Sometimes, when nobody else is around, Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli allows himself to think about last year’s magical college basketball season.
“At times, when I’m driving alone, I shake my head. That was pretty amazing,” Martelli said.
His Hawks of the Atlantic 10 Conference became the first team since the 1990-91 Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin Rebels to win every regular-season game, becoming the nation’s darlings in the process.
“I am proud. I was honored to be part of it,” added Martelli, whose 27-0 team fell to Xavier in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament and to Oklahoma State in the NCAA Regional finals, finishing 30-2.
“To go out every night, home and away, when the tension built and not be affected by it … it was not one guy, but 15 had to do what they did to win,” Martelli said.
The two guys who received most of the accolades — guards Jameer Nelson and Delonte West — now are in the NBA with Orlando and Boston.
The guards, who averaged 20.6 and 18.9 points a game, won’t be on hand Tuesday when St. Joe’s (0-0) tangles with KU (1-0) in the 9 p.m. game at Allen Fieldhouse. Also missing will be defensive specialist Tyrone Barley, who graduated.
“The nature of college basketball, if you are fortunate, you have a great one for four years. We had him four years,” Martelli, the national coach of the year said of Nelson, the national player of the year. “He was our security blanket. The security blanket is gone now. We’ve moved on.
“It is what it is. We knew last June when Delonte kept his name in the draft, this is our team. They prepared for it. They have a strong work ethic. They have won and will continue to win.”
Taking over at the point guard position is junior Dwayne Lee, a two-year backup to Nelson, who averaged two points and an assist in 30 games a year ago.
“He must be Dwayne Lee and not Jameer Nelson,” Martelli said.
Swingman Pat Carroll is the team’s only returning double digit scorer (10.1 ppg). The 6-foot-5 senior has been out because of a dislocated shoulder, however, and is expected to miss Tuesday’s game.
The team’s other marquee players include 6-11 junior center Dwayne Jones (6.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and 6-7 senior forward John Bryant (3.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The squad also has an outside shooting ace in 6-5 junior guard Chet Stachitas plus 6-1 freshman guard Abdulai Jailoh. Two newcomers from Florida — 6-8 red-shirt freshman Rob Ferguson and 6-10 Pat Calathes — also are expected to help.
“We’ll have to have everybody doing what they have to do,” Martelli said. “We have a number of good players, but don’t have a star. Jones is improved. Pat Carroll is one of the best shooters around. We need them all to do a little.”
Saint Joe’s was picked to win the East Division of the A-10.
“I have no problem with it,” Martelli said of being picked high. “Recognition to me is welcome. It’s not anything we should wring our hands over. I’d rather people be talking about us than not.”
Talking about this year.
“I’ve not at any time said, ‘Last year’s team would have done this or that,'” he said of talks with his Hawks. “To say last year on Nov. 9 we were doing this or that doesn’t help anybody.”
Martelli, who is starting his 10th year at Saint Joe’s, does not coach or schedule trying to further his career. He’s not auditioning for other jobs, happy at the Philadelphia Jesuit school.
“I have no desire to be anywhere else,” Martelli said, often comparing his underdog program to Gonzaga. “It’s the right place for me. I enjoy helping bring success to the school.”
He’s done that already. Last year’s perfect season was well documented nationally in newspapers and on television.
“The way I see it,” media-favorite Martelli quipped, “is we lost our last game last year and the fans loved us all offseason. If we lose (to Kansas), all they’ll talk about is we are on a two-game losing streak.”
‘Hawks Hoops Forecaster