Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Atlantic 10 (24-9, 11-5)
In non-conference play Saint Joseph’s failed to pick up a big win. As a result the Hawks were not gaining much attention in January. That is when the big wins started coming and Coach Phil Martelli did an amazing job guiding his team through a brutal Atlantic 10 slate. It was enough to make it to the postseason for the third straight year.
Big Wins: 1/29 at Dayton (60-57), 2/1 Massachusetts (73-68), 2/8 VCU (69-62)
Bad Losses: 11/28 vs LSU (65-82), 12/4 at Temple (69-77), 3/9 La Salle (63-71)
Coach: Phil Martelli (19 seasons at Saint Joseph’s)
Why They Can Surprise:
Nearly everybody on this team is a threat to shoot and they all shoot well too. Of course it starts with Langston Galloway. The senior guard averages 17.5 points per game and is a threat to take over any game at any time. Galloway will take a big chunk of the outside shots, but Chris Wilson and DeAndre Bembry cannot be left open. Wilson has done a good job during his first year as a starting point guard and his ability to shoot has helped open up the offense. Bembry, a 6-6 freshman wing, has not been the most consistent player around, but he can do everything and is only getting better with every game. Speaking of doing everything, 6-8 forward Halil Kanacevic leads St. Joe’s in assists and rebounds. Kanacevic usually stays in the post, although he is one of those players who is capable of stepping outside and hitting some shots, so most of those assists are kick outs to a shooter or sneaky interior passes to a slashing teammate.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Ronald Roberts is the only player in the regular rotation that does all of his damage in the paint. He is a consistent interior scorer and a strong rebounder, but the rebounding for the Hawks has been a bit tricky this year. Roberts is a strong rebounder, but his numbers have slipped this year. And the team as a whole has struggled on the offensive glass. Considering turnovers are a huge problem and St. Joe’s lacks the pure talent and depth to lose valuable possessions, Roberts and Kanacevic must work even harder in the rebounding department.
Probable Starters:
Chris Wilson, Junior, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 2.8 apg
Langston Galloway, Senior, Guard, 17.5 ppg, 1.5 apg
DeAndre Bembry, Freshman, Forward, 12.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.7 apg
Halil Kanacevic, Senior, Forward, 10.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.5 bpg
Ronald Roberts, Senior, Forward, 14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Papa Ndao, Junior, Forward, 2.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Daryus Quarles, Senior, Forward, 2.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.7 (162nd in nation, 8th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.8 (114, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.0 (43, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.4 (113, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4 (69, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.2 (41, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 64.4 (325, 13)
Rebound Margin: 2.9 (91, 5)
Assists Per Game: 14.2 (71, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.5 (196, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NIT First Round loss to St. John's
2012 NIT First Round loss to Northern Iowa
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Oklahoma
2006 NIT First round win over Rutgers
2006 NIT Second round loss to Hofstra
2005 NIT Opening round win over Hofstra
2005 NIT First round win over Buffalo
2005 NIT Second round win over Holy Cross
2005 NIT Quarterfinal win over Texas A&M
2005 NIT Semifinal win over Memphis
2005 NIT Final loss to South Carolina
2004 NCAA Round of 64 win over Liberty
2004 NCAA Round of 32 win over Texas Tech
2004 NCAA Regional semifinal win over Wake Forest
2004 NCAA Regional final loss to Oklahoma State
2003 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Auburn
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
