Undefeated during the regular season a year ago, Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team went looking for the toughest 2004-05 season-opening opponent it could locate.

“The Pistons weren’t available so we figured we’d find the No. 1 college team in America,” said Phil Martelli of the NBA champion Detroit Pistons.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, the media-friendly 10th-year St. Joe’s coach realizes his Hawks, 27-0 a year ago, could be looking at 0-1 after tonight.

Tip for the game between the Jayhawks (1-0), who actually have dropped to No. 2 in the polls, and the Hawks is 9:10 p.m. today with a live telecast on ESPN2.

“It is what it is,” Martelli said of the game. “It’s not ideal, and it’s not catastrophic. It is the schedule we have. I am much more concerned they have played a live game and we haven’t.”

Martelli’s Hawks, who visit Allen Fieldhouse without former players and current NBA guards Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, haven’t even played an exhibition game before live fans.

Instead of scheduling Division Two schools like Emporia State and Washburn, Martelli prefers to take advantage of a little known NCAA rule allowing teams to scrimmage other Division One schools. Thus, St. Joe’s held situational scrimmages against Niagara and Lafayette in the preseason.

“In our case, we are not driven by our season-ticket package. We think scrimmaging is valuable to us,” Martelli said. “Not everybody knows about it. I was with USA Basketball four summers ago. I was with (Syracuse coach) Jim Boeheim and (Oregon coach) Ernie Kent. They said, ‘You are not allowed to do that.’ I said, ‘You are.'”

SAINT Joseph's coach Phil Martelli instructs his team. Martelli and the Hawks will open their season against Kansas University tonight.

There is one negative for Martelli’s Hawks, who will be led by guard Dwayne Lee, center Dwayne Jones and forward John Bryant, among others. Starter Pat Carroll is not expected to play because of a dislocated shoulder.

“Tuesday’s our first time wearing uniforms with fouls that matter, media time outs,” Martelli said.

He will be coaching his first game in Allen Fieldhouse.

“Sports Illustrated said if you have the opportunity to coach in three great places you’d have had a great career: the Palestra (in Philadelphia where St. Joe’s plays some home games), Phog and Cameron. We went to Cameron and got waxed. Now we get to play in Allen. It is a place you want to experience.”

He’s not so sure he wants to go against KU’s senior-laden lineup, though.

“(Wayne) Simien is a handful,” Martelli said. “If it was just him, it’d be great, but it’s not. (J.R.) Giddens, (Aaron) Miles, (Keith) Langford, (Michael) Lee … they have tremendous balance inside and out.

“They have Bill (Self), one of the best coaches in the country. You see Kansas on TV. They mirror the coach’s intensity. Their speed on offense. They get down the floor. Their seniors have had as much success as any can have. When you have as much maturity as they do, it’s a good group to coach. I really like their team.”

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The Jayhawks returned the compliments.

“Last year they played with the national player of the year and another first-rounder,” Self said. “Kansas did the same thing the year before and we didn’t fall too far. I think obviously it won’t be the same team, but it’ll be the same type athletes, just younger. We know their young players are good players.”

Added Langford: “You think about St. Joe’s you think about Delonte and Jameer. Those other guys may not get as much attention, but I’m sure those guys had a lot to do with them winning. They are just as confident what they did last year is what they can do this year.”