One of the perks of hiring a head coach away from a successful program is the allure for players on that team to follow the coach to their new home. That may very well happen with Randy Bennett trying to lure several stars from St. Mary's to Arizona State, and these four are the ones to know.
G Joshua Dent
Bennett's offense requires unselfish ball-handlers that can facilitate. Joshua Dent did exactly that, leading the Gaels with 5.6 assists a game this past year as a sophomore. He also finished third on the team in scoring with 13.2 points a game and hitting 40.4% from beyond the arc.
He's just the latest in a long line of Aussies to play for Bennett, committing to St. Mary's as a 0-star recruit out of Melbourne. That Australian pipeline has been so strong for Bennett, hence why many expect Dent to give strong consideration to following his coach to Arizona State.
F Paulius Murauskas
The leading scorer for the Gaels this year was Paulius Murauskas, the former 4-star from Lithuania. He initially played for Bennett's new rival, Arizona, but transferred to St. Mary's last year. The 6'8" power forward became an ideal stretch big in Bennett's offense.
His 18.4 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game made him a star for the Gaels, though Bennett was known to be rather demanding on Murauskas. He's already announced he'll enter the transfer portal, and many have naturally made the connection to Arizona State.
G Mikey Lewis
Another Gael that already shared his plans to enter the transfer portal, Mikey Lewis figures to be a highly sought after commodity. Last year as a true freshman, Lewis was St. Mary's best bench piece, averaging 8.2 points a game.
This year, he came into his own as a starter, averaging 13.9 points a game and shooting 36.8% from deep. Alongside Dent and Murauskas, Lewis formed a potent Big 3 for St. Mary's, and Bennett would surely love to bring all three to Tempe.
F Dillan Shaw
A rare top recruit for St. Mary's, Dillan Shaw picked the Gaels as a 4-star, making him one of their highest rated recruits of all time. The small forward became a reliable contributor as a true freshman, finishing fifth in scoring with 7.5 points a game. His 5.4 rebounds were also third on the team.
Of all these players, Shaw probably makes the most sense to stay put, as he could become the top returning player on the roster as just a sophomore. That said, if Shaw decides to explore the portal, Arizona State would make an awful lot of sense.