St. Joe's starts over with young team after championship season

The makeup has drastically changed for St. Joseph's basketball team: A sophomore is considered a grizzled veteran, the projected starting lineup will have one senior, and no one is picking the Hawks to repeat as Atlantic 10 tournament champions.

Coach Phil Martelli isn't looking to rebuild, but he knows there will be growing pains for this young team, which was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament, 89-81, in overtime by eventual champion Connecticut.

Gone from that team are three players who were 1,000-point scorers: Langston Galloway, Ronald Roberts, and Halil Kanacevic. The trio brought a mental toughness and a quiet confidence, traits this group will have to develop.

"My question is, when we get knocked down - and because of the schedule, we will be knocked down - how do we get ourselves up and kind of move forward when you are so young?" said Martelli, who begins his 20th season as head coach and owns a school-record 362 wins.

Sophomore forward DeAndre' Bembry, last season's Atlantic 10 co-rookie of the year, is one of the team's leaders. He averaged 12.1 points and was named to this year's preseason all-A-10 first team, a young player with a mature game well beyond his years.

"I definitely have to be more vocal, since there were so many key seniors last year," Bembry said.

He has already started by mentoring this year's version of himself, 6-foot-6 freshman James Demery. Like Bembry, Demery has come in with high expectation, a humble attitude, and a reputation as a dogged defender.

"He guards me every day in practice and is a great defender, and he gets out and runs on the break like I do," Bembry said. "He can probably finish better than I can."

Like Bembry, Demery will be expected to be an immediate double-figure scorer. The one question with his game, like with most of the team, is his jump shot, but Demery says he's closing that gap.

"People always tell me that the key to my game is getting the jump shot," Demery said. "I can get to the rim, but it's working on that jump shot."

Martelli says Demery is even a better person than a basketball player. The coach has just one wish.

"We have to develop a mean streak in him, but that will come," Martelli said.

Running the offense will be the other returning starter, senior point guard Chris Wilson, who averaged a career-high 9.1 points along with 2.7 assists last season. "There is a lot of new energy with these young guys," Wilson said.

Bembry, Wilson, and Demery should play considerable minutes. Senior forward Papa Ndao, a three-point threat, is out for the season with an undisclosed medical condition. Ndao says he plans on playing next year.

There are several players who could be in the rotation. Junior swingman Aaron Brown, a transfer from West Virginia and a local product from Penn Wood High, is looked on as one of the veterans. He sat out last season because of NCAA transfer rules.

Brown appeared in 49 games in two seasons at West Virginia, averaging 12.1 minutes. He should have a far greater role with the Hawks.

At 6-foot-5 and 225-pounds, he may have to play in the frontcourt when the Hawks go to a small lineup.

"This year we could be stretching the floor, playing with four guards," Brown said. "I have a bigger frame, so I can play some of the low-post guys, but it will be a good offense for us."

Junior forward Isaiah Miles and sophomore forward Javon Baumann, who saw limited time last year, could be key frontcourt contributors. Redshirt freshman forward Jai Williams and freshman point guard Shavar Newkirk are among others who could be in the mix.

If the Hawks can improve their shooting, this could be a competitive team in an Atlantic 10, where Virginia Commonwealth is a solid favorite, George Washington a worthy challenger, and just about everybody else is vying for position, including the Hawks.

"We're not going to take a step to the side - that is for sure," Martelli said. "We will go at everybody. We may be overmatched at times, but at the end of the year I think I'm really going to like this group."

Last season: 24-10; 11-5 in Atlantic 10, fourth place.

Coach: Phil Martelli (362-247 in 19 seasons).

Roster

No.   Name   Pos.   Ht.   Wt.   Year   

0   Evan Maschmeyer    G   6-3   200   Sr.

1   Shavar Newkirk    G   6-0   170   Fr.

2   Aaron Brown   G   6-5   225   Jr.

3   Mike Booth   G   6-3   193   Fr.

5   Obi Romeo   F   6-10   230   Fr.

15   Isaiah Miles   F   6-7   225   Jr.

20   Brendan Casper   F   6-6   215   So.

21   Kyle Thompson   G   6-2   191   Fr.

24   Chris Wilson   G   6-3   210   Sr.

25   James Demery   F   6-6   186   Fr.

34   Javon Baumann   C   6-8   260   R-So.

40   Jai Williams   F   6-9   262   R-Fr.

43   DeAndre' Bembry   F   6-6   210   So.

Schedule

14 Fairleigh Dickinson. . . 7

17 at Drexel. . . 7

19 at Gonzaga%. . . 11

22 Vermont. . . 7

25 LIU-Brooklyn%. . . 7

27 Western Kentucky%#. . . 6

3 Temple. . . 6:30

6 at Villanova. . . 1

9 Loyola-Md.. . . 7

20 at Marist. . . 7

29 at Denver. . . 9

3 George Washington. . . 2

7 at Duquesne. . . 7

10 at Va. Commonwealth. . . 2

14 Fordham. . . 7

18 at St. Bonaventure. . . 2:30

21 Massachusetts. . . 7

24 at Penn. . . 7

27 at La Salle. . . 7

31 Davidson. . . 12:30

3 at St. Louis. . . 7:30

7 George Mason. . . 4

11 Rhode Island. . . 7

15 at Fordham. . . 2:30

19 at Dayton. . . 6

21 St. Bonaventure. . . 7

25 at Massachusetts. . . 7

28 Richmond. . . 7

4 La Salle. . . 7

7 at Rhode Island. . . 2

11-15 Atlantic 10 tournament, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Home games in bold

% – NIT Season Tip-Off

# – New York

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