St. Mary's (MI) Cardinals Basketball Tickets

St. Mary's College of Michigan is a small, Catholic liberal arts college located in the town of Orchard Lake. Despite its small size and relative obscurity, St. Mary's has a rich basketball history and a thriving program that has made waves in the world of college basketball.

The St. Mary's Cardinals basketball team has been competing at the varsity level since 1927 and has won numerous championships and awards throughout their time as a collegiate team. The team plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which serves as an alternative to the NCAA.

Throughout their history, the Cardinals have consistently produced talented players who have gone on to play professionally or coach in the NCAA. One notable alumnus is current San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who played for the Cardinals in the late 60s and early 70s.

In recent years, the St. Mary's men's basketball team has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the NAIA. The team has won four consecutive conference championships and advanced to the NAIA Division II Championship tournament in each of those years. In 2018, they made it all the way to the quarterfinals before ultimately falling to the eventual champions.

One of the keys to St. Mary's success has been their commitment to recruiting and developing local talent. Michigan has a deep and passionate basketball culture, and St. Mary's has capitalized on that by bringing in some of the top players from around the state. They have also established relationships with prominent AAU teams and high school coaches, which has helped them identify and target prospects who will fit well in their system.

But despite their success and storied history, St. Mary's basketball remains largely under the radar in the world of college basketball. The vast majority of fans and analysts focus solely on the powerhouse programs in the NCAA, such as Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. However, St. Mary's success proves that there is plenty of talent and excitement to be found outside of those big-name schools.

For fans looking to get a taste of what St. Mary's basketball is all about, they can tune into the NAIA tournament each March to see the Cardinals in action. It may not have the same level of hype and media coverage as the NCAA tournament, but it is still a showcase for some of the best small-school basketball in the country.

Overall, the St. Mary's Cardinals basketball program is a shining example of how a smaller school can still produce top-tier talent and make an impact in the college basketball world. They may not garner the same attention as the blue bloods of the NCAA, but their success should serve as a reminder to never underestimate the power of an underdog.