Ivy League... Struggle...

Saint Joseph’s University came into today’s game against Princeton coming off a shaky win against Columbia. The plan coming into both games was to distribute the ball evenly throughout the court, keeping the pressure off DeAndre Bembry. However, this game plan did not work for the Hawks tonight. Princeton put early pressure on the Hawks, keeping them from ever getting their game started. From the start of this game it looked to be a lost cause for either team.

If you wanted to watch a bad all around basketball game then this was the perfect game. The Hawks put up their fewest points of the season. The offense never got anything going and was purely being run on DeAndre Bembry. Bembry single handedly won this game, scoring 27. There were nine guys who hit the floor tonight; only five were able to score. Throughout, this season Coach Martelli has preached the importance of distributing the ball to lead to scores. This did not happen for SJU, and that was due to the fact that they could not hit a shot. Once again the pressure was on DeAndre to score and get the rebounds, really showing what he was made of. However, Bembry did struggle from three again; a shot he has to improve on.

Tonight was truly a game to forget about. Coach Martelli said in his press conference that the team will watch film of what they are doing right. Two guys we are starting to see have their minutes dwindled are Javon and Oliva. In tonight’s game Oliva only hit the court for 21mins and Javon did not see action.  If the Hawks are going to compete and reach that goal of 10-2 before A-10, we will need guys to step up. This team has the talent, however they have yet to utilize it to their full potential. The Hawks next game is against Temple where they hope to kick-start the offense!

-Brett 

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At least we have the Pope...

There is no doubt that this Saint Joseph’s team is much better then last season. They are more skilled all-around and have much better chemistry in general. The main weakness in years past for St. Joe’s was their struggle to score, this year they have overcome that. However, like in years past the Hawks still struggle against true competition and cannot get much needed wins.

After tonight’s loss to Villanova the team will fall to 4-2. It was expected that the Hawks would fall to Nova. If you asked any reporter or fan they would agree. However, fans did think they would get a better showing out of the Hawks. They did fight hard at the start of the 2^nd half, but in reality the Wildcats were just bigger, faster, and stronger. They were overall a more skilled team, as was expected. Even though the Hawks did lose to Villanova, the more disappointing loss came last week against the Gators.

St. Joe’s had the win against the Gators in the bag last week and fell apart in the final minutes. This would’ve been a very good win for the Hawks, but they were not able to hold on. They Hawks needed their star players to step up in that game, however they did not. Again, the Hawks struggled to put all their talent together to get a win. But, like tonight they showed they can stay in games against very good teams.

If St. Joe’s is going to be a team that ranks higher in the A-10, they need to see their best players step up.  DeAndre Bembry was basically non-existent for long stretches in both of the Hawks losses. We will need to see Bembry step up and become that team captain, and NBA player that is expected. The fact is Coach Phil Martelli has to get the best out of his players every single game, we saw that early on but not lately. Coach Martelli has to see the talent he has on the court and learn how to best utilize, because if he does not he is just wasting their time.

As we look towards the next two games the Hawks face off against Ivy League teams. They will have a hard game against the Princeton Tigers; however don’t expect much of a game against Columbia. The Hawks will need to step up in their next few games and if they are lucky they will be 6-2 after these Ivy League games. No matter what, just remember the Pope is a Hawks fan!

-Brett

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Lang Lang he's here!

Langston Galloway has officially made himself a player that will stick in the NBA. Galloway was recently given is second 10-Day Contract, and there is no doubt that it will not be his last. Lang, has been dominating as of late on not only the scoring side, but defensively as well as on the rebounding end. The Knicks young Point Guard has proven himself as a key component to the team’s future.

The Knicks are a struggling team and they are not going to compete at any time soon. This provides Langston Galloway with the perfect opportunity to grow and make mistakes. In his past seven games, Langston has averaged around 12pts, 5 rebounds, and 3assists.  The kid has proven himself on every level and has done everything the team has asked from him. Langston fits perfectly in the Knicks triangle style offense, which has helped ease his transition from his playing days with St. Joe’s to his current time with the Knicks.

Since Langston has been placed in the Knicks starting lineup, the team has been 3-0. Langston has proven himself over and over again on this Knicks team. Whether it was the game clinching shot against the Sixers in their last game or putting up 21 points against the Pelicans. Galloway has proven that Hawks can be successful in the NBA. In St. Joe’s terms Langston has the court vision of Jameer and the shooting ability of Delonte in his prime. We here on Hawk Hill are very excited and wish Langston Galloway all the best.

-Brett 

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The A-10, what will happen?

It’s official conference play will begin January 3^rd against George Washington. For this struggling Hawks team, it is now apparent that these games will become extremely important if they want to make it to the tournament once again. SJU lost several games during non-conference play that they should not have, and it is clear that this team should be at least 8-3 or 9-2 going into January 3^rd. The Hawks have had several ups and downs this season, and it is apparent that they will not land in the top five of their conference. Below are our predictions of who will be the top five teams.

1.       Dayton 10-2

a.       Dayton was a team that completely shocked the world last season making it to the elite eight. It is clear that this team wants to go for even more this season, and can potentially do it again. It is no surprise how well Dayton has been doing so far this season, due to the fact that they have one of the best defenses in the conference. Do not be surprised if Dayton is once again playing in March.

2.       Davidson 9-2

a.       Davidson has been the biggest offensive presence this season so far. Davidson has averaged 86ppg, and has outscored teams over and over again. For this team it is no surprise that they have been dominating, and will continue to dominate into the conference play.

3.       VCU 10-3

a.       VCU over the last few seasons has been the clear powerhouse in the A-10. However, going into this season it does not look as though they will be the top team in the conference. Though all around strong on the offensive end, VCU has struggled mightily to keep teams from scoring. This team has also averaged 10pts less than the top scoring team Davidson. VCU will once again however finish in the top five in the conference.  

4.       George Washington  10-2

a.       George Washington has been a very surprising team this season. The 10-2 team has played extremely well during non-conference play, scoring over 70ppg and allowing only 57.8ppg. Washington has been very competitive and will play extremely well in the A-10 this season.

5.       LaSalle 8-5

a.       LaSalle is a team that could be one that shocks the A-10 conference this season. LaSalle will be able to compete, and will be in the tournament come the end of this season. LaSalle has the talent that is needed to win and compete in not only in their conference but in the country as well.  They are probably one of the best coached teams, and have the best fundamentals of any of the A-10 teams.

It is no surprise that we don’t have SJU listed above. They are not one of the top five teams in the conference. After, losing their seniors it does not look like the Hawks have fully recovered yet. Looking at this season many Hawk fans and experts would be happy if the team lands in the six or seven spot.

-Brett 

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