NCAA Tournament Sleeper: St. Joseph’s Hawks

The St. Joseph’s Hawks are hoping to be this year’s Cinderella.St. Joe’s comes from the Atlantic 10 conference, which placed three teams in this year’s tournament. Xavier, Temple, and St. Joseph’s all qualified for the field of 65.

St. Joe’s is coming off a very successful season. The Hawks went 21-12 overall, and 9-7 in A-10 play. Their key non-conference wins were over Penn St, Pennsylvania, and Villanova. After a mediocre non-conference season, the Hawks entered conference play with a chip on their shoulder.

St. Joe’s beat UMass and Xavier twice and Temple once to headline their conference victories. In early March, St. Joe’s defeated Xavier 71-66, and just eight days later they beat the Musketeers again 61-53.

Xavier ended up winning the Atlantic 10 conference and received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. Beating Xavier proved that St. Joe’s can knock off any team on a given day.

St. Joe’s went 5-3 this year against teams that made the field of 65.

The Hawks seem to be heading into the NCAA Tournament on a hot streak. Despite losing the conference championship game to Temple, St. Joe’s ended the season with a 4-2 record since March 6.

With a season record of 21-12, a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament seems justified. Coach Phil Martelli was very happy to get in.

“The beauty of this tournament is the elation you feel getting selected is comparable to winning a game,” Martelli said. “The glow that you get, the vibe you get.”

Despite not making the NCAA Tournament since the 2003-2004 season, Martelli is no stranger to the Big Dance. This is his fourth time leading St. Joe’s into the tournament.

2003-2004 was his best season as head coach. He led the Hawks to a 30-2 overall record and went 16-0 in the Atlantic 10. His team received a No. 1 seed, and eventually lost to Oklahoma State in the Elite Eight. Coach Martelli was named the consensus National Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Four years ago it was the Hawks' guard play (Jameer Nelson and Delonte West) that led the way. This year it is a totally different team that is led by their powerful frontcourt.

Pat Calathes is a versatile 6'10" guard/forward who is averaging 17.8 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from three-point land. Ahmad Nivins is a 6'9" power forward who is the Hawks' dominant post threat. He averages 14.4 points a game and 5.9 rebounds.

Rob Ferguson (6'8") has also contributed greatly to the team.

The Hawks have what it takes to make a run. Led by an excellent coach and solid players, St. Joseph’s is poised and ready to do some damage in the Big Dance.

The team begins tournament play with a first round match-up against Oklahoma on Friday evening.