Defense Wins in Hagan

Defense won the game for Saint Joseph’s Hawks against the George Mason Patriots, with a score of 54-58 in Hagan Arena. If the Hawks repeat this performance in the last 8 Atlantic games, it will not be enough to finish in good-standing.  The team needs to improve offensively. St. Joe’s struggled to take the ball past Mason’s aggressive defense. In the second half

DeAndre Bembry’s sealed the game with a dunk. The game would have been over well before the dunk, but free throws were once again were an issue. It is hard to win a college basketball game when the team is shooting 51 percent from the foul line.

Head Coach, Phil Martelli is aware that the team will only win their upcoming games from playing strong defensively. Martelli will put together a starting lineup based on who will provide the best defensive match-ups. The Hawks totaled 12 steals and were able to capitalize on 7 of those possessions.

Besides a strong defense, Jai Williams energized the team with his high energy plays. He has been improving during practice and deserved the opportunity to play against George Mason. Jai is tremendous at using his size and athleticism to his advantage. He could be an offensive presence that the Hawks need under the basket. Williams entered the game and scored 6 pts in one and half minutes. Jai and DeAndre came to Hawk Hill in the same recruiting class. Their relationship was shown as Bembry found Williams under the basket twice. Defensively, Jai’s effort was the key as he gave all that he could to block as many shots. Two attempts ended up being fouls, however one was successful.   

Jai Williams and Javon Bauman had a tough match-up. The two Hawk centers were defending against George Mason’s best player, center Shevon Thompson. Thompson is ranked 16^th in the national with 11 double doubles.  Thompson grabbed rebounds and scored with ease. He finished the game with 15 points and 16 rebounds. 

Isaiah Miles left the first half  with 2 and half minutes to left with a reported sprained knee. During halftime, he wrapped it up with ice, and returned in the second half. It did not appear to affect him too much, but he had open shots that he did not take advantage of. Miles also did not appear to attack the ball in the air like he has in the past. Hawk fans hope that the injury does not linger during the remaining games.

The biggest positive is that the Hawks never lost the lead throughout the entire game. Saint Joseph’s plays next against Rhode Island in Hagan Arena at 7:00pm on Wednesday. 

-- Pants

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The Friendly Jesuit Match-Up

Saint Joseph’s Hawks pulled away with a win against Fordham Rams. Phil Martelli said himself that if the game was played away, they would not have won. The Hawks broke their four game losing streak. The team stopped feeling sorry for themselves and kept their heads up after being winless the past 26 days. James Demery, Shavar Newkirk, and Aaron Brown earned their first Atlantic 10 win.

Chris Wilson had a career night with 23 total points. Most of his points came from behind the arc. With making five of nine three point attempts. Despite having a noticeable limp in the second half, Wilson scored 12 points. Both DeAndre Bembry and Chris Wilson were six for six from the free throw line, and as a team the Hawks were 19 for 22. Besides free throws, another that factor that separated Saint Joseph’s from Fordham was the amount of second chances. The Hawks had 17 more rebounds than the Rams, which helped them to have 14 second chances.

Recently, the biggest concern for the Hawks has been turning the ball over. Between the Fordham and VCU, the Hawks have 36 turnovers. St. Joe’s knows how to handle the ball. They may not have shooting skills, but they do have ball skills.

In conference play, James Demery is averaging 8.8 points per game. He is also making a positive difference defensively as well. James Demery will be an impactful part of the team moving forward. He has become a valuable piece of the team. Any fan can tell that his confidence has grown by the fact that he has become more assertive. The power that he attacks the rim at is why the initially Hawks offered him a contract.

James Demery can also contribute with strong perimeter defending. It appeared that Demery and Bembry took turns defending Fordham’s best shooter, Eric Paschall. They held him to 16 total points. Perimeter defending was supposed to be one of the stronger parts of this year’s team. The two wing guards have athleticism that St. Joe’s needs to take advantage of. 

- Pants

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Athletic Freshmen: Newkirk and Demery

We have seen the Hawks go against top and sub-par Atlantic 10 competition. No matter who the opponent is, they have been out-played. The Hawks would fall to an early deficit, and then attempt a meaningless comeback. The team is forced to try to find their identity while attempting to comeback. Shavar Newkirk and James Demery are two freshmen that Hawk fans are seeing develop throughout this season.

There is not much of a point in giving Chris Wilson additional senior minutes. Freshman point guard, Shavar Newkirk should be slowly gaining minutes each game in order to prepare Newkirk to start next season. If Newkirk improves each game, he should be starting by the end of the season. Maybe Chris Wilson will be on the bench to start the game, similar to Tay Jones. Number 1 for the Hawks is a tremendous team player. He has the second most steals for the Hawks with 12, behind DeAndre Bembry’s 26. Just like the team, Newkirk’s main issue is finding ways to score. He is too small to play under the rim. Newkirk made his first 3-point shot against George Washington and is now 1 for 15 behind the arc. The freshmen point could become an effective scorer if he develops a jump shot from within the paint.

Unlike Shavar, James Demery is a starter. Being a wing guard, Demery has a similar role on the court as DeAndre Bembry. It appears that at times Coach Martelli has taken James Demery out of the game because of Demery committing typical freshmen mistakes. Demery can be the most explosive player during a game. He attacks the basket with ease. As he gets the feel for college basketball, James will gain confidence. Hawk fans have seen him struggle from under the basket. As he develops, he will be able to play under the rim better. James Demery’s first 3 pointer brought the Hawks into overtime against LIU.

Both Shavar Newkirk and James Demery seem to be enjoying being Hawks. They were part of the past incoming athletic freshmen class. Martelli wants to build his team around athletic players that want to be Hawks. Coach should let Newkirk and Demery play through all of their mistakes. The team will only improve, when they do. Benching potential future Hawk stars will not benefit the team. Martelli has to learn to allow the players to play through their mistakes, especially Newkirk and Demery. These two athletic freshmen will not learn how to shoot on the bench.

The Fordham Rams will come to Hagan Arena on Wednesday. The Hawks and the Rams hope to get their first win in the Atlantic 10. St. Joe’s will not have an easy win this season. It is too early to call the season a wash. The team has talent; they just need to find ways to score.

- Pants

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New Year. New Team. New Identity.

Year-end reviews occur in every business. Since the Philadelphia Eagles hired Chip Kelly as their head coach the team has changed drastically. Chip Kelly has now finished his second season as the Eagles head coach, and he did not improve on his first. Kelly is not known for developing players. He is known for his innovative coaching philosophies. Chip can only successfully implement his unique coaching philosophies if the players believe in them. It may be difficult for the Eagles head coach to find players because they do not only have to fit into his style of football, but buy into his philosophies as well.
 

Even though Chip Kelly has had complete control over personnel decisions, he is still molding the team into his own. When new coaches takeover a team, they acquire players that fit their style of football and players that don’t. Kelly has not yet finished molding players into his own or letting players go that do not have a role on the team. How will Chip Kelly change the personnel during the offseason?

Trent Cole

Unfortunately for Trent Cole, his time in Philadelphia may be done. For 10 seasons Cole has been hunting Philadelphia’s opposing quarterbacks. Under Kelly, the two-time pro bowler has transitioned into a versatile outside linebacker. Number 58 on the Eagles was always a top pass rusher in the league, but he had the work ethic to also learn how to effectively drop back in coverage consistently. In 2014, Cole was a key contributor of one of the best front sevens in the league.

Even though Trent Cole has become a versatile OLB, you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. He wants to retire an Eagle. Cole will be 33 years old next season and nearing the end of his career. If everything works out smoothly, Marcus Smith will take over Trent Cole’s starting role. Trent Cole’s contract takes too big of a salary cap hit for him to be a backup. Chip Kelly would like more versatility on defense at the OLB position. With Marcus Smith, there would be more versatility. Versatility allows the pass rush would to be less predictable.

Riley Cooper

Compared to last season, Riley Cooper’s production plummeted tremendously. He went from 18 yards per reception, to just 10 yards. Even though Riley had the ball thrown to him more times, he accumulated less yards. With a big bodied receiver like Cooper, you would hope that he would be able to do more with the ball after the catch. By the end of the season, he was being phased out of the field by a rookie receiver, Josh Huff. A player that only had seven receptions, and one of those receptions led to a fumble that cost the Eagles the game.

Cooper is not playing up to the value that he is being paid. Number 14 on the Eagles makes more money on average than each Washington Redskins receiver, and that includes DeSean Jackson. Riley is the one player that was affected most from the releasing of Jackson. After Jackson left, there was more of a focus by opposing defenses to cover Cooper. It was a mistake for the Eagles handed Cooper such a large contract. For whatever reason Chip wanted to keep him on the team last offseason, it does not seem to be the case now.

Mark Sanchez

An ideal 2014 season would have Nick Foles continuing his high level of quarterback play that he finished at in 2013. The offense would be prolific and the Eagles would have success. However, after 9 weeks Foles turned the ball over 13 times and had a season ending injury. Marks Sanchez came in and played even worse. Sanchez turned the ball over 12 times in 8 games. Sanchez’s weak arm limits the Eagles offensive production. The former Jets quarterback came to the Eagles to revitalize his career. He would have been better off never stepping onto the field. Sanchez will not be a starting quarterback with the Eagles or any other team in the league. When comparing 2013 Foles with 2014 Foles, it is apparent that Chip designed drastically different styles of plays. Going into the 2015 season, Nick Foles will have the biggest chip on his shoulder out of anybody in the league.

Cary Williams & Bradley Fletcher

Both of the Eagles outside cornerbacks are dreadful. The cornerback position is the weakest position for the Eagles. It seems as if Cary Williams cannot cover a wide receiver without being penalized or trash talking. One of Kelly’s favorite mantras to say is "play with emotion, not let emotion play with you." So how come Williams does not play with that mindset? On the other side of the field, Bradley Fletcher’s coverage is just as bad. The only difference is that there is less intensity. Step one of the Eagles offseason is making sure Williams and Fletcher are let go. The main reason they were acquired was because of their size. Size is necessary when going against tall receivers. Kelly prefers lengthy corners because the size is also crucial in press coverage, which he prefers to use. If drastic changes are not made to secondary, there will be riots in Philadelphia that are not race related.

Chip Kelly deserves all of the blame for all of the past atrocious season. It is obvious that Chip needs to change his coaching philosophies. His approach to game day leaves a lot to be desired. Kelly has implemented a new culture in the Eagles organizations. During the offseason, it will be interesting to watch what changes are mad to both the personnel and with his coaching philosophies. Chip Kelly has to learn that it does not matter if his system worked in Oregon; he is not in Oregon anymore.

- Pants

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Phil's Contract

In the city of Philadelphia the careers of coaches do not last very long. But, one head coach has remained constant for 20 seasons, which is Saint Joseph’s University’s Phil Martelli. 20 seasons Phil has been at the helm of the Hawks basketball team and now once more there are rumors that he is looking for an extension. Since 1995, Martelli has been providing HawkHill with great players and tremendous opportunities, leading the team to an undefeated season in 2004 and to the A-10 Championship last season. Now the question is brought up whether or not Phil actually deserves an extension or should 2016 be his final season.

Martelli  is in his 20^th year and has always been a sign of stability on HawkHill. Now the question is, does he deserve an extension. Many of the coaches in the A-10 who have recently had success have received extensions. Martelli’s current contract is worth in the neighborhood of $900,000; which for a coach of 20 years may not seem that much. The Hawk’s head coach’s last extension came after the last time the Hawks were in the tournament in 2008, for 8 years. In Martelli’s 19 years he has taken SJU to the NCAA tourney six times and won the A-10 Championship twice. In 2004, the year every Hawk team wants to replicate, the team had its undefeated season in 2004 and Phil was the Coach of the Year.

Though after the 2004 season Martelli and the Hawks seemed to struggle only providing above average teams with average talent. But, it now looks like Martelli has the Hawks on the right track once more, winning the A-10 Championship in 2014. This coming year is Coach Martelli’s biggest task. Phil does not want to fall into the same pattern like he and the team did the season after going undefeated. They played average and were not true competition to the league. This upcoming season Phil has players such as Bembry, Demery, and Miles. The Hawks look like they have the players that will allow them to compete for years to come and not play average the season after having successful.

Martelli has provided the Hawks with leadership that is unmatched and should be taken into consideration when extension time comes around for Phil. Phil Martelli has had his ups and downs as coach of the Hawks producing a career record of 362-247. HawkHill will not be the same if Coach Martelli leaves, and he deserves to have an extension. This team is finally turning things around, they are finally are the right track. There is only one man for the job, Phil Martelli. The Hawks have a promising future with DeAndre Bembry, a player that could potentially be A-10 Player of the Year. Who is better to coach him through his entire college career than Phil?

Saint Joseph’s University and Phil Martelli are both dedicated to one another. There is no question that he deserves an extension after the tournament birth and the conference championship. In addition he has positive momentum for better things to come with each recruiting class over the last few years being better than the last. The question for Don Dijulia and whoever makes the decision, is not whether if he deserves an extension, but how long it is for. He has two seasons left now. One thing that Phil should consider himself is if he is willing to coach in his seventies. Coach Martelli should at least be given the consideration for a contract extension until 2018, thus giving him enough time to finish off his goals at SJU.

-Brett

Radio Show: #29 10-24-14 (S3E9)

New Stories

Taking Stock of the Eagles

Lack of National Attention of the World Series

Happy Happenings

Flyers are Average

Chris Wilson - SJU MBB PG Interview


Links:
Ronald Roberts Sixers Dunk

Cleveland, the Best Sports Fans with the Worst Teams

This past show’s Pants’ Power Rankings were about the best sports cities. A team is nothing without their fans. I, Pants (Glen), ranked the cities that have the best fans or the most diehard. Cleveland was ranked number one. Brett did not agree with me one bit. There was a heated debate; I mean argument, between him and me. I had to go off air and end the segment before something happened that we would regret. Brett was so furious at the ranking that he told me off air that he wanted to punch me.

Cleveland’s sports fans are the best in the nation, but they would also be ranked for the most moronic. The rock n’ roll city capital of the world proves that stupidity breeds superior fans. Cleveland’s teams are far from being the best sports teams. They are the most mediocre in the nation. The city is also the unluckiest. Cleveland has not win a title since 1964. The Browns have yet to even play in a Superbowl. The Indians have not won a World Series since 1948. The only thing that fans expect from their team is a below average season. It takes a special and rare breed of fans to follow teams that are not ever above decent. Cleveland’s mediocre teams and terrible luck proves that their fans are not fair-weather and exceptional.

Any mid-western city is passionate about their sports; however Cleveland’s passion is unlike any other city. This is probably the case because there is nothing else to do. The way I look at it is that if you do not live on the coast, you have given up on your life. These fans dream small so there is less disappointment in their lives. If they did have expectations they would be more disappointed than a middle school girl finding out that her crush is not interested in her or a kid finding out that Santa Claus is not real. Sports are Clevelanders’ livelihood. For them, life after sports is non-existent. They enjoy watching overpaid people under-perform catching a ball more than life itself.

 My heart goes out for Cleveland sports fans. Sports gives them hope and meaning in life when they cannot find it anywhere else. As soon as each Cleveland fan enters the gate, nothing else in life matters to them. More fans should be like Cleveland’s. They represent what sports are about.
Cleveland has the best sports fans.

-Glen

Pants' Power Rankings: Sports Cities With Best Fans

Ronald Roberts could be Living a Dream!

Well SJU Hawk fans we told you it was going to happen, and now it looks like it is! Another Saint Joseph’s University Hawk will be playing NBA basketball. Ronald Roberts Jr. is heading to Sixers camp this fall with a 3 year contract, reports staff reporter Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. We are very excited to hear that the first year of his contract may be guaranteed, which in simple terms means he is going to have an opportunity to play in the NBA. So SJU Hawk fans go out and buy your Ronald Roberts Jr. jersey’s because he is staying in Philadelphia. 

Ron is amazingly athletic, which is why he was a piece that both the Sixers and the Miami Heat went after, inviting him to summer league. During summer league Ron truly showed his college dominance that many of us Hawk fans got to see first sight. Roberts who just turned 23 August 5, averaged 10ppg, 7 rebounds, and 1 block during summer league. Though these games were against D-Leaguers and potential NBA rookies; it truly showed the potential dominance of Ron. Roberts has been showing this ability over the last four years with the SJU Hawks, scoring 14.4ppg, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks; during his senior season with the Hawks. Roberts also showed a quality that many athletes do not have during his senior season and that was leadership. Roberts, with the help of other seniors Langston Galloway and Halil Kanacevic; was able to not only get his team to the NCAA March Madness Tournament for the first time since 2008, but also win the A-10 Championship. After SJU lost to UConn in the tournament, Roberts worked on the weakest parts of his game and became NBA ready. 

Ronald Roberts has had his ups and downs as a college player. But, an opportunity like this could not have happened to a nicer person or player. Those who didn’t get to interact with Ron wouldn’t know but everyone who has come in contact with this kid has said he’s kind and soft spoken. Ron took time out of his day after the loss to Creighton this season to talk to us, two SJU radio hosts, to tell us about their performance. This kid deserves everything that comes to him in the NBA, hard work truly pays off. Ron truly played like a star that had a chip on his shoulder during summer league. For a guy coming in as a undrafted free agent to a team that realistically speaking was expecting much, surprised us all. As SJU fans and supporters we aren’t too surprised to see the performances that he gave to the Sixers fans during summer league, but now at least he is getting the recognition he deserves. We as Hawks are proud to see another SJU Hawk getting an opportunity to play in the NBA, and this time with the home town Sixers. Hopefully, we will get an opportunity to see Ron play against Jameer come the fall. Hawks buy your Ronald Roberts Jr. jerseys now! THWND

 

Zach Ertz will be Pro Bowler in 2014

Since last season Zach Ertz has improved every aspect of his game. The sky is the limit for him. He has had the most buzz out of anybody during training camp. In his second year his role and production will grow. He has a unique combination of skill and size to go along with his athleticism and versatility. Zach Ertz has an awesome name. It starts with a Z and ends with a Z. His name allows us to have fun word play such as: Ertz up your skirtz or Zach so good your tight end Ertz. His great name matches his great play. He was a former All-American for Stanford before being drafted early in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. During his first year, Ertz was able to make an impact to the team. He played 16 games in his rookie season and finished with 36 catches for 469 yards and 4 touchdowns. In his second year he will be even better making him a pro-bowler.

Versatility is a trait that Chip Kelly treasures. Not only can Zach Ertz play tight end, but he can also go out wide or in the slot as a receiver. Being able to be moved around the field like a chess piece exemplifies how extraordinarily athletic he is. He is able to create mismatches in the passing game. In today’s NFL the most effective mismatch that favors the offense is an athletic tight end being covered by a linebacker. The tight ends accounted for a little less than a third of the Eagles 32 passing touchdowns in 2013 season. Next year expect Zach Ertz to lead the team in receiving touchdowns. Kelly wants to use their size to battle for the ball in the air and in traffic. As a rookie Ertz showed that he does not only have size. He had an impressive average of 13 yards per catch and 8 receptions of 20 or more yards. These numbers show that he can also run good routes and knows how to get open. Kelly was infatuated with him before scouting him for the 2013 draft. It was during the Oregon and Stanford games that Kelly realized how phenomenal Ertz could be. It is hard not to fall in love with Zach Ertz like Chip Kelly has. Zach better perform or else Eagles fans will know how love Ertz.

Kelly requires his tight ends to block at the line and downfield. At the start of season, Ertz was not a functional blocker. Throughout last season and the offseason he has had time to improve. Now a year with the Eagles strength program, he will be better suited to take on blockers and endure the rigors of the NFL season. Last year, number 86 for the Eagles would come off the field when the Eagles needed to run the ball. Now that Zach Ertz’s blocking is improved he will be able to stay on the field. Last year Brent Celek blocked for double the amount of snaps than Ertz.

Ertz’s improved blocking allows Chip Kelly to not have to worry about the personnel that is on the field. The Eagles can run a two tight end formation more effectively now with both Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. A two tight end formation should become the staple of the Eagles offense instead of some variation of a three wide receiver formation. It was something that Kelly used more towards the latter half of the season. This is a direct result of Zach Ertz progressing throughout last season. A 2-TE formation is effective with the no-huddle because the defense is not able to guess if the play will be a run or a pass based on the formation.

Zach Ertz and Brent Celek both have two unique styles of playing the tight end position. It would be redundant for the Eagles to have more than one tight end of the same skill-set on the roster. Celek is a grinder. He fights for every yard and through tackles. Celek is a superior blocker. He is pivotal to the Eagles rushing attack. Ertz may never be as skilled of a blocker as Celek. Because Brent Celek is in the prime of his career there is no need to push or rush Ertz’s development. However, as Zach Ertz emerges Celek’s playing time will decrease. Celek has about three more solid years left. His playing of play is extremely rigorous and wearing on the body. By the end of the season Zach Ertz will take over as the premier tight end of the Eagles.

Ertz is another offensive weapon of the Eagles whose numbers will not match his ability because the Eagles have an abundant of weapons. He creates mismatches. He is a vertical weapon. He is a red zone target. He has the ability to become the best tight end in Eagles history. And rank up there with modern tight ends such as Jason Witten and Julius Thomas. It would be a stretch to compare his future production to Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski.

A player that will not have the ball in his hands as much because of the emergence of Zach Ertz is Riley Cooper. We talk about his situation here. If every player performs up to their ability, Cooper should have lower statistics than he did last year. Nick Foles will get the ball thrown to him when they need to utilize his size. Times for that would be in the end zone or on third down.

Quick comparison of Zach Ertz to his fellow Rookies:

Player	Team	Round	Catches	Yards	AVG	TDs
Tyler Eifert	Bengals	1	39	445	11.4	2
Zach Ertz	Eagles	2	36	469	13	4
Gavin Escobar	Cowboys	2	9	134	14.9	2
Vance McDonald	49ers	2	8	119	14.9	0
Jordan Reed	Redskins	3	45	499	11.1	3
Travis Kelce	Chiefs	3	0	0	0	0
Dion Sims	Lions	4	6	32	5.3	1
Levine Toilolo	Falcons	4	11	55	5	2
Luke Wilson	Seahawks	5	0	0	0	0
Nick Kasa	Raiders	6	1	9	9	1
Mychal Rivera	Raiders	6	38	407	10.7	4
Ryan Griffin	Texans	6	19	244	12.8	1

Zach Ertz is right at the top of a very competitive tight end draft class. If Ertz ever wonders how he is progressing all he has to do is look over to his division rival, the Redskins. Jordan Reed has seen most of his playing time because of the decline of Fred Davis.

notice Cooper watching in the background