Recon: St. Joseph's

Two questions have controlled the recent debate over this season’s Gem City Cager program: (1) Is Dayton this good and (2) can they keep this up? 

I don’t know, you don’t know. No one knows. 

Certainly no one could have foreseen a 14-5 record at this point in the year. After the back-to-back shellackings against Buffalo and Murray State, it appeared the Flyers were in the firm clutches of a slow and onerous rebuilding year (the performances against USC-Upstate and UIC weren’t exactly encouraging either). If you are like me, you were probably resolved to writing term papers for Jevon Thomas, ensuring his arrival for next year’s promising season. 

Fast forward to today. Dayton doesn’t have to salt the earth in order to clinch a NCAA bid, merely holding serve and winning the games they should probably seals the deal. 

Here are five things, because that’s a nice prime number, which cannot transpire over the next six weeks:  

• The Flyers fail to win on the road which, until proven otherwise, is still an issue for this program. UD is going to have to win a game or two away from the Arena to solidify their postseason status. The Cagers still have roadies at St. Joe’s, Saint Louis, Fordham, Xavier, Duquesne and Richmond. That’s fairly tough sledding, but the Flyers must squeeze some wins out of that six-game slate.

• Tired legs (especially for Dillard) catch up with a very thin roster; an injury at this point, however prolonged, would be the tipping point. Archie has done his best to get his key guys rest during games, a more significant obstacle since Benson’s injury, with even Ralph Hill assigned some spot duty. Of course this means the UD bigs have to avoid foul-trouble at all costs as well.
   
• Chris Johnson remains in a fog. CJ has been fairly inactive since the New Year and downright absent since returning from his concussion. Johnson was the key performer in UD’s wins over Bama and Ole Miss; the Flyers absolutely need his production to keep the ball rolling.  

• Boof, Parker, Fab come back down to earth. The Flyers have enjoyed their recent success primarily due to this particular trio’s effective offensive play. Parker has played his best basketball in a UD uniform over the past few games and Kavanaugh’s consistent play has been paramount to Dayton’s success this year. LuKKKe remains LuKKKe, an asset when he’s hitting bombs, an absolute liability when he’s cold. However, his flops are an always entertaining portion of any Flyer game, so let’s not just dismiss his intangibles altogether.  

• Perimeter shooting hits a flat. Heading into tonight’s game, the Flyers have been hitting 41% of their three-point attempts in conference play – tops in the league. The improved three-point shooting is a recent and timely development, as the majority of Dayton’s three-point shooters are, overall, hitting a lower percentage of threes than they did last season. UD is basically on a phenomenal run at the moment, riding a hot streak from behind the arc.
   

 

The Flyers, as of now, have excellent indicators, a solid RPI and SOS. They’ve racked up 8 wins over the RPI top 100, five over the top 50. While there is plenty of road to travel, UD has established itself as a tournament team at the midway point of the season. A win tonight, away from the Gem City, would cleary beef up their cause.  

Overview: St. Joe’s, a dark horse pick to finish in the top four of the league this season, are mired in a rather ill-timed slump, losing five of their last seven games after a promising start to the season. SJU is currently 2-3 in the Atlantic Ten, with wins over Duquesne and Fordham. Martelli did manage to beat Brian Gregory and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by thirteen points, old habits are hard to break.   

Like the Flyers, the Hawks have a very thin roster. They are also the fourth youngest team in the nation with no seniors and just a combined eight years of collegiate playing experience. In sum, St. Joe’s is probably another season away from seriously contending in the Atlantic Ten.  

Meet and Greet: CJ Aiken is a monster. He has the freakish ability to block and alter shots yet not draw fouls. He has committed just 30 fouls in 20 games this season (1.5 per game, you’re welcome). The sophomore has increased his scoring output and rebounding, becoming a legitimate threat on both ends of the floor. The Aiken/Kavanaugh matchup is loaded with sexy intrigue. This will be a real stern test for Boof, who is enjoying one of the most unlikely comeback stories since Donny Wahlberg’s star turn on Blue Bloods.

Joining Aiken in the starting frontcourt are Halil Kanacevic and Daryus Quarles. Kanacevic is a 6’8” transfer from Hostra where he was named the CAA’s Freshman of the Year before transferring to Hawk Hill. Kanacevic has been a solid addition, scoring eight points a game and leading Martelli’s club in rebounds (6.9 rpg) and assists (3.4 apg). Qualres, a prototypical garbage man, is basically a sixth man, who starts for some reason.

The Hawk’s backcourt, Langston Galloway and Carl Jones, is a silent killer, one of the most under-the-radar units in the country. Galloway is following up his standout freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. The 6’2” guard is averaging seventeen points a game and five assists. Galloway is absolutely deadly from the outside, hitting on 51% of his three-point attempts this season, good enough for second in the nation. He is coming off his best scoring outing in his young career, dropping 32 points this past weekend in the loss to Penn. It’s the third time Galloway has scored 30 or more this season.  

The diminutive Jones (17 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 rpg) is a beast off the dribble and currently tied with Temple’s Ramone Moore as the league’s top scorer. Jones v. Dillard is the other key matchup to follow. An ankle injury has slowed Jones down as of late, he reaggravated it this weekend against Penn, but he is expected to log major minutes tonight.

Ronald Roberts, Chris Wilson and Papa Ndao highlight the St. Joe’s reserves. Roberts, one of the top sixth men in the conference, is scoring ten points a game and grabbing around six rebounds as well. Ndao originally signed with Boston College but was “released” from his commitment and enrolled at SJU last January. Wilson backs up Jones and Galloway.  

Prediction: Still don’t trust UD away from the Arena, and there is of course the letdown factor after coming off an emotional win against Xavier. The Joeys opened up as five point favorites. I like UD to cover, but lose outright. The key in my mind is Kavanaugh, if he produces Dayton prevails. 

An Interrogatory With: St Joseph's University

That Xavier game was fun, eh? Kevin Dillard outclassed Holloway and Matt Kavanaugh gave the Muskie bigs a good clowning, leading Dayton to a relatively easy 87-72 home win. What does it mean? To me, it means we can officially raise expectations for this Flyer squad. Expectations should evolve as the season progresses. This team has proven to be better than we all thought it would be in October, and as fans we should hold them to a higher standard.

My biggest gripe with the program in the last several years has been the lack of defined expectations, and what little definition was given seemed to be low hanging fruit. A team that had no business being in the NIT was given a rousing ovation simply because they came home with a trophy no team opens the season hoping to win. The administration and fan base completely rewrote history, making that team out to be more than what it actually was, disappointing.

I'm not saying I think this year's team should win an A10 title or make a Sweet 16 run, but certainly at this point a winning A10 record and an NIT spot should no longer be an acceptable goal. They own wins over the three teams everyone expected to fight for the title. They beat a good La Salle team, and lost a tough game on the road to a St Bonaventure squad that should finish in the top half. The Flyers are a good basketball team, and we should treat them as such. I expect them to finish in the top four of the A10 and make the NCAAs. Is that too much to ask, given what we know on January 25th? I don't think so.

The first step in meeting that expectation takes place in the land of tainted cheesesteaks, Hagan Arena, home of the St Joes Hawks. To give us an idea of the challenge that lays ahead and more about Martelli's bunch, we turn to our good friends at philahoops.com and welcome in a new voice, SJU expert Timothy Morgan.

Adam: At least from the outside it seemed Phil Martelli bought into his own hype after the Jameer Nelson era and began spending more time in front of a camera and/or microphone than on the recruiting trail, and over time the talent dropped, culminating in a current three year postseason drought. Martelli finally has a young roster that appears to be building into contention, although the preseason talk of them as a "sleeper" appears to have been a year early. How is the patience of the fan base on Hawk Hill? Is there real pressure on Martelli to deliver now as opposed to the future?

Tim: Phil Martelli gets a lot of criticism for the last two years, in which the team has gone 11-22 back-to-back years. Saint Joseph's had become irrelevant. It got so bad that SJU had to cancel their midnight madness last season because of lack of fan support/interest level.

In my opinion, Martelli gets most of his criticism for the fact that he never really built on the Jameer, Delonte year. His recruiting was very weak following that "perfect season." Temple, Nova, and other area teams jumped over SJU in recruiting following that year. Then, his transfer mill began. SJU has no seniors on their roster right now because they all transferred.

Some people were furious with Martelli and called for his head. Student and alumni support and patience waned. However, there are plenty of Martelli defenders on campus and elsewhere (me being one). This season student support got back on track with the team and with Martelli himself. Student turnout home games has been incredible. I think patience for Martelli has grown because people can see the talent there and that it is coming together. This team is very young, but very talented.

A: After a strong freshman season, Langston Galloway has eschewed the sophomore jinx and become one of the better players in the A10, putting up 16 points per game on 50% three point shooting. Is he the next great product who never seems to graduate?

T: Langston Galloway right now is one of the best players in the A-10 as a sophomore. In two years, he may become the best player in the A-10. He can really light it up from the outside. He is still very young and still adjusting and getting better. He can beat you in so many ways. He is one of the best three point shooters in the A-10. He has a nice mid-range game and can shoot off the dribble. He can be a very good transition player, he is a decent passer, he can get into the paint, and his defense is continually  improving.

In two years, Carl Jones will have left and SJU will be Galloway's team. When he is a senior, Galloway and now freshman Chris Wilson will be a premier back-court, not only in the A-10, but in the country. That will lead into my next answer coming up.

The best thing about Galloway is he is an unbelievable kid. He has yet to even grasp how good he can really be. The sky is the limit for Galloway.

A: Carl "Tay" Jones brings a reputation as a dynamite scorer (17ppg), but as a point guard playing 36 minutes per game, his 1:1 assist to turnover ratio raises an eyebrow. Is he a guy that can lead a team, or is he just a scorer in a point guard clothes? If not him, who on the roster can create for others in the flow of the offense?

T: Carl Jones is not a point guard. Martelli, himself, calls Jones a lead guard instead of a point guard. Jones has some ability at the point guard position. He can pass and penetrate and create, but his decision making is not up to par with other quality point guards. The future of the position lies in the hands of Chris Wilson. Wilson is a pure PG, who looks to create for his teammates before himself. This allows Tay to play off the ball, which benefits the team and Jones because he plays his best basketball when he does not have to create for others and can focus on scoring.

However, Tay has to be the short term answer at the point guard position. Wilson is not ready to take on the offense by himself for long stretches. In the Xavier game, SJU was without Jones, so Wilson started. Wilson played 25 minutes, did not score, had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and three turnovers. SJU as a team had 19 turnovers, 11 in the second half. They only scored 16 points in the second half and the offense had no flow.

Chris Wilson gets "it" on and off the court. He is a good kid and he works hard. He is already becoming a vocal leader as a freshman. Martelli calls him cerebral and that he was born with a basketball in his hands. High praise from a coach who knows something about guards.

A: The Hawk mascot is well known, and is often harassed by opposing fans and inner-tube wielding Rhode Islanders. Just how big is the legend of the Hawk on campus?

T: The Hawk receives mixed reactions and feelings on Hawk Hill. Most love him, and many love to make fun of him. He is an easy target to make fun of. But, he is respected. More so, the tradition is respected. He takes his lumps, but he ends up on top.

A: Finally, what do you see as the keys to the game, and a prediction?

T: I think Wednesday's game is going to be very close. One of the keys to the game is Tay's ankle and how healthy he is. The Hawks need him to return to the Carl Jones of earlier this season. Another key is Dayton's ability to matchup against the Hawks' frontline. Coach Miller talked about Dayton's frontline depth and how foul trouble could be a huge factor.

If Saint Joseph's can figure out how to play close to a complete game, then I think they will come out on top. It will be very close. I think SJU takes it because they are home and have played very well at home. Final, 68-62 Hawks.

We'd like to thank Timothy for helping us out, and thank philahoops.com for their help in all three games vs Philly teams. As always, head over to read my answers, as well as their site as a whole. They do great work.

Mid Major Basketball - Feel the Excitement!

Fuck it. A win's a win, right? We'll take it and shuffle on to our drubbing in Norwood. But, man, is it hard to watch the struggles between two terribly mediocre teams. And barring some revelation from BG, this is precisely the type of dysfunctional basketball we'll see for the remaining 13 games. Sure, there will be some bright spots, and not a few disasters, but ultimately we'll be a middling basketball squad heading for a second rate tournament, or, at best, a first round exit .

The pride of the Widener PrideThough the stats don't bare it out, that was an ugly win against a pretty shitty team, on our home court no less. The last 30 seconds were particularly painful. After whispering, "It's winning time, you magnificent sons of bitches", BG sends his charges out to the floor, where Staten slips and unloads it to Benson, who manages to fumble it out of bounds. Time out by Martelli, followed by a 26-foot airball from Crosgile. Time out, six men on the floor for St. Joes. How's the for a climatic ending!

We shot it about as well as we can (44% from the field, 41% from three). We distributed and took care of the ball nicely (21 assists to only five turnovers). Strangely, though, we were outrebounded by a pretty poor rebounding team (34 v. 28). No real standout individual performances. Fourteen and 10 for the Savior, 13 for CJ, and 9 a piece for Staten, Parker, and PWs. Staten added six assists for good measure. That's really all there's to glean from the box score. It was as if ESPN's Accu-Score just played this one out for us, everybody just hovering around their average.

I realize we have no surplus of scorers, but I still find myself wondering why we run set plays that result in CJ hoisting from deep. He's a 35% shooter. It's generally after he misses another three that I try remembering the last time we went down low looking for offense. When you lack scorers, what do you really have to lose by dropping it down low a couple times a half? I know this is all well worn territory, but when the same issues continue to present themselves, I can't help but respond with the same tired questions.

How much more rope does Phil Martelli get on Hawk Hill?  They've been godawful for the past two years, and have finished no higher than fifth in the A-10 since 2004-'05. I realize he had every mid-major fan's wet dream of a season in '03-'04, but how long can he keep cashing that check. And regardless of how many times Derrick Dukes talked up the phenomenal youth on that team, I don't see a whole lot of improvement in the cards. That said, he's available for your next speaking engagement.

I'm tired of hearing people complain about the "weave" offense. That's no weave offense. It's some bastardized variation of the dribble-drive offense popularized by Calipari's Memphis Tigers. Why is it so ineffective in Dayton, you ask? Because the talent isn't there. We're a collection of raggedy mis-matched players who ultimately aren't capable of scoring regularly. Are we maximizing ability with the offense? Hard to say.

Juwan Staten will be a nice player for us down the road. He's the catalyst for any offense that doesn't come off of the offensive glass. He'll need to work on his shot and develop a semblance of a left hand, but he's so quick and has such a good understanding of a point guard's duties that even if those areas don't develop he'll likely be an all-conference player. A few games into the season I wondered if the statisticians were being generous with his assist numbers, but after watching a handful of games, I've realized the numbers seem legitimate. He has good vision and a knack for delivering the ball in a shooter's pocket, not skills typically seen from freshman. Also of note, after throwing down that dunk against New Mexico, once he finished flexing, he made a motorcycle revving motion. Hadn't seen that before, extra credit for creativity.

Anybody else a bit underwhelmed with junior year Chris Johnson? He's playing 25% more minutes, but getting a scant .4 points more a game. His rebounding numbers are actually down, as are his field goal and three point shooting percentages. Maybe Blackburn was onto something with his white girl theory.

Like I said, I know all this shit has been said before, but watching Flyers games has started making me feel old and curmudgeonly. It feels like the same shit year-in, year-out. A few rays of sunshine, minimal improvement from the roster, same struggles on the road, same playing to the competition. It's about as routine as a 9-5. Barring some miraculous close to this season, it feels like it's time for some new blood in the program. Not sure how you call for the coach's head when your team's 14-4, but I think we all know pretty well how this season's going to play out.

Look out Xavier. This is the year things change.

St. Joe's @ Dayton

 

Recon: St. Joseph's University

The Dayton Flyers come into tonight's game against the Hawks of St Joe's with a 1-1 record in the A-14. It should surprise no one that Dayton lost one of the two opening road games because, well, it's Dayton and they always choke on the road. This season is going to be a crazy roller coaster, so you better buckle in. If you look across the Dayton interwebs, you'll see a variety of predictions. Swampy leads the gate in insanity -- picking Dayton to go 14-2, AGAIN. I come in the middle at 10-6, which I think is fairly reasonable. Secaur jumps in at 9-7, which is also reasonable considering Dayton just lost to one of the worst teams in the A-14 in UMass. I believe tman wants Luke Fab to play the center position, which will lead Dayton to about a 3-13 record. Good times all around. Let's just say that in order for Dayton to compete for the A-14 crown, it should come as no surprise that they need to take care of business at home.

Overview. The Hawks come to the Decibel Dungeon with a 5-10 overall record and 0-2 in the conference. It's been a long time since the days of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West. The first thing that I notice while looking at the Hawks' schedule is that except for the first game of the year, the Hawks are in every game. They haven't been blown out in any game which says a lot about this group of student-athletes. Phil Martelli's squad won three games in a row early in the year and that remains the highlight of the season. This team can't finish games any games because they are constantly getting beat on the glass, averaging only thirty-nine rebounds a game. At the time of writing this recon, St. Joe's RPI is a horrid 184, which would be considered a "bad loss" for our beloved Flyers.

The Hawks, as you all know, hail from the mean streets of Philadelphia, PA. It seems ages ago that the Nelson/West duo lead this team to the Elite 8 where they were given a brutal soul-crushing loss by John Lucas III and Oklahoma State. Since that 2004 Tournament, they have been in the NIT twice (2005 and 2006) and snuck into the NCAA field with a 21-12 record in 2008. In other words, it's been seven years and counting since the Hawks were considered one of the nation's elite teams. Something tells me that this program may not be coming back, as witnessed by the chart below. The chart shows St. Joe's recent ranking in the A-14 standings. Like I said, 2004 was a LONG time ago. 

St. Joe's Slow Burn

Meet and Greet. Carl Jones leads the way with almost 18 points a game. Carl (who names their fucking kid Carl anyway?) has come on this season after averaging about 10 points last year as a freshman. Carl is shooting the rock at a 40% clip from the field and a very Dayton-like 37% from beyond the arc. Basically, Carl is going to get his shots. You can save your judgments for someone who cares.  

Next in line are the two fabulous freshmen, Langston Galloway and C.J. Aiken. Galloway, a fresh faced 6’3” guard is averaging about 13 points a game and grabbing an impressive six boards a game. The kid can stroke it like a truck-driver in a rest-stop shower, 40% from three and 94% from the line. Aiken is a freshman everyone is starting to talk about, and by everyone I mean Blackburn, myself and Aiken’s half-brother LeShazbot. We are all tickled pink over Aiken’s rapid development. The youngster likes to do two things. Participate in frottage parties and block shots, and we’re all out of frottage. Sure he likes to score a little (7.8 ppg) and he’s even into rebounds (5.1 rpg), but he gets off by slapping orange spheres against the backboard. Aiken is currently blocking 3.8 shots a game, good for second in the nation. And we aren’t talking Chris Wright sneak up behind you and smack the ball when you ain’t expecting it blocks. Nope, Aiken implores you to shoot in his neighborhood and he does it like a man, face-to-face. Expect both of these fine upstanding gentlemen to be named to the Atlantic Ten’s All-Freshmen Team along with Staten and two other chodes to be named later.

Idris Hilliard and Daryus Quarles (another freshman – this program could be solid in a year or two) will get plenty of time on the wings. Hilliard is the Hawks returning leading scorer but has become less of a focus with Jones and Galloway taking the majority of the team’s shots. Still, Hilliard has the experience and talent to hurt you. He is averaging eight points and five rebounds in a little over thirty minutes a game on the year. Quarles plays about half the game and is primarily a perimeter player, yet doesn’t shoot particularly well. It’s quite the mystery. He is scoring two and a half buckets and three boards a contest.

Blackburn Review favorite Todd O’Brien, “The Bartender,” is back and ready to rumble. The sad part of Aiken’s ascendance is that it comes at the expense of Mr. O’Brien. His minutes have decreased from twenty-three a game last year to just seven minutes per outing this season. Would I be bitter? Well, yeah. But I’m married and spent last night eating a TV dinner while watching a Mama’s Family marathon, so I have every right to be. Ask Todd O’Brien to be the designated-driver next time you guys go out, he will punch you square in the face and then apologize half-heartedly. He’s that guy. But seriously, his girlfriend is kinda hot and she’ll bring along her best friend who lets anyone who is nice touch her anywhere above the belt.     

Ronald Roberts is yet another freshman that gets some serious minutes off the bench. He has some size and likes to mix it up inside. Mark him down for five and four because that’s what his averages are. Pat Swilling Jr. fills out the Hawks freshmen class and appears to be downright awful. Obviously, Swilling’s dad is Pat Swilling Sr., a hall-of-famer that used to pulverize people as a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints. I’m thinking Rickey Jackson probably owed the old man money from a card game and as a way of getting even beat the shit out of Martelli until he gave Swilling's kid a basketball scholarship. That’s the only thing that can explain his inclusion on SJU’s roster, as Junior is shooting a paltry 18% from the floor and just 6% from three. I know what you’re thinking, how did Dayton not sign this guy? Your guess is as good as mine. Here’s what I imagine every phone conversation between Junior and Senior sounds like:

Senior Swilling: “How’s that basketyball going? You like to wear yo’ shorts kinda long like bloomers I see.”
Junior Swilling: “Yeah Dad, that’s the style nowadays.”
Senior Swilling: “Motherfucker, what I tell you about that Dad shit! It’s either sir or hall-of-famer Pat Swilling.”
Junior Swilling: “Sorry, forgot.”
Senior Swilling: “I once hit Thurman Thomas on the goal line so hard I had blood coming out of my ass, son. I bit Warren Moon’s nose through his facemask in a pileup. I threw Bernie Kosar down to the ground with such force that he came in his pants. Now I got my son running around like a homo playing some girls game.”
Junior Swilling: “I don’t understand why we have to talk like this every time we speak…”
Senior Swilling: “I don’t know why God made me a quarter-ton sacking machine, but the motherfucker did. Check your tone, son.”
Junior Swilling: “Sorry. I gotta run, practice is in fifteen minutes.”
Senior Swilling: “Yeah, cool. I got some hoes comin’ over any damn way.”

This will probably, hopefully, be the only time that the mascot will be mentioned in a recon. As you all are probably all aware, the St. Joe's mascot can never stop flapping his wing(s). Once that suit is on, at least one arm needs to be moving at all times. While we all can agree this this mascot is epically better than Rudy Flyer, it's still a lame mascot. The reason I bring this up is because I enjoy watching this YouTube video for many reasons. For starters, it’s Tyson fucking Wheeler! You undeveloped commenters are probably too young to remember that at one time, just like St. Joe's, Rhode Island made the Elite 8. It was also a treat to see Jim Harrick, Blackburn's lover, roaming the sidelines for Rhody. If only the camera caught the wads of cash falling out of Harrick's pockets it would have made the video that much better. But no, the icing on the cake is that even when the Hawks' stupid hat falls off, he keeps flapping his wing. Rudy Flyer, if you read this site (and we know you do), start a fight with the St. Joe's Hawk and let's get on ESPN.

Numbers game. "I can prove anything by statistics except the truth." 

		PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
	StJoe	66.1	40.6	70.0	31.8	35.3	10.9	24.4	12.8	12.3	5.5	5.8	16.6
	UD	67.1	39.2	69.7	32.5	40.5	14.2	26.4	14.8	12.9	5.1	3.1	19.0
	StJoe Opponents	70.8	43.7	68.2	35.2	38.7	12.2	26.5	15.1	12.1	6.3	3.5	17.3
	UD Opponents	63.1	39.6	66.9	30.5	34.2	10.4	23.9	12.9	12.7	4.5	3.6	19.4

As stated above, the Hawks are not going to out-rebound many teams. They also are not going to shoot lights out. The Hawks average about 66 point a game, which puts them right behind Dayton's 67 per game. Dayton needs to win the battle on the boards, something they didn't do in the UMass game. Dayton needs to also take advantage of SJU's defensive lapses, as the Hawks give up easy looks and don't force a substantial amount of turnovers.

Prediction. The Hawks are not good, ladies and gents. Then again, the Minutemen are not an exceptional team and we saw what happened there. With plenty of time to regroup after the rough loss on Sunday afternoon, the Flyers should be well rested for this game. However, we all know what the term "Trap Game" means and this is a classic trap game. I am not saying the Flyers would look ahead to Saturday's game vs. the Musketeers, but I would not put it past them. I see the Flyers winning this game by around 10 points (the spread is currently twelve, twelve! Vegas has no respect for Martelli’s crew) with a score of 71-61.

Chris Wright and Chris Johnson both lead the way with 18 points apiece, Ralph Hill does not play and Luke Fab gets a standing ovation after he hits back-to-back 3's after missing his first five shots. Go Flyers. And seriously, fuck that Hawk.

Recon: Saint Joseph's University

For St. Joe's, there will never be anotherThe Saint Joseph’s basketball program was the little school that could back in 2003. Led by All-Everything point-guard Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, and a stellar supporting cast that included Pat Carroll, Dwayne Jones, Ty Barley and Chet Stachitas, Phil Martelli’s squad won their first twenty-seven games—going undefeated in the regular season. After bowing out early in the A-10 quarterfinals, the Hawks were mere seconds away from a trip to the Final Four.  St. Joe’s ended that magical season with a 30-2 record, finishing fifth in the AP poll. Martelli’s stock was at an all-time high, and with many of the team’s key contributors coming back the next season, SJU was a program on the rise.

Only that ascension never came. The ’04-’05 Hawks had a decent run, finishing the year 24-12 (14-2 in the A-10), and ended the season with a loss against South Carolina in the NIT Championship. But that was it for St. Joe's (although you did have SJU’s questionable inclusion in the 2008 tournament), they never came close to building a consistent high-level basketball program. At first blush, not capitalizing on the momentum from the Elite Eight success seems like the program failed. However, when you begin to peel away the layers and consider the circumstances, it’s clear that the ’03-’04 team caught lightning in a bottle.     

As an aside, could you imagine what our already self-aggrandizing fan base would be like if the Flyers made a run to the Elite Eight? This is where you have to give St. Joseph’s fans credit, they realized the Hawks were defying the odds as it was unfolding before their eyes The fervor on Hawk Hill reached a fever pitch, and the fans enjoyed the ride specifically because it wouldn’t last. St. Joe's fans were savvy enough to realize the obstacles their program was up against, barriers they had little chance of overcoming. Saint Joseph's simply does not have the resources necessary to compete with the titans of college basketball on a year-to-year basis (On top of that, there are the expected problems that come as the result of recruiting Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, namely Jay Wright, Temple and the rest of the Big East). So if we all agree on that premise, and I'm fairly certain we do, then how do we explain SJU's '03-'04 season?

The simple answer is Jameer Nelson. Nelson was an unheralded recruit out of Chester, PA  that signed on to play for Martelli fairly early in the recruiting process (for those of us who haven't had the misfortune to drive through Chester, I will paraphrase the words of Treach, from the immortal 90’s rap group Naughty by Nature: "if you ain’t never been to Chester, don’t ever come to Chester. ‘Cause you wouldn’t understand Chester, so stay the fuck out of Chester"). Nelson's stock grew as he led Chester High School to two state championships, but was locked into Hawk Hill even when bigger programs took notice and came calling. Nelson, who was named the nation's Freshman of the Year after his first season with the Hawks, was a transcendent talent that falls into a program's lap maybe once in a lifetime.

Street prophetsIt’s a twist of fate for St. Joe's that Jameer Nelson was born and raised in nearby Chester, PA. If he had come from say, Pittsburgh, he likely would have played at Pitt or Duquesne. SJU's location was the main motivator for Nelson's attending the university. The same can be said of both Chris Wright and Juwan Staten. Although I am sure that Brian Gregory is a fine man, a gentle lover and a competent recruiter, the fact that UD was the premier local program was the deciding factor for both Wright and Staten (It’s possible that Juwan Staten was breastfed until he was fourteen, but that’s a topic for another day, another time). This is not in dispute. Just as Nelson was the type of recruit Saint Joseph's had never signed before, and likely never will again, Wright and Staten were prep players who usually left town for greener pa$ture$. As Staten and Wright's (and Nelson's) recruitment surely attests, sometimes it’s not about where your program is going, it’s literally about where your program is at.

Here, in my autocratic opinion, is where the roads traveled by St. Joe's and  Dayton have the opportunity to diverge. Whereas Nelson's graduation unfortunately signaled the end of SJU's prominence, Staten's arrival may just indicate the dawning of a new-age for UD hoops. The fortuitous recruitment of Juwan Staten presents an opportunity for Dayton to solidify itself as a program that can reload, not rebuild. UD's incoming class, which has unfortunately dropped out of Scouts' rankings, may turn UD into a preferred program on the level of their overlord, Xavier. 

Now in no way am I predicting that Staten's path will mirror Jameer Nelson's, we should consider ourselves fortunate if Staten has even half the career that Nelson did. Although Staten is the more heralded player coming out of the prep ranks, it's unlikely that he will have that type of impact. What I am saying is that Dayton has the opportunity to succeed where St. Joseph's failed. Whereas Martelli was unable to capitalize on the Hawks' short-lived prosperity, due to SJU's lack of resources and the competition in their backyard, UD can use Staten and Co.'s arrival as a chance to solidify its standing on the national stage. UD does not face the type of insurmountable challenges that St. Joe's does n regards to recruiting, facilities, etc. Chris Wright's recruitment was an affirmative statement that Dayton was capable of reigning in local talent, even if it was by default, hopefully Juwan Staten's enlistment acts as further evidence that the UD basketball program is preparing to take yet another significant step forward.

Before we found out if the Hawk will ever die (answer: looking more and more likely), let's play like E. Aron Presley and fucking T.C.O.B. There is just one piece of distressing news to cover.

The Rick. The Rick has been awfully quiet this season. That is if you don't consider shitting into towels in front of his coaching staff to be noteworthy. However, the cracks are beginning to show on Mount Majerus and it pains me so. Consider this excerpt from Dayton's old reliable:

“We belong in the Missouri Valley,” Majerus said after the Billikens whipped Fordham 75-48 Wednesday night, Jan. 20, “if we care about the kids’ academics.”

Rick, I think I speak for all college basketball fans when I say we could all give two shits about the "kids' academics." We're here to watch "the kids" run up and down the court for our bemusement. None of us are paying money to sit in a college basketball player's room,  watching from the edge of our seats as he struggles to read at a fifth-grade level. Check out some of Chris Wright's quotes from this season, trust me, he hasn't cracked a fucking book in three years. The only thing he's cracking are his nuts over a coed's chin.

I never thought I'd say this, in fact I thought I'd be saying just the opposite, but I think Majerus realizes that he may never succeed in the A-10. Just shocking stuff from the Rick. I suppose you can mark him down in favor of conference realignment?

Now, onward and upward. Let us quickly place the Saint Joseph's Hawks under our keen observation.

Govens: St. Joe's pseudo-bright spotOverview. Saint Joseph's comes into Saturday's game with a 6-11 record, 1-3 in the A-10 (That win? Against the Fordham Pinksocks). To their credit, the Hawks over-scheduled this season with games against Villanova, Purdue, and Minnesota (all losses) -- resulting in the thirteenth toughest schedule in the nation. Throw in defeats at the hands of Cornell, Rhode Island, Temple and Siena, and the Hawks have already played seven top-50 RPI squads. With a tough A-10 slate still ahead of them, it's hard to imagine that St. Joe's won't end up in the basement of the conference with Fordham, UMass and St. Bonaventure. The one bright spot for the Hawks is that this game is being played in newly renovated Hagan Arena, where they are 5-1 on the season (SJU is currently 0-7 on the road). Saint Joseph's is 2-3 in its last five meetings with the Flyers.

Meet and Greet. Darrin Govens leads a very thin squad in scoring, dropping around 13 points a game in what can only be described as an act of offensive futility. He is a below 40% shooter from everywhere except the foul-line. Garrett Williamson is SJU's most complete player. He has the ability to create his own shot, and gets others involved in the offense. Averaging 12 points and 4 assists a game, Williamson is also the Hawks best defender.

The "big man" Idris Hilliard checks in at a mere six feet, seven inches. He is a garbage man who gets most of his points on putbacks and foul shots (as garbage men are wont to do).  Freshman guard Carl Jones has been a pleasant surprise for St. Joe's. Although a woeful shooter, Jones has shown plenty of promise and figures to be a major piece of SJU's rebuilding process. Jones averages ten points a game and a mere assist. His basketball philosophy is the complete opposite of London Warren's. Warren has never seen a shot he covets, and Jones has never seen a pass that catches his fancy. 

Justin Crosgile and Chris Prescott are a pair of underclassman who offer some relief in the backcourt. Both players are decent scorers, averaging around six points each, but turn the ball over too much to be effective. I have no doubt that Phil Martelli hates these two with a fiery passion. 

Tell me that's not the face of a bartenderTodd O'Brien looks like every asshole bartender that made you wait for a drink while he talks to a moderately attractive female at the end of the bar. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he's seen lugging bags of ice to and from the locker room when he isn't in the game. When he is in the game, people stop and stare. They wonder how did this guy end up playing D1 ball? 6'10"/232, that's how. Any questions? I will say this, O'B can rebound a bit (6.6 rpg).

Speaking of 6'10"/232, ask yourself this question. When was the last time you saw a 6'10" - 7'0" guy walking around your neighborhood? I don't believe I ever have, as I certainly would have recalled passing a 6'11" giant on my way to lunch one day. What becomes of these freaks of nature? Is there some sort of stigma attached to them, a belief that they cannot function in polite society for some reason? Maybe they can't get decent jobs because the cheapest suits they can find have to be custom made and cost around $1500 a pop? "I can't get a job without a suit, I can't get a suit without a job." It's the mongoloid's journey, only they can walk it.  

The Numbers Game. There is strength in numbers, unless you are talking about St. Joe's defensive statistics (which are weaker than Muhammad Ali's bladder).

Those are just very upsetting numbers. Giving up nearly 80 points a game only works if you are employing a Westheadian offensive attack, and I don't think Bo Kimble or Hank Gathers are walking through that door for the Hawks. In fact, I can guarantee that Gathers is definitely not walking through that door. Throw in the fact that SJU is a poor rebounding team as well, and you have a team that Dayton was born to steamroll. This one could get ugly, like Zesty going to the rack late in the game ugly.

Prediction: I have no doubt that UD wins this one. The Hawks are in the midst of a death spiral and will not put up much of a fight. The only variable that skews my outlook on tomorrow's game is UD's problems away from the Arena and St. Joe's home-court advantage. Let's mark the basketball Flyers down for a ten point victory, 71-61. Dayton is too tough on the boards and will take advantage of SJU's defensive maladies.

This is a game Chris Wright should dominate in, he is a matchup nightmare for the Hawks. Kountry Chris scores 19 points and grabs 11 rebounds. Marcus Johnson continues his steady improvement, scoring a dozen points. In the only game that matters in Philly, Geno's beat Pat's. Kurt Huelsman pisses all over the seat before the game because he is a disgusting animal.