You'd think everyone would know what to expect from Phil Martelli by now. After eight seasons at Saint Joseph's, people are somehow still just catching on.

Martelli is known as the funny, easygoing coach who will say almost anything. His coach's show is a must-see for Philadelphia hoopaholics. But what gets lost among the one-liners is a guy who's won 68 games since the start of the 2000-01 season. Atlantic 10 coaches and media picked Martelli's Hawks to finish fourth in the East Division last season. Then the "rebuilding" team went out and won 23 games and the division title.

Now Saint Joseph's has four starters returning, one of the best backcourts in the country and perhaps the best point guard in America in Jameer Nelson. Needless to say, everyone is picking Martelli first this time around. "We have kids who are very driven, and I like to see that," he says. "They won 23 games last year and weren't satisfied. They're happy but not satisfied. They want to do more."

The keys are Nelson and backcourt mate Delonte West, a slick lefty who puts points up in bushels. Nelson auditioned for the NBA Draft but without the guarantee of being a first-round pick, he decided to return to school. Martelli, and all Hawk fans, haven't stopped smiling.

"Jameer really studied the situation and, I think, made the right choice," Martelli says. "With another good year, he's a first-rounder for sure."

FRONTCOURT

Any marked improvement up front and Saint Joseph's will be a team that nobody wants to see in March. The Hawks thrived last year even though centers Dwayne Jones and Alex Sazanov and forward John Bryant combined to score less than 10 points in A-10 games. Martelli wanted his big men to rebound, defend and pass to Nelson and West. Sazanov graduated, but Jones and Bryant return, and Martelli is hoping for much improvement from sophomore Dave Mallon.

"Our defense started with the guys out front, but our big guys were underrated," Martelli says. "We blocked a lot of shots and didn't allow easy passes in the lane. Those guys got lost in the shuffle."

Jones averaged a team-high 6.3 rebounds as a freshman and is likely to blossom on offense this year. He's gotten even stronger in the offseason and could be a major surprise.

The addition of freshmen Robert Ferguson and Artur Surov will help up front, as well. Ferguson averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks at Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Fla., yet didn't attract recruiting attention from either the ACC or SEC. "I told his parents, 'I don't know why I'm here.' He's one of the top freshmen coming into our league," says Martelli.

Surov is a Finnish center who needs to keep his weight under 300 pounds. If he develops, the Hawks will have the perfect replacement for Sazanov.

BACKCOURT

The claim of owning the best backcourt in America could very well come true on Hawk Hill this winter. Nelson has dominated the A-10 since he arrived four years ago. He's crafty, strong, heady, and explosive -- all the things a coach wants in a star point guard. Nelson hounded opposing guards and at times willed the Hawks to victory. Martelli says Nelson and fellow guard Tyrone Barley are outstanding leaders.

"They give us tremendous leadership, and we want them to max out this year," says Martelli. "They have a chance to win more games (90) than any other players have in their four years here. They want to be playing in the postseason four straight years. Those are great goals."

The other guard key is West, a lefty shooter who raised his scoring output from 5.9 to 17.3 in his sophomore year. West not only grew as a talent but also realized what he and Nelson could accomplish if they played together.

"They are kindred spirits, really," says Martelli. "Both have that great drive to win, and that rubs off on their teammates."

The other key is sharp-shooting wing Pat Carroll, younger brother of former Notre Dame star Matt Carroll. He led the A-10 in 3-point accuracy last season at 45.0 percent.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Two years ago, Saint Joseph's followers were actually dreaming about a Final Four under the leadership of Marvin O'Connor and Bill Phillips. It didn't happen as the Hawks stumbled in the non-conference schedule and didn't even make the NCAA Tournament. A similar stumble shouldn't happen this year. These Hawks are loaded with quality guards, and as Nelson's career record (68-26) attests, he's doesn't lose very often.

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