Martelli has Hawks thriving

Coach has lifted program to national prominence

New York ? Under Phil Martelli, who with his bald dome and bubbly personality perhaps could pass for Dick Vitale’s younger brother, Saint Joseph’s has become a recognizable face in college men’s basketball.

The Hawks (3-1), who went undefeated during the regular season two years ago and reached the finals of the NIT a season after an NCAA Elite Eight berth, are on ESPN a whopping eight times this season, including tonight’s 6 p.m. (CST) nonconference clash against Kansas University (3-3) at the Jimmy V. Classic.

“Unquestionably, people have responded to us,” said 11th-year Hawks coach Martelli. “People heard me say during Jameer’s era that we were striving to become a program, not just a series of good teams and all of a sudden you have a great team,” he added, referring to point guard deluxe Jameer Nelson, now with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.

“I am really proud of the fact we will be on national TV more than any other team in Saint Joseph’s history. I told the players I hope they embrace that and make sure that the team two years from now is on national TV, too, by the way we handle the games and the way we handle the hoopla that come with being on national TV.”

The Hawks, who are trying to become the first team in Atlantic 10 Conference history to win six straight regular-season titles — UMass also won five in a row from 1991 to ’96 — will play 2005 NCAA Tournament teams KU, Bucknell, George Washington, Gonzaga, Penn, St. Mary’s and Villanova.

The Hawks already have taken the court against two ’05 NIT teams, losing at Davidson, 100-94, in overtime and beating Drexel, 69-59, with Temple on the schedule later.

“Calling it the way it is, you lose Pat Carroll, Dwayne Jones and John Bryant … I think it’s a bit of an overschedule for this group,” Martelli said. “There is more than enough on this team’s plate to be prepared again for the Atlantic 10 (Conference race) which is the vehicle for the postseason. I also think the drive to be the first program to win six in a row … that has been mentioned and will continue to be mentioned.”

St. Joe’s, which went 24-12 last year after losing Nelson and Delonte West off a 30-2 team, this year is off to a quick start in attempting to make up for the losses of Carroll and Jones, who combined for 1,003 points and 553 rebounds a year ago.

Senior point guard Dwayne Lee, who led the A-10 in assists a year ago, and senior forward Chet Stachitas are back. Lee averages 5.8 assists to go with 12.3 ppg, while Stachitas leads the squad in scoring at 18 ppg.

“I do think we have depth but an all-league player or go-to guy will have to evolve,” Martelli said. “This is going to be a balanced team. It’s going to be a team where we have to get a lot from everybody. The style is going to be predicated more on which players develop and which have gotten better, and we’ll judge that early.”

The Hawks are about to enter a brutal stretch of the schedule. St. Joe’s will meet Ohio State on Saturday at the Palestra in Philadelphia and follow that with games at Bucknell, St. Mary’s and Gonzaga.

“I am just hoping they all enroll for second semester,” Martelli quipped of his players. “I keep looking in the mirror and look at the guy who did the scheduling. Other than basketball people, people say, ‘Go to Davidson? How do you win there?’ They are 51-4 at home in their last 55 games. I got there and said, ‘What the heck are we doing here?’

“At Bucknell? That’s a smart scheduling decision. That’ll work,” Martelli added with a laugh. “We must pick two games going to the West coast. We picked St. Mary’s (to go with Gonzaga). Xavier, Temple, UMass, Charlotte, George Washington are our first games in the league. I must have done something to the basketball gods.”