Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Atlantic 10 (18-13, 8-8)
Saint Joseph’s headed into the 2012-2013 campaign with high expectations. Yet, consistency has been a concern and the Hawks finished the A-10 season with just an 8-8 record. But this is a team that has plenty of talent and one of the best coaches around in Phil Martelli. They beat Notre Dame, Temple and Xavier a couple of times. But there have also been some bad losses.
Big Wins: 11/16 vs Notre Dame (79-70), 2/2 Temple (70-69), 3/14 vs Xavier (58-57)
Bad Losses: 12/22 Fairfield (57-60), 1/23 St. Bonaventure (64-73), 2/6 at Dayton (54-60)
Coach: Phil Martelli (18 seasons at Saint Joseph’s)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Hawks have plenty of scoring threats. In the backcourt Carl Jones and Langston Galloway lead the way. They are both dynamic scorers who can knock down the long ball and get to the basket. Jones is a fine point guard and Galloway is a nice secondary ball handler. However, the Hawks also have Chris Wilson. Wilson leads the team in assists and has been a pleasant surprise. Not only can he give Jones a break every once in a while, but he will play alongside Jones and Galloway quite a bit, giving Coach Martelli plenty of ball handlers. Even Halil Kanacevic, a part-time starter at small forward, is a great passer. But it is the rest of the frontcourt that gives the Hawks potential to pull off some upsets. Ronald Roberts is a big time interior scorer and a great rebounder. C.J. Aiken is a bit more of a dynamic athlete who can fill up the stat sheet. He can score inside and out and use his athleticism to block a ton of shots.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The concern with the Hawks is their depth, especially in the frontcourt. When Roberts or Aiken need a break, St. Joe’s is going to get beat on the glass. Kanacevic can step in and help out in the rebounding department. He is 6-8 and 256 pounds and will grab about seven rebounds per contest even with his ability to pass the ball and knock down a few long balls. But those three can start and that leaves nobody to come in off of the bench. This team only goes six deep most of the time and that could turn into a huge problem if somebody happens to get into early foul trouble. Fortunately, Saint Joseph’s plays smart basketball and are second in the nation in fewest fouls per game.
Probable Starters:
Carl Jones, Senior, Guard, 14.5 ppg, 2.6 apg
Langston Galloway, Junior, Guard, 13.7 ppg, 2.3 apg
Halil Kanacevic, Junior, Forward, 8.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.6 apg
Ronald Roberts, Junior, Forward, 11.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg
C.J. Aiken, Junior, Center, 10.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Daryus Quarles, Junior, Forward, 2.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Chris Wilson, Sophomore, Guard, 6.7 ppg, 3.5 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.3 (178th in nation, 12th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.6 (102, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.9 (141, 11)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.5 (68, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.1 (71, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (201, 11)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.5 (168, 9)
Rebound Margin: 0.1 (176, 9)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (92, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (57, 4)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
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
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
