bennett, or "Coach B" as he is known on campus, took the gig at St. Mary's and started looking around for guards.  Adam Caporn made the 8,000 mile journey to tiny St. Mary's and fought his way to a starting spot - leading the Gaels in steals and assists.

Suddenly, Australia was on Coach B's map, and Daniel Kickert joined the team - a shooting sensation who is still the Gaels' all-time point scorer.  Then it was Carlin Hughes, Lucas Walker and Patty Mills - currently playing for the Portland Trailblazers.

Coach Bennett is quick to praise the Australians for their tireless work ethic and congenial nature, factors that helped forge discipline and cohesion within the team.  Several of the "Yanks" have been overheard dropping "reckon" into their locker room banter, and a few have even taken to the Australian national sandwich spread - Vegemite.

At home in Maryborough, Australia and training hard with the local basketball team this summer, Dellavedova told a local reporter he looks forward to returning to St. Mary's in August.  Eventually, he said, he would like to go to the NBA.

"I hope I'm someone they would look at in the future, but I'm going to have to improve a fair bit before that would happen," he said.  "I'm going to keep working and see what happens.''