St. Joseph’s Hawks
Atlantic 10 (17-15, 9-7)
Seed: #
RPI: 105
Big Wins: 12/22 Cornell (71-67), 1/10 Rhode Island (92-86), 1/21 Duquesne (99-98)
Bad Losses: 11/16 at Holy Cross (69-73), 2/18 at St. Louis (71-73), 2/22 Massachusetts (69-70)
Coach: Phil Martelli
Probable Starters:
Tasheed Carr, Senior, Guard, 14.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4.9 rpg
Darrin Govens, Junior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg
Garrett Williamson, Junior, Guard, 6.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.7 rpg
Idris Hilliard, Sophomore, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Ahmad Nivins, Senior, Forward, 19.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Charoy Bentley, Sophomore, Guard, 1.2 ppg
Bryant Irwin, Freshman, Forward, 3.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Chris Prescott, Freshman, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Why They Can Surprise:
St. Joseph’s has had a relatively disappointing season compared to most expectations. Until the middle of February, when the Hawks went on a five game losing streak, they were living up to those expectations. If Coach Phil Martelli can get his team back to their earlier form, the Hawks can make some noise in the tournament.
Ahmad Nivins cannot be blamed for the losing streak. The 6-9 forward was his usual scoring and rebounding self during that stretch. He is averaging 19.2 points and an incredible 11.8 rebounds on the season. Nivins’ most overlooked assets are his free-throw shooting and ability to stay out of foul trouble. The big man gets to the line over eight times per contest and he connects on 78.7 percent of those attempts. He also averages 39.3 minutes per game and only commits about two fouls per contest. That is extremely impressive for a guy who blocks nearly two shots per game. Idris Hilliard is no Nivins, at least not yet, but the 6-7 sophomore gives Nivins a quality partner in the paint.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Despite the solid play of Nivins and Idris, the team as a whole is not very effective on the glass. If Nivins or Hilliard are not getting the rebound, chances are somebody on the other team will. The other issue is depth. Some guards will play nearly 40 minutes per game, but it is really rare for a big man to average as many minutes as Nivins has this season. Mostly it is due to a lack of depth in the frontcourt. Bryant Irwin is the only other forward on the roster who sees any significant playing time and he is a freshman who likes to hang out on the perimeter. If Nivins or Idris end up in foul trouble, which is much more likely to happen to Idris, then the Hawks have to play small and hope some rebounds bounce their way.
Who To Watch:
There is a backcourt at St. Joe’s. Tasheed Carr, Darrin Govens and Garrett Williamson are all capable ball handlers who average at least 2.6 assists per contest. Govens and Carr are also the best shooters on the team. Govens, a 6-1 junior, spends most of his time hoisting up three-pointers and he connects on 2.2 per contest. Carr is the more diverse scorer. He hits over 40 percent of his three-point attempts, but will also use his 6-4 frame to finish around the basket. Carr is also the only major rebounding threat on the perimeter and it will be important for him to hit the glass hard if the Hawks hope to win a game or two.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.2 (162nd in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.0 (124, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.4 (137, 7)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (94, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (268, 13)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.8 (172, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.1 (42, 1)
Rebound Margin: -0.1 (183, 9)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (69, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (138, 7)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
