by Steve Kroner, Chronicle Staff Writer , The San Francisco Chronicle

"I say, 'We're not rebuilding. We're remodeling.' It's a new look, but it's the same result, same product."

St. Mary's went 53-14 over the past two seasons, but gone from those teams are the two players most responsible for that success, guard Patty Mills and forward Diamon Simpson. Without Mills and Simpson, you might expect the Gaels' program to take a step or two backward in 2009-10.

Step lightly if you mention that to Samhan.

"We're never going back to those days when we're struggling to be .500," he said.

Last season, Samhan averaged nearly a double-double: 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 senior now rates as the unquestioned first option in the Gaels' offense.

"Omar's a willing passer, and he understands for us to be good, he needs to be a good passer," St. Mary's head coach Randy Bennett said. "I don't think he's hung up on how many he scores. I think he's hung up on how many we win."

Said Samhan: "People think that the team will hinge on if I do well or not, and I don't think it's that. I think it's more going to be a true, traditional team."

And in that "traditional team" vein, Samhan likes what he has seen.

"This team's got a lot of heart," he said. "The last two years, I played on teams with 25 wins, 28 wins, but those teams didn't have the heart this team has."

This team has Samhan as its leader, a role he relishes. Three to five freshmen will play in Bennett's rotation, and he wants Samhan to set the tone for them. An example: In an early practice, Samhan failed to go after a loose ball that rolled out of bounds.

Samhan said that Bennett "came over and said, 'If you don't dive on it, how do you expect them to dive on it?' That kind of stuck with me."

For their opener Friday night against New Mexico State, the Gaels' starting lineup probably will consist of Samhan, guards Wayne Hunter and Mickey McConnell, and forwards Ben Allen and Clint Steindl.

Allen and Steindl are part of the Gaels' Australian connection, as are two of the three freshmen who figure to play significant minutes, 6-3 point guard Matt Dellavedova and 6-9 forward Mitchell Young.

Samhan and Bennett both compare Young to Simpson, when he was a freshman. "The things Young does well are the things Diamon did well," Bennett said, referring to rebounding, shot-blocking and the ability to get to loose balls.

Bennett said Dellavedova reminds him a bit of Gonzaga' Matt Bouldin. Samhan takes the comparison game for Dellavedova up a few notches.

"People say I'm crazy," Samhan said, "but he's kind of like a young Steve Nash," in terms of style of play. "He slashes, can shoot it, real tough, not going to outleap anybody, but just a smart player."

The Gaels are smart enough, Samhan believes, to understand what they have to do this season.

"We know we don't have guys like Diamon and Patty to rely on," he said. "It's going to be us ."

MORE INSIDE Ray Ratto: Mid-majors are falling out of favor in the big dance picture. B4

Men's previews: USF and Santa Clara. B5

COMING WEDNESDAY Cal and Stanford men

COMING THURSDAY Cal and Stanford women

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