Bermudian basketball coach David Patrick has helped guide the St. Mary's Gaels men's team to the 'Sweet 16' to set up a showdown with Big 12 conference school Baylor University tomorrow night.

Patrick, 34, in his third year as assistant head coach of the West Coast Conference (WCC) champions, has had a month to remember with his side pulling off shocks in both their conference and national tournaments.

The Gaels, ranked number 10 in the South Region, beat tenth seed Richmond 80-71 in the first round of the NCAA tournament before upsetting number two seeds Villanova 75-68 to get into the Sweet 16.

He was appointed to his current position following one season as the director of Basketball Operations for the Gaels and is heavily involved in recruitment.

His star signing, Patrick Mills, from Australia was drafted by NBA side Portland Trail Blazers last year.

Mills is one of the first indigenous Australians to play basketball in the NBA and one of the youngest players ever to suit up for the Australian national basketball team, the Boomers.

Patrick's father Icen Patrick, said he would he heading out from Bermuda to the United States to watch the Gaels if they reached the next stage of the competition.

"Things are going well for his team, they're moving on up," he said yesterday. "I would have gone over last week . . . if they win I will be at the next game. The Final Four is the big aim for them now."

Bermuda-born Patrick attended Saltus Grammar School until he was 10 when he moved to Australia.

He joined the Gaels coaching ranks in 2005 after playing four years of professional basketball overseas.

Following his collegiate playing days, he went to play for Australian side Canberra Cannons of the National Basketball League from 1999-2001. He was named the NBL Rookie of the Year in 2000.

Patrick then joined the Chester Jets of England's British Basketball League for the 2001-02 season, where he garnered second team all-league honours. His final professional season was spent in Spain where he was a member of Alcora of the LEB1 league in 2002-03.

In high school, Patrick attended J.P Piper's Chapel where he led the team to the 1995 Class 'A' State quarter-finals and was named the Louisiana Player of the Year.

He was selected as district MVP, was a First Team All Parish selection, and was selected to participate in the Louisiana High School All-Star Game.

Patrick was also a member of junior national teams in Australia and named as an All-Australian player from 1992-1994.

After high school, Patrick spent one season at Syracuse University where he was a member of the 1996 NCAA Final Four Championship team that finished as the national runners-up.

He then transferred to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette where he was the point guard from 1997-2000.

Following his collegiate career he went on to be the first Bermudian to play professionally.