Saint Joseph’s Hawks
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #69
Conference Rank: #7 Atlantic 10
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The expectations have been pretty high for St. Joseph’s over the last few years, but they never seem to live up to them. During the 2012-2013 campaign, the Hawks finished 8-8 in Atlantic 10 play and just a few games over .500 overall. With the talent they had, Coach Phil Martelli was hoping for more than a first round loss in the NIT. With a couple key starters gone, the expectations are much lower this time around and that may be exactly what St. Joe’s needs to make a surprise run.
2012-13 Record: 18-14, 8-8
2012-13 Postseason: NIT
Coach: Phil Martelli
Coach Record: 338-237 at Saint Joseph’s, 338-237 overall
Who’s Out:
There will be a very different look to this team without Carl Jones and C.J. Aiken. Jones averaged a team high 14.7 points and added 2.6 assists. Jones was always a dynamic scorer throughout his collegiate career and a fine playmaker. Aiken was the big body in the paint, averaging 10.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. Without Aiken, the lack of experienced depth in the paint could prove to be a problem. The only other losses are little used guard Taylor Trevisan and Christopher Coyne.
Who’s In:
Javon Baumann and Jai Williams, weighing in at 254 and 275 pounds respectively, are going to add some more girth to the frontcourt, but those two are going to have a tough time cracking the regular rotation. That should not be the case for small forward DeAndre Bembry. The 6-6 incoming freshman was one of the best recruits in this class coming out of the state of North Carolina. That is a state that produces plenty of prep talent. He can score in bunches and will do more than his fair share of rebounding. Kyle Molock is expected to get plenty of quality minutes running the point. The 6-2 guard redshirted last season after again suffering a knee injury. If he can stay healthy, Molock, who was once committed to Purdue, could be one of the best newcomers in the conference.
Who to Watch:
Coach Martelli returns four players with major starting experience. Langston Galloway will feel more pressure without Jones by his side, but the 6-2 senior is a proven scorer and one of the best pure shooters in the conference. His scoring average dipped to 13.8 during his junior campaign, yet he can easily score more when the Hawks need him to do so. While Galloway can shoot, he is not a one-dimensional scorer. Galloway will attack the basket effectively and play solid defense. Ronald Roberts Jr. keeps getting better and better and the expectations are very high for his senior season. The 6-8, 215 pound senior averaged 11.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 2012-2013 and the offense will run through the talented big man. Halil Kanacevic started just 14 games last season, yet proved to be a great complimentary big man to Roberts. He can stretch out the defense with his outside shooting ability, even if he does push his range a little too often, opening up space for Roberts and the scorers on the perimeter. Kanacevic is even an amazing passer for a 6-8, 260 pound forward. He dished out 3.5 assists per contest last season and led the squad in assists two years ago. Speaking of passing, Chris Wilson is pretty good at it too. St. Joe’s counted on him to spend about 30 minutes per game on the floor in order to allow Jones to spend more time off of the ball. Wilson is not going to do a ton of scoring or make many amazing plays. His minutes could even decrease this year if Molock is ready to go, but he is a steady floor leader.
Final Projection:
Galloway, Roberts, Kanacevic and Wilson will need some help from less experienced returnees. Isaiah Miles and Papa Ndao are going to be extremely important for the Hawks. Those two will have to provide much, if not all, of the frontcourt depth. Back in 2011-2012 Daryus Quarles averaged nearly 20 minutes per contest and averaged 4.7 points. Last year those numbers dipped to ten minutes and 2.1 points. The 6-6 small forward is a good shooter and he could be better utilized as a shooter off of the bench, yet he will likely step into a starting role until Bembry is ready to take over. Coach Martelli does not traditionally rely very heavily on freshmen if he can help it. This may be one of those situations where freshmen like Bembry and Molock are going to work their way into major playing time sooner rather than later.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Chris Wilson, Junior, Guard, 6.5 points per game
Langston Galloway, Senior, Guard, 13.8 points per game
Daryus Quarles, Senior, Forward, 2.1 points per game
Ronald Roberts, Senior, Forward, 11.2 points per game
Halil Kanacevic, Senior, Forward, 8.5 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.2 (177th in nation, 12th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.9 (104, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.8 (141, 11)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.0 (88, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.2 (72, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.2 (148, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.6 (170, 9)
Rebound Margin: 0.4 (161, 7)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (89, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.9 (64, 5)
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