Thank You!

As March Madness is winding down, we first want to say congratulations to our friends down Lancaster Ave. Villanova. It has been an amazing season for Jay Wright and his Wildcats, and we wish them all the best. Now that the Hawks season is over, it is time to reflect. Many called this most exciting time on Hawk Hill since the team went undefeated. I could not agree more with that statement. Not only did Phil Martelli’s crew exceed expectations in the win column, but they also made their own little run in March. We can truly tip our caps to a magical season for SJU.

Whether or not DeAndre Bembry stays on Hawk Hill is in the back of everyone’s mind. Bembry led the Hawks to one of the best seasons around for a player and a team. Nobody expected the A-10 POY to actually take his team to the tournament. As most would agree Bemby is the best player in the A-10, however there were questions about his ability to get his team to win. After this season, those questions were thrown to the wayside. Bembry with help from his senior teammates; Miles, Brown, and Papa gave Hawk Hill what they needed. Besides the great play by Bembry, the seniors truly stepped up their game. Whether it was Papa’s amazing performance in the A-10 tournament or Miles big 3 against Cincinnati, the team was always ready to play. Every single one of the players on SJU needs to hold their heads up high, they provided the excitement that has been missing from Hawk Hill.

For a senior getting ready to graduate, I thank the Hawks for making my final year on Hawk Hill exciting. Over four years I saw some heartbreaking moments by this team, but this season was different. Every single moment on the court was exciting to watch. Though I do wish the Hawks were able to pull off a miracle against Oregon, I can say they impressed a lot of people. I will say this a lot of people are saying even if DeAndre stays the team won’t have a good season next year. I disagree, this team can and will make a run next season. Just wait and watch Captain Bembry lead his team to victory once more.     

-Brett 

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Saint Joseph's University it is time to dance!

Saint Joseph’s University is dancing once again! The Hawks flew through the competition at the A-10 Tourney, to take it all! Now the A-10 Champs have their biggest challenge ahead and that is in the form of the Bearcats! The Hawks had a dominating performance against VCU to finish up the A-10 Tournament. Now the A-10 Player of the Year DeAndre Bembry looks to take the Hawks to dance further this March!

The Hawks veteran stars DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles led the St. Joe’s to victory, combining for 56 of the Hawks 87pts. It was a truly a group effort from the Hawks, one strong play after another was made by their players. Throughout the game there were several memorable moments whether it be Papa screaming at the refs or DeAndre’s exclamation point dunk, it was truly a great game. The Hawks showed the world that they are a strong team on both sides of the ball, and are beginning to get the attention they deserve.

The Hawks hope to make a long run this March starting in Spokane against Cincinnati. The 8 seed Hawks have a lot of work ahead of them, but if they want to compete they need to keep the offense hot. If Bembry and Miles can keep the team running at full throttle they can compete, and they can win. The Hawks have a lot of potential and hopefully our dance lasts longer than last time!

THWND!   

-Brett 

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Up Next the Rams for the Chip

George Washington for the First Fight

Going into the Atlantic 10 tournament, the Saint Joseph’s Hawks were on a two game losing streak; something that they have never done prior. The Hawks were able to overcome a 16 point deficit by the whole team contributing. There were no nerves being down by 14 with starting the second half. GW could not sustain the 68% 3 point shooting that they had in the first half. St. Joe’s defense improved, and the offense was able to drive the ball to the basket to a 80-86 win.

Down go the Flyers

Even though Bembry had a quiet game, other players like Papa and James Demery stepped up to push the Hawks to a 82 – 79 victory. After taking a seven-point lead at halftime, St. Joseph's extended it to an 11-point lead midway through the second half. Dayton’s press defense late in the game was hard for SJU to handle, but the Hawks team shot an astounding 88% from the foul line. Papa Ndao had a tremendous game; making his shots when it mattered most. This marks the second time the Hawks beat Dayton this season, so there is no discussion that they only won previously because of Hagan’s being insanely loud.

The Friendly Enemy in the Final

SJU was on a 7 game winning streak before they lost to VCU Rams 82 to 85 in Hagan Arena for the second game of conference play and their first home game of conference play. What hurt the Hawks the most was not making the foul shots late in the game, with being 46%. It was definitely the most devastating loss of the season.

3 Keys to Win the Chip

1.      Limit the Turnovers

Shavar Newkirk and Lamarr Kimble are a tremendous point guard duo because they complement one another’s skills. While Kimble is a much more of a true PG, Newkirk has great north/south speed. Where the point guard position has troubled the Hawks is with turning the ball over 9 times. The mistakes need to be limited; and most importantly maintain possession.

2.      Strength in Numbers

Without a doubt, the main reason why the Hawks are able to make it this far in the tournament, and were able to play so competitively is their depth. Their depth developed throughout the season, and it is continuing to grow even further. With Miles and Bembry being the team’s anchors on the court, they need to be assisted by a player stepping up behind the arc.

3.      Don’t Back Down

No matter what happened throughout the season,  this year’s team was able to sustain themselves. No deficit was too much for them to prevent them from fighting. Since, VCU has size, if the lanes open up because it will end up being an easy victory for the Rams.Saint Joseph's cannot be intimidated by their size. It will be a huge help if St. Joe's is able to move the ball quickly early down the court because their athleticism can trump VCU's size.

The Hawk Will Never Die

Saint Joseph’s won the Atlantic 10 championship when they were a four seed two years ago; and now as a four seed again, they are in the finals. St. Joe’s will play against the defending A10 champions for a chance to reclaim the title. The Rams and Hawks did not get to play each other twice during the season, but they will play each other in the conference championship at 12:30 on CBSSN. 

- Pants

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Award Winning Hawks

The Hawks have not played good basketball in their last few games.  The A-10 Tournament starts for the Hawks on Friday, and if they want to play in late March they need to turn things around. Though the Hawks have struggled of late, they have got some bright news in the category of awards. The Hawks took away three A-10 awards, and fans could not be happier.

A-10 Player of the Year DeAndre Bembry

Talk about a sweep for DeAndre Bembry: First Team All-Conference, All-Defensive Team, and A-10 Player of the Year. Obviously going into the season everyone knew DeAndre Bembry had a chance to win POY. However, no one thought it would be possible after the Hawks terrible season prior. But, Bembry’s amazing play helped carry the Hawks to their great season. A lot of people will say that Bembry was not deserving of the award and that the only reason he won it was the raise his draft stock. But, I disagree with those thoughts. Yes, there were better scorers in the league, and yes there were better distributors in the A-10. Though there are better players than Bembry in different areas, nobody made a bigger difference for a team than Bembry. DeAndre was a changer every time he stepped on the court, and any coach will agree that he was extremely deserving of the award. There were several great players this year but DeAndre had a very special season.

Most Improved Player Isaiah Miles

There is no player in the Atlantic 10 more deserving of this award than Miles. Isaiah Miles completely changed his game this season. He not only lost a ton of weight prior to the season, but he improved his shot and his inside game. Athleticism was a big issue for Miles over the last few years and is what Miles was able to change about his game. Miles averaged 18 ppg and 8.1 rebounds. What we saw from him every game was unbelievable. Every coach in the A-10 would agree that if it was not for Miles SJU may never of had the season they did. Due to his play this season, we may see Isaiah Miles at an NBA tryout this summer! 

All Rookie Team Lamarr Kimble

This freshman took the Atlantic 10 by storm this season. Fresh Kimble came in with the goal to be an asset for the Hawks, and there is no doubt that he did. Coach Martelli throughout the season commented about the value of Kimble and how he improved the team every time he was on the court. There is no doubt that this freshman made a difference every time he played. Kimble averaged 17.6mins per game with 5.9ppg and 2.4asts. Kimble is a bright spot for the Hawks future, and fans expect a lot more from him in the future.

Now let us enjoy some March Madness!!!!

-Brett

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The Happiest Place on Earth!

They say Disney World is the happiest place on earth… However, tonight it is Saint Joseph’s University. The Hawks pulled off their biggest win of the season, and their biggest win since beating VCU in the A-10 tourney. Tonight’s game was one of the most looked forward games of the year, and it did not disappoint. This win giant for the Hawks and it was not only a complete team effort but, an effort from all of Hagan Arena. The student section came out rocking and did not let up the entire game. There was passion and intensity by every fan in the arena.

Tonight there was no player happier on the court then DeAndre Bembry. Before the game was over, with seconds left, Bembry ran to the student section and celebrated. It was truly a magical and a memorable moment on Hawk Hill. From the very beginning it looked like the Hawks had control over the game, and they did not let up. St. Joe’s went on big run after big run to create large leads against Dayton. But, the strength and resilience of Dayton did not disappoint. The Flyers fought throughout the whole game, until the Hawks were able to pull away with minutes left. It was a scoring fest from the Hawks with five of their players in double digits. Though Bembry brought the strong scoring, leadership, and passion to this huge game; the biggest lift came in the form of Javon Baumann. Javon who had not played very much this season, came out for some giant minutes when Miles got into foul trouble. Many Hawk fans and reporters thought that the game may be over with the weaker scorer out on the court, but Javon made up for it big. Javon used his big body to control middle and not only out rebound but also out hustle Dayton’s big guys. St. Joe’s proved something tonight; they showed the world they could beat not only a ranked team, but also a great team.

After knocking off #15 Dayton tonight, the Hawks now look forward to Saturday at Davidson. This will be the next big test for the Hawks, a test they have to pass. The Hawks beat their biggest challenge tonight but they face a long road ahead of them. This team does not want to just compete; they want to win in March. Fun win tonight for the Hawks, and it is time to take this momentum into March! #THWND

-Brett

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Leaping over La Salle

Saint Joseph’s received 5 votes, and they are on the outside of the tournament bubble looking in. The La Salle Explorers came onto Hawk Hill last in the Atlantic 10. With a dominating lead late in the game, Coach Phil Martelli was able to give his bench some valuable minutes in a 88-62 victory.

While the Hawk’s bench earned valuable minutes, DeAndre Bembry played the least amount of minutes of his career. His 23 minutes on the court provided his team with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The athletic wing guard showed why he is such a tremendous NBA prospect by doing everything from corner threes, drive, and nifty passes. DeAndre is such a class act, after the game he talks and takes pictures with any fan that sticks around for him. Also to note when he is out of the game, he is always the first one celebrating with his teammates.

Bembry was able to do everything when he is in the game, and when he is not Miles and Demery help out. Isaiah Miles had team high of 19 points, and James Demery tied his career high of 17 points. Demery’s improvement has been overshadowed throughout the season by Miles’ success. However, whenever the game was not favoring the SJU, Demery gained momentum right back with gigantic dunks. He is so athletic and is in the air for an unbelievable amount of time.

Shavar Newkirk stayed late into the second half because he had one of his worst performances of his career with 5 turnovers and making only 2 of 11 shot attempts. However, overall the team helped to push the Explorers to poorly react to the game, and stay on their heels.

This was tremendous matchup for the team to boost their confidence at a crucial time in the season. The Hawks are now 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the Atlantic 10. They are tied for second in the conference with VCU, and only having one game separation against Dayton. Their biggest match-up of the season will be against a 19th ranked Dayton Flyers. The most important strategy that Phil should stress during practice is to not stray against their style 

-Pants

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Back in Action?!?!?!?!

There is no denying on Wednesday we saw the absolute worst performance from the Hawks all season. This season so far has been one of excitement and passion, however it looked as though all the air came out of the balloon against St. Bonaventure. After the embarrassing loss to the Bonnies, Coach Martelli had one thing to say, “Tonight the better team won.” It was apparent the Hawks did not play their best game, and it looked like all tournament hopes went down the drain. However, yesterday SJU put out a very impressive offensive showing against Fordham to take themselves to 19-4. A much-needed win, but the question is can DeAndre Bembry and the Hawks keep the tourney hopes alive.

The St. Joe’s Hawks came into their game yesterday against Fordham coming off a terrible loss. The Hawks were out to save their March Madness dreams, and they did not disappoint. Though the Hawks did struggle early on, they were able to put it together and produce a very dominating win. There is no doubt that the Hawks won an impressive game against a struggling Fordham team. But, it is time for the Hawks to take their game a step up. This team has proven this season that they have the talent to compete, but we have only seen them beat bad teams. The Hawks showed once again they could score at a high level but against a struggling team. Though the Hawks won 82-60, the team has to turn it up a notch if they wan to keep the dreams alive on Hawk Hill. 

St. Joe’s won a game they needed to win yesterday, but looking ahead more wins are needed. This team eight more games left on their schedule, with one big one against ranked Dayton on February 17^th. The Hawks are now sitting at a strong 19-4, but not a very good resume. It is time for the Hawks to step up, and in my opinion to be a tourney team with a good seed they have to win out. SJU has not proven themselves against enough teams to make their record stand up. But, I will say if they beat Dayton we will be talking about March Madness on Hawk Hil! #THWND

-Brett

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