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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Hawks ready for season's tipoff
College basketball has been a treasure in Philly for over 50 years. To play a small part is very humbling. Thanks to the Daily News for allowing the Hawks to share our perspective through this blog throughout the year.

Practice started on Oct. 18, but truth be told, the planning and scheming in my program began last April. Always assessing returning players’ strengths and weaknesses on and off the court, wondering what skills the new guys will bring, how does the A-10 stack up and how are the other teams in Philly are improving.

When school opened I knew that our older guys were carrying themselves with an air of confidence – NCAA Tournament appearance and an Atlantic 10 Tournament run along with signature wins over Xavier and Villanova – and at the same time a degree of uncertainty – why the lulls after going 15-5, what happened in letting the A-10 title slip through our grasp, how to score enough points without Rob Ferguson and Pat Calathes.

The other faction – our young guys – arrived on campus with great appreciation and respect for the opportunity they had been given. No sense of entitlement but a real sense of excitement.

The casual fan doesn’t realize the sacrifices that go with being a Division I player. Our guys get up every day in September and October to a schedule that includes early a.m. workout skill instruction, classes, study hall, tutors and pickup games. I’m very conscious to not wanting to burn them out so I closed our gym (in this year’s situation our beautiful practice facility, next year the Hagan Arena) every Wednesday and Sunday. The preparation for the opening of practice takes place with little or no fanfare but is invaluable to building our team.

Christmas Day for coaches comes early when we hear the sneakers on the hardwood, the bounce of the ball and the sound of the buzzers. Each of us wants to be seen as a teacher – the label may be “coach” but the job description screams “teacher”. The goal is not to have our players pass the class but rather to get A’s (or the occasional B). The teaching portions of our class are coming to an end. It is now time to take the tests – all of the programs in this city have prepared and are anxious.

Good luck for an injury free season!

Let the games begin!

Phil Martelli
Posted by Phil Martelli @ 2:34 PM  Permalink | File Under: St. Joes | 8 comments
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Comments
Posted by city slicker 06:02 PM, 11/13/2008
How come Martelli gets so much respect? He is OK, but not in the same class as Wright or Dunphy.
Posted by NovaCheatsintheClassroom 09:20 PM, 11/13/2008
He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has taken the Hawks to the postseason in seven of the last eight years. Guess you can't read, nOva troll.
Comment removed.
Posted by Captain Splendor 09:11 AM, 11/14/2008
Martelli>Big 5
Posted by The Cutter 01:07 PM, 11/14/2008
Martelli is a fraud. The media adores him because he comes off as a humble, loveable, "aw shucks" underdog. But keep a close eye on him anytime something goes against him. The nice guy act disappears and he becomes an angry bully.
Posted by BFlint 03:32 PM, 11/14/2008
hank, take a closer look Giannini is outperforming all of them in recruiting and will soon surpass them. Good things are happening at 20th and Olney.
Posted by TruePG 03:47 PM, 11/14/2008
I agree with Flint. No one has had a tougher hill to climb than Giannini. He has attracted top talent to a place 5 years ago looked like a black hole.
Posted by nickj 01:03 PM, 11/15/2008
You are all nuts, badmouthing 4 of the best college basketball coaches in the country. Don't let your allegiances cloud your vision. I'm a HUGE Temple fan, but know good coaches and good teams when I see them. This isn't UMass, URI, Fordham or Seton Hall, St. John's and Providence we are talking about. They stink! (C'mon thats gotta make a Big 5 fan smile!)
8 comments
About The DN's College Hoops Blog

Philly is a hoops town and Phillyhoopsinsider.com provides complete coverage of the Big 5 and Drexel with news and commentary from the people inside the game and those who cover it. Look for regular contributions from the Daily News team of college hoops reporters and from many of Philly’s coaches.

FRAN DUNPHY, Temple
He begins his third season on North Broad with nearly 350 career victories after a long tenure at Penn. The Owls won the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

BRUISER FLINT, Drexel
He begins his eighth season with the Dragons after returning to the city where he played collegiately at St. Joe’s. The Dragons have advanced to the postseason in four of the last six years and have won at least 17 games four times under Flint.

DR. JOHN GIANNINI, La Salle
He begins his fifth season at the school after successful tenures at the University of Maine and Rowan, where teams made two trips to the Division III Final Four. At LaSalle two seasons ago, he engineered an 18-win season and third-place finish in the Atlantic 10, the school’s best finish since joining the league for the 1995-96 season.

PHIL MARTELLI, Saint Joseph’s
He begins his 14th season on Hawk Hill, having won more than 250 games. He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has taken the Hawks to the postseason in seven of the last eight years.

GLEN MILLER, Penn
He begins his third season at the school after moving within the Ivy League from Brown. In his first season, he led the Quakers to an Ivy League championship and their third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.

JAY WRIGHT, Villanova
He begins his eighth season at ‘Nova, having amassed 148 wins at the school. Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance. Wright came to Villanova following his tenure at Hofstra and has 270 career victories.

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