Paulius Murauskas and the Saint Mary’s Gaels saw their NCAA Tournament hopes come to an end on Friday. The No. 7 seed Gaels were defeated by Rashaun Agee and the No. 10 seed Texas A&M Aggies 63-50. Saint Mary’s finished the season 27-6 and 16-2 in conference play, placing second in the West Coast Conference behind the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Gaels were led all season by junior forward Murauskas, who averaged a team-high 18.4 points per game. The 6-foot-8 wing was not a one-trick pony for Saint Mary’s, as the Lithuanian-native was second on the team in rebounds behind Sophomore center Andrew McKeever (9.2 per game) with 7.6 rebounds per game. With a 33.3% three point percentage and 84.0% free throw percentage, his shooting provided versatility for the Gaels.
The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal opens on April 7th and closes after 15 days on April 21st. With the tournament still ongoing and the portal window drawing closer, fans of teams will be doubly disappointed when top players announce their intentions to transfer after a bracket-bouncing. Unfortunately for Saint Mary’s, this appears to be the case.
After leading his team to the NCAA Tournament, Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony reported Tuesday that Murauskas is entering the 2026 NCAA Transfer Portal.
“NEWS: After Randy Bennett’s departure to Arizona State, Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas will enter the transfer portal, he told DraftExpress.” Givony wrote on X. “The First Team All-WCC PF averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Instantly becomes the No. 1 player in the portal.”
NEWS: After Randy Bennett’s departure to Arizona State, Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas will enter the transfer portal, he told DraftExpress.
The First Team All-WCC PF averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Instantly becomes the No. 1 player in the portal. pic.twitter.com/EggElGov2v
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 24, 2026
Murauskas will be highly sought after when the transfer portal opens the day after the National Championship game.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.