GETTING INSIDE
Whew.
Yep, that was a sigh of relief from Hawk Hill as Saint Joseph’s (4-6) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 77-66 victory over Lehigh on Dec. 20.
Besides simply winning a game, St. Joseph’s fans were happy to see their beloved Hawks plays some sticky defense, something that had been completely absent during the six-game skid.
Still, victories over the likes of Lehigh are expected and don’t erase the sting of the six-game losing streak.
After a promising 3-0 start with victories over Drexel, Holy Cross and Boston College, Phil Martelli’s squad seemingly could not beat anybody before running into Lehigh.
Sure, most of the defeats came against top-notch opponents such as Purdue, DePaul, Cornell, Villanova and Minnesota, but this looks like a rebuilding year on Hawk Hill.
To make up for the loss of low-post horse Ahmad Nivins, who is playing pro ball in Spain, and to take advantage of the team’s strength at guard, the Hawks are attempting to play faster.
The problem has been that when opponents have better horses than the Hawks, the faster pace means more possessions for both teams and that usually spells victory for the more talented team.
Following his team’s 23-point loss at Minnesota, a game in which the Hawks competed for roughly the game’s first 15 minutes before wilting, Martelli vowed to change everything from his coaching to his personnel combinations.
And there were changes against Lehigh as Martelli found success with a small lineup of four guards and one big man. He had little choice than to try that approach with junior big man Idris Hilliard held out for one game because of academics and with 6-11 junior Todd O’Brien saddled with fouls throughout the game.
It will be interesting to see if Martelli uses that same smaller, but quicker approach more often in the coming weeks.
NOTES, QUOTES
• With 6-11 junior Todd O’Brien in foul trouble, Carl Baptiste, a 6-8 freshman, came off the bench and scored a career-high 13 points against Lehigh on Dec. 20.
• St. Joseph’s needs to add the letter “D” to its basketball vocabulary. Through 10 games, the Hawks are allowing 77.6 points per game.
January At A Glance: Phil Martelli-coached teams usually improve as the season wears on and the Hawks’ January slate appears to be much more favorable than its February schedule. Sure, the Jan. 6 game at Temple, the Jan. 13 game at Rhode Island and the Jan. 23 game vs. Dayton are toughies, but there are opportunities for victories too. The Hawks take on Princeton on Jan. 2, St. Bonaventure on Jan. 16 and Towson on Jan. 18, as well as two struggling programs that have already fired their head coaches this season—Fordham on Jan. 9 and Penn on Jan. 25.
Quote To Note: “We have a tough time right now stopping the boulder coming at you.”—Coach Phil Martelli, trying to explain his team’s knack for allowing opponents to score eight or 10 unanswered points at critical junctures of games.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: Things started off well for the Hawks, who were 3-0 after beating Drexel, Holy Cross and Boston College to open the season. But the Hawks have won only once since, beating Lehigh. As a result, the Hawks sit at 4-6 and must answer major questions about their defensive intensity and their rebounding problems.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—F Idris Hilliard, F Todd O’Brien, G Chris Prescott, G Darrin Govens, G Garrett Williamson. Key Subs—G Carl Jones, G Justin Crosgile, F Bryant Irwin, G Charoy Bentley, F Carl Baptiste.
Game Review:
Villanova 97, St. Joseph’s 89
Minnesota 97, St. Joseph’s 74
St. Joseph’s 77, Lehigh 66
Game Preview:
At Siena, Tuesday, Dec. 29
Vs. Princeton, Saturday, Jan. 2
At Temple, Wednesday, Jan. 6
Vs. Fordham, Saturday, Jan. 9
At Rhode Island, Wednesday, Jan. 13
In Focus: It’ll be interesting to monitor the Hawks’ work on the backboards and on the defensive end of the floor between now and the start of the A-10 schedule. Coach Phil Martelli is unhappy with his players’ effort in both areas. And if the Hawks continue to struggle in both of these key areas, then any chance of finishing higher than the 10th place prognostication of the A-10 coaches (out of 14 teams) seems unlikely.
Roster Report:
• Junior forward Idris Hilliard, who is the Hawks’ third leading scorer at 10.0 points per game, sat out the Lehigh game on Dec. 20 because of a “failure to comply with university and team academic standards,” St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli said. Hilliard is expected to be back vs. Siena on Dec 29.
• Senior guard C.J. Brown, a deep sub, is recovering from a high ankle sprain.
• Phil Martelli had three scholastic standouts sign national letters of intent during the early signing period: 6-9 forward C.J. Aiken from nearby Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Pa.) High School; 6-3 guard Langston Galloway from Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge, La., and 6-8 swingman Daryus Quarles from Life Academy in Burlington, N.J.
