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 

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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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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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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 

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Changes for Drexel

After a tough loss to FDU, Hawks fans are starting to get worried. St. Joe’s plays Monday against Drexel and concerns should not be too high. The Drexel Dragons are considered the worst team in the “City Six”. Sju just needs to bring everything together and pull off an easy win. A win would help the Hawks to gain their confidence back. It became apparent during last game that this team was truly lacking confidence, and it looked as though Phil could not get them to believe in themselves during the game. St. Joes’ clearly has the talent to compete in this league; Phil just needs to get it out of them.

Looking towards this game Hawk fans should be looking for a few things to be different in this game. First, Miles will not shoot the ball as much as he did the first game. Even though Miles did have a double-double in the first game of the season, these numbers lie about his real performance. Although Miles was productive, he shot the ball too much. Miles’ job should be to be the clean-up guy, kind of like what Halil did. He needs to score off rebounds due to the fact this is where he is most productive. Additionally, look for Evan to get even more minutes this game. In the first game, Evan played twelve impactful minutes at the guard position. It is apparent that both Demery and Shavar, are not ready to take control of the starting role. Both players struggled on the court taking bad shots and making huge foul mistakes. The pace of the game seemed to be a bit too much for Demery. From the buzz that we heard out of practice, that was not the case. Both of the freshmen that received playing time should not start. Moreover, Demery is likely lost his starting wing position, opposite of Bembry. The last thing to look for in this game against Drexel is Aaron Brown starting. Brown plays with energy and intensity that will be rub-off on the rest of the team. Aaron proved to not only SJU fans but himself that he deserves to be starting. The guy is not only super athletic, but he plays unbelievable defense and can provide some relief to DeAndre. 

Coming into this season many thought that the Hawks had an opportunity to start the season at least 2-0 before going to Gonzaga, however that will not be happening. This team can clearly compete due to the fact that on paper they have one of the best players in the A-10 in DeAndre Bembry. However, it looked like DeAndre felt some pressure in game one of the season.  This team will get it together and will be contenders in the A-10 this season, and against this Drexel team look for the starting lineup to become more stable and older. The lineup should be Chris, Evan, DeAndre, Brown, and Miles, with Javon coming up with some valuable minutes off the bench. This team has the talent to compete even though they lost their three main seniors last season.

The Hawk Will Never Die

-Pants

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FDU Loss is a Start

Saint Joseph’s Hawks lost their season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson 58-57 from a crushing three by FDU to win the game with almost less than 3 seconds to go. Hawk fans desperately wish to have the “Big 3” back after the loss to Fairleigh Dickinson; however Roberts, Galloway, and Kanacevics are all playing profession basketball. Many of us on HawkHill thought that we were in for a long, tough season. But, nobody thought the losses would start after the first game. The young SJU team is officially 0-1 to start the season, losing to an FDU team that they were seen as clear favorites against. This loss proves that the Hawks  may not be ready to take the next step after the loss of their seniors last season.  Fairleigh Dickinson was their first game of the season and as a completely new unit. This season’s team will play differently together and will win together. 

Phil Martelli will tell you, the team wins as a team and lose as a team. It will take a few games before the Hawks play as an entire unit up and down the court. Though St. Joe’s lost, there were bright spots throughout the game: Evan played tight defense, Javon was a solid rebounder, and Wilson looked strong controlling the game. Isiah Miles took advantage of his size. Miles had a double-double. He battled down low, even though his shooting left more to be desired. At different points of the game, a new player stepped up. That is great to see, however; the team struggled throughout and FDU shut DeAndre Bembry down.

DeAndre Bembry has an immense amount of responsibility this season. For what Bembry accomplished last year, he is a humble individual. Number forty-three for the Hawks know he needs to do better. He knows that he has to score at least 15 points a night to even have a chance. DeAndre cannot rely on the “Big 3” to carry the team. Bembry has to accept the challenge putting this team on his shoulders. 

Hawk fans knew coming into this season DeAndre Bembry was going to be covered by the best player on every team SJU faces that DeAndre was going to have to fill in for the “Big 3”. Everyone knew that DeAndre would get shutdown against better teams in the conference and in the NCAA, however no one expected DeAndre to be shut down by FDU last night. He struggled trying to create open shots. He even passed up shots when they should’ve been taken. DeAndre last season was not known as a shooter, but more of someone who can drive the ball. He worked all off-season to become a reliable outside shooter and perfect his game. Though his shot has gotten better, it looked as if DeAndre did not trust himself shooting the ball. DeAndre is an unbelievable talent and may be the best player to play as a Hawk since Jameer. As DeAndre grows into his leadership role, the team will gain confidence. Last night we saw that DeAndre doesn’t want to be a ball hog, and doesn’t want to shoot the ball when he gets it. He would rahter distribute it. It is time for DeAndre to take charge and take over a game. DeAndre Bembry needs to take charge in order for him the team and him to reach their full potential.

After the loss to Fairleigh Dickinson Saint Joseph’s will not repeat their illustrious 03’-04’ season by going undefeated. It is a long season ahead. There is no reason to panic yet. SJU returns to action on Monday night at Drexel and the again on Wednesday against Gonzaga in Spokane. Gonzaga is a tough opponent and has the potential to not be a pretty matchup. The season started fast for the Hawks, and it will prepare them for the pre-season NIT tournament.

The Hawk Will Never Die

-Brett and Glen 

Hawk Weaknesses

With the season almost upon us many SJU fans are asking where are the Hawks weakest this season and where can we expect them to fall short. The team unfortunately lacks veteran leadership, perimeter shooting, and the ability to rebound.  

The most apparent area where St. Joe’s falls short is in veteran leadership. The team only has two returning starters for the season in Chris Wilson and DeAndre Bembry. As we all know the team thrived last season from the veteran leadership, it will be big shoes to fill with the team missing Langston, Halill, and Ron. The lack of veteran leadership might force Phil to be more vocal in the locker room. Last year not only the three captains, but all the seniors would speak their mind during half-time. DeAndre Bembry mention that Darius Quarles was vocal at half time during the University of Rhode Island game going into half-time behind. Chris Wilson is an ultimate team player and leads by example. While Chris is always doing the right thing, DeAndre is a player that will lead the team with scoring and performance. Like last year, captains are not the only ones that can make a difference. Look for Aaron Brown to be vocal player. He is another team player, which is evident by his patience after sitting out last year due to transferring and only playing a limited role at WVU. It is also likely that this team may take a few games to play together and run the court as a unit. However, the leadership on this team should bring the team together within a few games.   

Going off of that fact, there is another form of weakness that was created from losing Langston and that is in perimeter shooting. Langston provided the team with a great amount of confidence to shoot the ball from three when it was most needed. The perimeter shooting is going to have to come from Bembry, Wilson, and Miles. Bembry and Miles are the main perimeter possibilities. Wilson is not a consistent perimeter shooter, although he is successful when he is not under pressure. It is simply not likely that the team will be able to recreate last year’s perimeter shooting success. Langston Galloway is one of a kind and is even a better shooter than a majority of NBA players that play the shooting guard position. This upcoming season the Hawks will have to find new and different ways to score points to make up for the missing perimeter shooting. Another weakness the team will face is the fact that they have inexperience underneath the basket.

With the loss of both Halil and Ron, the ability to rebound may have gone out of Hawk Hill with them. This team is going to have real problems rebounding and creating points from underneath. Javon Bauman and Jai Williams will be big men that will have the responsibility of rebounding this upcoming year. This team is a very young and talented team, which has the potential to become outstanding in the near future.

-Brett and Glen