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Posted: Tuesday October 22, 2002 2:29 PM Updated: Monday October 28, 2002 1:59 PM The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
When most people see the Hawks' roster for the first time this season, they probably will notice the names that are not on it. Marvin O'Connor, Nai'im Crenshaw, Bill Phillips and Damian Reid -- who combined for more than 5,000 points and 2,200 rebounds in their college careers -- have moved on, leaving coach Phil Martelli with plenty of prep work for the upcoming season. "People talk about 'How do you replace them?'" Martelli said. "I do not think you replace them. I think the idea of replacing a player is not like 'I have a bad tire on my car and I am going to replace it.' To me, the concept I believe in is that we are building a new team. Last year's team was built; now we are building another team. We have to take these parts and put them together into a terrific finished product." And that building process excites Martelli, who spent the summer planning meetings and practices with the knowledge that everything his team goes through this season will be new to half its members.
"With everything you do, all of your senses are wide open," Martelli said. Fortunately for the Hawks, if any of them are wide open, Jameer Nelson will find them. Nelson, a 6-foot junior, is the lone returning starter on Hawk Hill and one of the best point guards in the nation. Nelson (14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.3 spg) was selected the best passer in the nation by The Sporting News last season and is the only player to lead the Atlantic 10 in assists in consecutive seasons. As good as Nelson has been on the court -- and many believe his first two seasons have been better than any point guard's in the 93-year history of the program -- his biggest contributions this season probably won't take place in games. A first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection last season, Nelson has been happy being "one of the guys" in the past, but will have to establish that this is his team. "Jameer's natural instinct of leadership is going to have to come forward," Martelli said. "For this team to realize its potential, it is going to have to be evident to everybody that Jameer is not only the best player, but the leader of the team." Which shouldn't be an issue. Nelson won Martelli over for good while playing in a district championship game for Chester (Pa.) High School. Nelson, who eventually led Chester to the state title, dominated the first half without scoring a single point. "I thought there was no question that this kid was very, very special," Martelli said. That success has carried over to college, where Nelson has earned respect throughout the nation. His statistics are not overwhelming, but his well-rounded game, which combines scoring, passing and leadership with solid defense, places him in an elite class of college point guards. "The way that he plays basketball is just different than other guys because he plays all aspects of the game," Martelli said. With graduation comes opportunity, and several players will need to take on new and bigger roles for the Hawks this season. Chief among them is 6-foot-1 junior Tyrone Barley (1.6 ppg), who spent the past two seasons behind Nelson but will be shifted back to the wing. A tenacious defender and reliable playmaker, Barley could see major minutes if he proves to be a consistent shooter. "He has unselfishly given to the team for two years as a backup point guard, and now he will have the opportunity to play his natural position," Martelli said. Sophomores Delonte West and Pat Carroll also should emerge as key players in the rotation. The 6-foot-3 West (5.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.2 apg) is the Hawks' No. 2 returning scorer who can find ways to get to the basket and finish. "He is a marvelous, explosive player and is very much in the mold of all of the great wing players who have played in this league," Martelli said. If West, who connected on just 2-of-17 3-point shots last season, improves his outside shooting, he could be one of the top surprises in the league this season. "Delonte West was one of the best freshmen in the Atlantic 10," said Martelli of the 2001 Washington Post Metro Player of the Year from Greenbelt, Md. "He just did not get the minutes that some of the other kids got. He is a guy who has proven he can score at this level." The 6-foot-5 Carroll (1.2 ppg) has a smooth, left-handed shot from long range. He can also create off the dribble, which makes him a strong complement to West. He did not see much action last season (79 total minutes), but has worked hard to prepare for his opportunity this season. "Pat Carroll is a sound player who is not going to hurt himself or the team," Martelli said. "He is only going to do what he can do, and he is going to do that at a very high level." Freshmen Dwayne Lee and Chet Stachitas also will figure into the backcourt rotation. The 6-foot Lee (12.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg) reminds some of current SJU assistant Mark Bass, with his solid defense, but he also knows how to score (51 3-point goals his senior year) and -- more important -– win. Lee was a key member of a St. Anthony's of Jersey City team that finished ranked No. 2 in the nation his senior year and No. 10 after his junior season. "He can't be better schooled," Martelli said. "He played for Bob Hurley, who is -- forget the level -- one of the best basketball coaches in America." The 6-foot-5 Stachitas (24 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 spg) earned MVP honors as he led Nease High School of St. Augustine, Fla., to the Class AAA state championship. He can run the floor and jump well and showed an improved jump shot while playing in two summer leagues in Philadelphia over the summer. "He's really taken a big step forward," Martelli said. "He's got no fear and will be in the mix on the wing and give us an upgrade athletically." Senior walk-ons Mike Farrelly and Phil Martelli Jr. will not see a lot of minutes but will play key roles on such a young team. The 6-foot-1 Farrelly (0.4 ppg) has seen action in 17 games during his two seasons with the program, and the 5-foot-10 Martelli Jr. (0.3 ppg), the coach's son, has appeared in 21 games during his previous three years on the squad. "They are as important to the team and the development of the team as Jameer is," Martelli said. The biggest questions are in the frontcourt, where only two letter winners return. At 7-foot-1, senior Alexandre Sazonov (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg) is the tallest player in the history of Saint Joseph's basketball. His performance this season may be one of the biggest keys for the Hawks. Sazonov's size provides a legitimate inside presence, but the Moscow native's health became a concern after he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot last season. Sazonov has shared minutes with Reid throughout his time at St. Joe's and has worked out with the Russian national team the past three summers. He ranks fourth in school history with 114 career blocks. Health and focus are the biggest issues for him this season. "Alex had a terrific spring," Martelli said. "He was fit, healthy and focused on the challenge at hand. The key for Alex is now. Is he going to prepare every single day to become a legitimate Atlantic 10 high-level player? That is on him. I am confident he will do it." Red-shirt freshman Dwayne Jones and junior college transfer Chris Cologer are the other centers on the roster. The 6-foot-11 Jones averaged 25.8 points, 17.8 rebounds and 6.4 blocks as a senior at American Christian Academy outside of Philadelphia. His offensive game has made strides in the last year, but defense is strength. "He's a shot-blocking dude," Martelli said. "He just goes and gets shots." Cologer, also 6-foot-11, is from Poissy, France, and spent the past two seasons at Globe Institute (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) in New York City. He is also long and lanky, but runs the floor well. John Bryant (1.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg), a 6-foot-7 sophomore, returned from a broken right foot that forced him to red-shirt the 2000-01 season and provided solid minutes as the first forward off the bench last season. Though not refined offensively, Bryant brings energy, rebounding and defense onto the floor with him. "He should be able to create a chaotic style on defense and on the glass," Martelli said. "He's got to be the guy that comes in and gives us a boost." Big things also are expected of incoming freshmen Dave Mallon and Mike Williams. Mallon, who is 6-foot-10, is a Phillips clone who is expected to step right in and contribute. Mallon, who averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and 7.3 blocks as a senior at East Aurora (N.Y.) High School, has good range on his shot and also can score inside. He will need to make a quick transition to the college game. "He's a very, very important piece because he was recruited with the intention that he is going to be a four-year starter," Martelli said. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Williams was selected the USA Today/Gatorade State Player of the Year in Rhode Island after averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as a senior at St. Raphael Academy. Williams, who helped his team to four straight state titles, is a wide body who can carve out space for himself and get to the basket. "This guy can score the basketball," Martelli said. "He has an uncanny way to score the basketball." The Hawks have enjoyed a tremendous two-year run through the Atlantic 10, compiling a 26-6 regular-season record while winning the league two years ago and tying for the division title last season. With four new starters in the lineup, that level of success will be difficult to maintain this season, but that does not mean Saint Joseph's will not be in the thick of the East Division race. As one of the top point men in the country, Nelson provides a calming influence and the ability to elevate the play of those around him. West is ready to establish himself as an upper-level player in the conference and Sazonov has the ability to be a factor inside if he avoids injury and can pull his game together. Newcomers Lee, Mallon and Williams must grow up fast, and veterans like Bryant, Barley and Carroll need to show they've built upon their past experiences. Remember, preseason predictions don't mean much. The Hawks were a consensus top-20 team at the start of last season and only made it to the NIT despite having so much talent returning. Aside from Nelson in the backcourt and Martelli on the bench, this team doesn't return many proven commodities but that doesn't mean the Hawks won't grow up and develop into a good team. They could even contend in the division and play well enough to warrant a third straight postseason berth, it will just have to happen faster than many expect. "In the Atlantic 10 East, you can just throw a blanket over everybody," Martelli said. "The separation will be the teams that can win on the road. … We understand that we are young, but that's just a label, that's not an excuse. The younger guys will have to play older than their age."
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