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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 19-12;
12-4 in A-10
(Tied 1st/East)
Postseason: Lost to Ball State 76-54 in first round of NIT.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Nelson 14.0
Rebs: Nelson 4.8
Assists: Nelson 6.4
FG: West 62.2%
3pt: Nelson 39.9%
FT: Nelson 76.2%
01-02 Stats:
Saint Joseph's | A-10
KEY LOSSES
Marvin O'Connor | 17.5 ppg
Na'im Crenshaw | 13.8 ppg
Bill Phillips | 11.6 ppg
Damian Reid | 9.3 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Jameer Nelson | Junior
G | Tyrone Barley | Junior
F | Delonte West | Soph
F | Dave Mallon | Fresh
C | Al. Sazonov | Senior
Player to Watch
Jameer Nelson
With O'Connor gone, look for Nelson's scoring to rise while still trying to get others involved.
DATE TO REMEMBER
The Hawks play at St. Bonaventure in a game pitting the league's best two points guards, Nelson against the Bonnies' Marques Green.
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SAINT JOSEPH'S HAWKS
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The Hawks had four players with at least 1,000 career points last season, and all four are gone. That's the bad news. The good news? They didn't take junior point guard Jameer Nelson. He'll surpass the 1,000-point mark this season, when we find out just good a scorer he is. Coach Phil Martelli will need everything he can get from a player he calls "the best point guard in America." Saint Joseph's still has some nice parts, just not nearly as many as last season, when some preseason rankings had them in the Top 10. The Hawks stumbled into the NIT, but don't blame Nelson (14.4 ppg, 6.2 apg). Also returning is 7-1 Alexandre Sazonov (three ppg, two rpg), who will get to show his wares on a full-time basis with starter Damian Reid gone. Delonte West was a highly regarded recruit last season who didn't get a starter's minutes because of the team's front-line talent. Those minutes will comes this season. Look for two freshmen to start at some point this season, perhaps right away: 6-10 Dave Mallon, who has been compared to last season's finesse/power forward, Bill Phillips, and 6-0 guard Dwayne Lee, who would give the Hawks a two-point guard offense.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Nelson, a first-team all-league pick last season, is the only player in A-10 history to lead in assists in back-to-back years -- and don't bet against him picking up his third straight assist title this season. Also, look for him to score more as he takes even more than the 140 three-pointers he attempted last season (he hit 36 percent).
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Aside from Nelson, nobody else on the roster is a proven A-10 talent, although Sazonov won't embarrass himself and West (5.9 ppg) deserves the benefit of the doubt. Mallon is said to be skilled, but at 215 pounds he will struggle against some of the league's power forwards. Is Lee ready? How about 6-1 junior Tyrone Barley (1.6 ppg)? Who knows?
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Last season, it was stunning that the Hawks didn't make it into the NCAA Tournament. This season, it will be stunning if they get in there. Making the NIT won't be easy with a non-conference schedule including Boston College, DePaul, Villanova, Penn and Gonzaga.
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