By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
We all know the Hawk will never die. However, entering last season with an NCAA tournament drought reaching back to 2007, and without an Atlantic 10 tournament title since all the way back in 1997, there were rumblings that coach Phil Martelli’s two-decade tenure at the helm was in critical condition. Instead, Martelli’s senior-laden squad quieted his critics on their way to a 24-10 record and 11-4 mark in conference play. St. Joe’s not only secured that A-10 tournament title, but when they reached the Big Dance, gave eventual national champion Connecticut arguably their toughest test of the tournament, losing in overtime.
As is the case for all but the top programs who constantly restock with fresh McDonald’s All-Americans, the Hawks will struggle to replace their talented upperclassmen who helped make such a successful season possible. Coach Martelli will need to patch together the production of three departed senior starters in Halil Kanacevic, Langston Galloway, and Ronald Roberts, Jr. Kanacevic, set to play professional ball in Slovenia, became the only player in Hawks history with both 1,000 career points and rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 blocks. His unique skill-set as a passing big man was often a match-up nightmare for the opposition. Galloway finished his career as the second-leading scorer in St. Joe’s history, and made more career threes than anyone else to don a Hawks uniform. While Galloway is currently trying to make the Knicks roster, the Hawks will need to find fresh blood to stretch the defense from the perimeter. Also trying to make an Atlantic Division roster, current Sixer Ronald Roberts, Jr. had a unique athleticism and tenacity attacking the boards that we likely won’t see on Hawk Hill for some time.
The job of picking up the pieces after the loss of that talented trio will fall to the two holdover starters from a season ago, co-captains Chris Wilson and DeAndre Bembry. Having the senior Wilson back at point guard is one reason Hawks fans can still remain optimistic about this season, as having an experienced hand running the offense should be a huge boon for the young squad. Wilson will look to build on a season where he shot a career-best 35% from behind the arc, and his assist numbers should rise sharply as he takes on more of a traditional role without Kanacevic around as a point-forward-type.
Still, the best chance the Hawks have to remain competitive lies with DeAndre Bembry. The co-rookie of the year in A-10 last year as a freshman, Bembry averaged 12.1 points per game despite the presence of all those talented upperclassmen commanding the ball, no small feat in itself. The 6’6″ wing already shot 35% from three as a freshman, which should improve with another year of practice from the longer distance under his belt. He also already has his share of highlight reel-worthy dunks at the rim, as he represents a true threat both from the perimeter, and as a slashing finisher. Bembry is a breakout candidate as a potential first-team Atlantic 10 player, and the foundation for this Hawks program going forward.
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Beyond Wilson and Bembry, whether the Hawks have a middling rebuilding season or remain on the tournament bubble will depend on the supporting cast, and whether anyone steps up from a host of young players on the roster. Unfortunately, senior forward Papa Ndao is out for the year due to unspecified medical reasons, while 6’6″ freshman Markell Hodge will sit out the season to ‘concentrate on academics‘, so a group light on experience has also taken a hit as far as depth. One of the two starting big man roles is expected to go to 6’7″ junior Isaiah Miles, who averaged just 9 minutes per game last season, and spends a lot of time on the perimeter offensively.
For a true interior presence, coach Martelli will draw from a group that includes the 6’8″ Javon Baumann, a native of Germany who appeared in 15 games last season, freshman Obi Romeo, a 6’10” native of Nigeria with a 7’8″ wingspan, and 6’9″ redshirt freshman Jai Williams. Martelli has even considered using the 6’5″ West Virginia transfer Aaron Brown as a stretch four on occasion given the lack of depth in the frontcourt. The Hawks’ best chance for success probably lies in Romeo having a quick learning curve, as he has the raw tools to eventually become an impact player.
Alongside Wilson in the backcourt, we’re likely to see James Demery, a 6’6″ freshman from North Carolina, get the starting nod. Demery is the Hawks top recruit from their 2014 class and projects as a pure scorer with good range from the perimeter. If Demery can have the type of impact Bembry had as a freshman last season, the Hawks might be in business this season. At the back-up guard position will be another freshman, Shavar Newkirk. The 6’0″ Bronx native will be groomed as the heir apparent to Wilson at the point guard position.
Looking beyond the roster at their non-conference schedule, the Hawks will play Gonzaga in Spokane, in addition to their usual slate of games against city foes, with road games against Villanova and Drexel. The A-10 should be a weaker conference than a season ago when it received 6 NCAA tournament bids. If everything breaks right, St. Joe’s could find itself in the conversation at the upper half of the conference. Realistically though, the team is relying too much on underclassmen for this to be much more than a year to reload following the departure of last year’s talented senior class. With their best player in DeAndre Bembry still just a sophomore, and a host of freshmen set to earn some valuable experience this season, the Hawks’ best days look to be beyond 2014-15.
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