Hawks Flying High in Summer League?

The NBA summer league is now in full swing! This allows us to get a look at the NBA’s next batch of superstars! Whether you are watching to see how the first overall pick Ben Simmons is doing or the question mark in the draft Thon Maker, it will be an interesting summer. Saint Joseph’s University students and alumni are glued to their TV’s as well. As we watch how our former superstar DeAndre Bembry adjusts to the NBA, and our former most improved player Isaiah Miles tries to make an NBA squad. Both players bring different unique games to their respective teams. These two have much different paths, but both hope to be great assets to their NBA teams.

DeAndre Bembry- Atlanta Hawks 21^st Overall

There is no doubt Bembry has continued his college dominance right onto the NBA summer league. Many reporters and fans are calling him the best player on the Hawks summer team, and his skills are truly being shown. Not only has Bembry brought his strong ability to take the ball to the rim, and his unbelievable defense to the NBA. But, he also brought along his never quit work ethic. Bembry has increased his basketball IQ, meaning he is taking shots that he is much more confortable with. DeAndre has also improved his ability to distribute the basketball among his teammates, something he was known on Hawk Hill for. In three games Bembry is averaging 10pts 4.7assists and 4.7rebounds. He is bringing his do all attitude right along with him to the NBA. It is clear to see the 21^st overall pick will continue to garner a lot of attention and playing time. Look for Bembry to be in the headlines in Atlanta come this fall.

Isaiah Miles- Dallas Mavericks Undrafted
Unlike his former teammate, Isaiah Miles is taking a much different approach for his path to the NBA. Miles wasn’t drafted, nor was he high on many teams’ draft boards. Miles is looking to take an approach much like that of Langston Galloway his former teammate. However, the former Hawks big man is looking to translate his unique game to the NBA. As someone who is both tall and can shoot the three, there were many questions surrounding how Miles game would work in the NBA. Miles has struggled early on in the summer league only averaging 1.7ppg and 3.3rebounds in three games. Miles though has always been a late starter. Look for his numbers to increase has the summer season goes on. Miles will continue to do his job on the court, he will score when open and pull down rebounds when needed. Minutes will be the biggest enemy for Isaiah Miles. If Miles can continue to improve his shot and rebounding ability, he may find himself a valuable asset in the D-League for an NBA team.

-Brett 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

Oh What A Night 3-0 and 1,000Pts!

St. Joe’s put on a show tonight destroying Buffalo 89-67, and it was a true team effort. Not only did Hawks fans get to see an unbelievable win, but they also got to see DeAndre Bembry reach 1,000pts! This team has really put in together to start the season and deserves the success that they have had. The Hawks start 3-0 for the first time since 2009, and with the way they are scoring it looks as though more success is to follow.

The team started in unbelievable fashion scoring 21pts and holding Buffalo to only 5 in the first 11minutes. St. Joe’s success continued at that pace scoring basket after basket, as well as playing strong defense. Miles helped carry the team throughout, scoring 24pts and could have had even more. Not only did Miles play well but we saw guys like Newkirk and Demery truly step up. If we see consistency like we did tonight there is no doubt in any fans mind that this team can continue to be a juggernaut in the A-10, and could even win it all.

Though the team’s defense was shaky to start, they really kept it together holding Buffalo to only 67pts. Coach Martelli is still surprised with how well his defense has played, as well as the ability this team has to score. Martelli’s main goal coming into this season was to have a team that can score. As all fans know this has been one of SJU’s biggest problems and it looks like it is finally solved. DeAndre Bembry is the main reason for this, and that is because of his distributing of the ball rather than scoring. With DeAndre in charge of this offense it will continue to blossom throughout the season.

Starting the season 3-0 makes the upcoming game against the University of Florida much easier. It makes the team very comfortable to go away and still have the ability to win. As Coach Martelli said during his press conference "I know nothing about them... But I'll be well informed by 7am tomorrow.” Coach Martelli believes the team will be 100% prepared for this upcoming game, and feels comfortable that the team will compete.    

-Brett 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4 

Back in Hagan!

Going into the Hawks season opener, there were not many fans thinking that this game would finish with a combined 163 total points. That was the case in the Hawks victory over the Drexel Dragons, 82-81. Even Phil Martelli mentioned himself how he would have expected the total of both teams being 82. The final score does not do the Hawks justice. They consistently maintained an 8 point lead for most of the game. There smallest lead was the final score.

St. Joe’s was able to rack up 82 points because they were attacking the basket rather than sitting back. They put a lot of pressure on Drexel early in the game. There seems to be the best chemistry when Zeke and Bembry are on the court. They played with intensity in the first half that left them tired in the second. However, in the second they were able to find their captain, Bembry, under the basket. With Drexel holding on to the game late, Checco Olivia hit a three to put a dagger in the game. Saint Joseph’s started the game leading 11-2 and they kept Drexel frustrated and emotional throughout the entire game.

The big issue for the Hawks is defense. They were leaving Drexel outside the arc, and were not guarding inside of the basket. In the second half Shavar Newkirk was subbed out for Kimble due to his poor defense. James Demery mostly defended around the perimeter of the arc last year, while against Drexel he was under the basket. The biggest takeaway from this game is that every player got minutes while coming away with a victory.

The freshmen, Checco Olivia stepped up big time. He could easily be considered the MVP of the game. When Checco was told he was starting, he was not fazed by it. Throughout the game he looked like he was having fun. Martelli described him as zany. He had tremendous post passes to Bembry. While the Italian freshman had 12 points, 3 blocks, and 4 assists he still needs to improve on his rebounding.

There were scouts in Hagan, which everyone would assume they were there to watch DeAndre Bembry. DeAndre led the team with 23 points, most of which he made look easy. Surprisingly, he was not on the court for the most amount of time. Isaiah Miles was on the court for a minute longer than Bembry. Last year Bembry played the most minutes out of everyone in college basketball with and average of 39.

The Hawks will face Niagara at 5PM in Hagan to start their Hall of Fame Tip-off tournament.

-Pants

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4 

So it Begins...

Purpose of Non-Conference Games

College basketball has started and our St. Joe’s Hawks will tip-off their season against Drexel Dragons tonight, Friday November 13th. Even though the Hawks did not beat the Dragons by much last year, some are saying that it is a preseason warm-up. However, SJU also lost to Fairleigh Dickinson last year to start their season. Of course a game that everyone has circled is Villanova, but don’t you dare call it the Holy War or else some cranky history professor will cry about it in the Philly Inquirer. The Hawks are catching a break this year since they are playing against Ivy League schools.

Hall of Fame Tip-Off

The Hawks will get a chance to showcase their athleticism against Niagara, Buffalo, Florida, and Old Dominion/Purdue. Florida and Old Dominion/Purdue will be played at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

Starting 5

To start the season, the starting five will be WG Bembry, PG Newkirk, WG Brown, F Miles, and F Olivia. In case you are not aware, Coach Martelli has never really stuck with the tradition starting 5 with a center, shooting guard, and small forward. He simply puts the best 5 players out on the court.

Phil has received quite a bit of criticism for not playing his freshmen enough during the season. This year with Pierfrancesco Olivia starting, there is speculation that it is only because of Papa Ndao’s lingering issues. No matter who is part of the starting five, it is the total minutes that will explain which player plays more of a pivotal role on the team. During the non-conference games, Martelli’s bench normally gets more action than during the regular season. However, hopefully this season proves that he can trust more of his bench throughout the entire season. 

Aaron Brown is a player that gives it his all on every play, which is what probably earned him the starting role. There are players like Javon Bauman, DeAndre Bembry, Isaiah Miles, and Papa Ndao that know have won the A-10 championship, and have seen what it takes to win. Going into the season St. Joe’s Hawks are predicted to end their season ranked 7th in the conference.

-Pants

Non-Conference 2015-16 SCHEDULE

Friday November 13 - DREXEL - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday November 15 - NIAGARA - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday November 18 - BUFFALO - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday November 21 - vs. Florida - 2:30 p.m.

Sunday November 22 - vs. Old Dominion/Purdue - 12/5:30 p.m.

Tuesday December 1 - VILLANOVA - 7:00 p.m.

Friday December 4 - at Columbia - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 8 - PRINCETON - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday December 13 - at Temple - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday December 19 - ILLINOIS STATE - 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 22 - vs. Virginia Tech - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday December 29 - MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE - 7:00 p.m.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4 

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4

DeAndre’s Dominance

There is no doubt in any Hawks fans mind that this season has been filled with ups and downs. After two tough losses to Penn and LaSalle it looked as though St. Joe’s mediocre play would continue throughout the season. However, a huge win against Davidson now has people asking if it is possible for this team to make a comeback this season. Though the team has struggled there has been one true constant throughout, and that has been DeAndre Bembry.

Since the end of December DeAndre has become a different player. He has truly been the captain that St. Joe’s needed. This team was lacking leadership early in the season, and DeAndre has finally stepped up to become the star. Bembry has been given his second Big Five Player of the Week in a row. This season Bembry has averaged 17.8ppg and over the past five games he has averaged 23.6ppg. This team is starting to go in the right direction because of Bembry, his leadership and his scoring ability will help bring this team into the future.

If this team continues to play as they did against Davidson, they will be competitive the rest of the season. As DeAndre told us off air this past Friday, “I am serious about winning an A-10 Championship this season.” There is no doubt in my mind that Bembry will eventually win another A-10 Championship by the end of his time at SJU. DeAndre is truly determined to bring the trophy back to St. Joe’s and I will not be surprised if it is brought back sooner then later.

-Brett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4

Hawks Improving

The Saint Joseph’s Hawks started conference play losing 64-60 to George Washington. From tip-off the Colonials played as if they had the game won. It appeared as if the Colonials put very little effort in the game. They played soft and let the shot clock run down each of their possessions. The Hawks did not play at a high-level the entire 40 minutes. It is a mystery as to what sparked the team, but something got them going in the second half.

Even with limited possessions and being down by 20 at one point, the Hawks played with hustle and desire. Character shows when a team is losing. St. Joe’s did not lose any tenacity while playing down throughout the entire game. SJU never gave up as they scored more points in the last 11 minutes, 32 compared to 28 in the first 29 minutes. The Hawks played better when they were pressing. Their passing was smoother on the run and they attacked the basket.

The Colonials are one of the better teams in the Atlantic 10. For the Hawks next match-up, they will travel to A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh to play Duquesne. Both teams are considered to be the weaker teams in the Atlantic 10. After playing Duquesne, Saint Joseph’s plays another top conference team, in VCU on Saturday. Playing these two tougher conference games early, will help the Hawks improve. We already saw the them improve throughout the George Washington game.

Isaiah Miles inconsistency is the Hawks biggest issue. His role on the team is to be the perimeter shooter. It appears as if Miles can only make an impact in a game when the team did not fall to an early deficit. He needs to learn to how to be part of the flow of the game even when the team is losing. 

Right now, St. Joe's is a one man show. DeAndre Bembry is the only player the opposing team has to worry about. If DeAndre has the ball in his hands at the start of the game, St. Joe’s will not be trailing early. The team can feed off of his energy. Once the team has momentum, Bembry can act as a facilitator. The team needs to learn to play through him in order to play their best basketball.

Hawk fans can see the team’s potential. The team needs to learn how to play together as a team from tip-off and not when their backs are up against the wall. If pressure is how the team will score their points, then the quicker players should be on the court more. 

- Pants

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SportsAndRants

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SportsAndRants

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sportsandrants

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-rants-brett-pants/id934063452?mt=2&uo=4