WINONA, Minn. — When Joe Fano arrived on the Saint Mary's University campus prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, the Cardinals were coming off a 1-24 season and had not reached double figures in wins in nearly two decades.
 
Five years later, the Cardinals have racked up 52 wins — including a pair of 10-plus win seasons, three post-season appearances, and they hosted the first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff game in program history.
 
In other words, Fano has the Cardinals pointed in the right direction — up.
 
And after posting their best season in more than 30 years last season — finishing 16-10 overall — Fano and the Cardinals are determined to continue their climb up the conference ladder.
 
"Through perseverance and dedication, our basketball program has transformed over the past five years — from a struggling program to hosting our first-ever MIAC playoff game," said Fano, whose 16 wins in 2022-23 marked the most victories in a season since coach Ron Donovan guided Saint Mary's to a 16-10 record during the 1977-78 season. "Together, we've rewritten our story, embracing challenges, and rising above expectations."
 
Eli Cave and Raheem Anthony are just two of the many Cardinals who battled through the lows and savored the highs during Fano's first five years at Saint Mary's.
 
The dynamic duo first teamed up together in 2019-20, when Cave earned First-Team All-MIAC honors and Anthony was named to the MIAC All-First Year Team in helping the Cardinals to a 10-10 conference mark — and their first post-season appearance in three decades.
 
COVID put an end to a promising 6-2 start to the season the following year, but that proved to be just a speed bump in the Cardinals' climb up the conference ladder, as Saint Mary's earned playoff appearances in each of the next two seasons — including last year's first-ever home post-season contest.
 
Cave graduated following that 2020-21 campaign — going on to play professionally for ProLiga in Portugal and in Ligabasketpro in Ecuador — but the seeds of success had been planted, and Antony and the rest of the SMU squad was eager to reap the rewards.
 
"I'm grateful for my time at SMU," Cave said. "It started as a rebuilding process, but turned to moments I won't forget. The culture has shifted and the future is bright."
 
Anthony couldn't agree more. 
 
"I will never forget all that we accomplished during my time at Saint Mary's — because those experiences molded me into the young man I am today," said Anthony, who became the program's first-ever two-time All-American, closed out his career eighth all-time in scoring with 1,408 points, and signed a Division I scholarship to play his final year at the University of St. Thomas. "Coach Fano and Saint Mary's basketball challenged me in ways I couldn't ever think of, and I am forever grateful for a time well-spent with the program." 
 
The Cardinals' recent successes under Fano have not gone unnoticed among the Saint Mary's faithful, either.
 
"There is a buzz going around about the men's basketball team that we haven't had in years," said Saint Mary's Hall of Famer Mike Horvath '82, who scored 1,066 points during his illustrious career from 1978 to 1982. "It's been really exciting to see this transformation, and I am looking forward to watching more basketball this year."
 
"Success is not achieved overnight, but our commitment to growth has laid the foundation for a triumphant journey," Fano concluded. "I want to thank each and every player over the past five years for helping us get to where we are now."
 
The Cardinals kick off its 2023-24 season with three straight home games, beginning with a 7 p.m. tip-off against Crown on Nov. 15. The Cardinals will then host UW-River Falls in a 3 p.m. nonconference game on Nov. 18, before beginning MIAC play on their home court in a 7 p.m. showdown against Hamline.