2006-07 Hawks 2006-07 Preview
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2006-07 HAWKS 2006-07 PREVIEW Youth will be served with the Saint Joseph’s Hawks as veteran coach the coach, now in his 12th season on Hawk Hill. Phil Martelli puts one of his youngest groups ever on the floor in 2006- “Balance is going to be a needed strength for this team. We’re going 07. But despite the lack of experience, SJU will be suited for the chal- to need to be able to score the ball in and around the basket and we’re lenge with an emerging and talented group of juniors and sophomores going to have to develop some perimeter shooting. Defensively, we’ve joining forces with one of the most highly-touted recruiting classes in always been able to rely on our older guys and in this case, this team Martelli’s tenure. may not have a lot of older guys on the floor. So I think that teaching Four starters and the team’s top three leading scorers are gone from and precise scouting reports are really going to be crucial to this team. the 2005-06 squad which made another impressive late-season surge, Attention to detail is going to be important,” stated Martelli, who needs falling just one point short of the Atlantic 10 title and a bid to the NCAA 13 victories to surpass Hall of Famer Jack Ramsay for second place on Tournament. The Hawks reached the postseason for the sixth straight SJU’s all-time list. year, but the run ended in the NIT second round with a two-point loss to Hofstra. FRONTCOURT Martelli credited his seniors – Chet Stachitas, Dwayne Lee, Dave Rob Ferguson, the lone starter from last year, is the team’s leading Mallon and Rob Sullivan – for the late-season success, as SJU went returning scorer (10.3 ppg) after the transfer of Abdulai Jalloh (15.0 from 10-12 in February to win nine of the last 11, again showing that ppg) and will be counted on even more this season. The 6-8 junior, who Martelli has his teams playing their best basketball when the games redshirted 2003-04, has always possessed the offensive skills, but last count. That effort was similar to 2004-05, when the Hawks won 21 year gained the confidence he needs to be considered among the con- games after January and came within two points of the NIT champi- ference’s elite. Ferguson has good range, shooting 50 percent and 39 onship. The 19-14 record in ‘05-06 gave the Martelli and the Hawks an percent from behind the arc. impressive 141-54 mark over the past six seasons, an average of 23 “I’ve always felt that Rob has All-League talent. He is going to have wins per year. to be a guy that we should be able to identify as one of the best players With those seniors gone, Rob Ferguson, Ahmad Nivins and Pat in this league. I think that the way he carries himself is different now, Calathes are the players who own the most actual game experience. and his self-confidence has really been boosted. There are going to be The lone senior on the team is seldom-used center Artur Surov, while dark times where he will feel troubles but he’s got to be able to over- junior Arvydas Lidzius returns to court after redshirting 2005-06. come those because all eyes are on him now,” said Martelli. The lack of experience doesn’t alarm Martelli, who has dealt with key Atlantic 10 All-Rookie performer Ahmad Nivins, a 6-9 sophomore, personnel changes before, seeing three players go to the NBA in the joins Ferguson in the frontcourt and is another player who showed last four years. “What you do is study the team that you have and the glimpses of his tremendous potential. Although he began his college team that you’re building. We know that we’re going to be young on the career in the starting lineup, he finished the year in a reserve role as perimeter but they’ve had remarkable high school careers, and winning Martelli deferred to senior Dave Mallon’s leadership on defense. Nivins experiences,” said Martelli of the freshman class. “But you’re also wowed the SJU fans on many occasions with his athleticism and shot- anticipating real breakthrough development by guys like Ahmad Nivins blocking prowess. He averaged 6.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 or Pat Calathes. The older guys now have to take on real leadership. blocked shots, and his continued development will be one of the keys Rob Ferguson has to be not only a different player but a different team- to the Hawks’ success. mate than he’s had to be in his first few years. And the same goes for “When you’re All-Rookie, that’s a step in the right direction. But this Artur (Surov) and Arvydas (Lidzius). I think that you look for natural is the season we look for the growth and the jump. My measuring stick development and improvement and you have a shot here of real gifted is the jump that Delonte West made. He didn’t play as much as a fresh- winning players who are man, but sophomore year he was the most improved player in the city going to have to be and the league, and first team All-League. That would be an attainable ready when the ball jump for Ahmad,” said the coach. goes up.” Sophomore Alvin Mofunanya got a significant taste of the college The newcomers game in his first year, even making two starts. The 6-8 forward has who will need to be made the commitment to increase his strength and if he hones his ready are Pennsylvania skills, should see more playing time. All-State First Team Rockwell Moody is a 6-9 forward from Bishop O’Connell High guards Darrin Govens, School in Virginia, who earned All-State honors. Moody is expected to D.J. Rivera and Garrett be able help right away on defense and with the rebounding, while fur- Williamson; Delaware’s ther developing his offensive skills. Player of the Year, A pair of international players are the upperclassmen and they will Jawan Carter; and continue to challenge for playing time. Lidzius is a hard-nosed player Virginia standout whose toughness was missed by the Hawks last season, while Surov, Rockwell Moody, who a 7-1 center, has good touch around the hoop. Walk-on Marcus all come from success- Mitchell will add depth. ful high school pro- BACKCOURT grams. “They’ve all been The Hawks have undoubtedly been a perimeter team over the past in winning circum- few years but that look could be different for at least for the early part stances, and they all of this season, as SJU will feature an untested backcourt. And in time, appreciate and love win- the backcourt should become an exciting one with a number of talent- ning. Now we have to ed young players. teach them the sacri- The most experienced guard is 6-10 junior Pat Calathes (4.8 ppg, fices they have to make 3.5 rpg), whose breakthrough became one of the bright spots in the lat- Rob Ferguson to win at this level,” said ter part of the season. A point guard by nature, his height creates 2006-07 SAINT JOSEPH’S BASKETBALL• 30 2006-07 PREVIEW matchup problems for the opponents, along with his ball-handling believe UMass is going to be a nationally-ranked team when all is said skills and ability to see over the defense. At the end of last season, and done. We’ve always created the schedule to prepare us for the Calathes showed a much-improved shooting stroke and an aggressive- Atlantic 10 and also to create memories for these players that they can ness that helped him average 10.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists talk about in years to come.” down the stretch. Martelli is confident that the hard-working junior Martelli said, “The expectations never change. I just want this team will continue his progress this season. “His growth in the back end of to be highly competitive and very well organized, which they will be, the year was due to his work in practice. Mark Bass deserves a lot of and at the end, for the players, for the coaches, and the staff, for the credit for that. He stayed with him. Pat didn’t give up on himself and he fans to be able to say that that team gave maximum effort. And this clearly had a much better picture of what we were trying to do. I think team will give maximum effort.” with this team we’ll be less reliant on his ball skills and more reliant on his running and creativity. What we need from him is growth defen- sively and continued growth and understanding,” said the head coach. The point guard duties will fall into the hands of two talented fresh- men, Jawan Carter and Darrin Govens. Carter was the 2006 Delaware Player of the Year as he led the Tatnall School to the state title. The 6-0 guard averaged 29 points and seven assists while finishing his career Preseason Notes as the state’s all-time leading scorer with 2,464 points. Govens hails from Chester High School, the same program as SJU • Phil Martelli owns the most Atlantic 10 wins among active coach- es with 114.