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Knicks' Langston Galloway still a Hawk at heart

SAINT JOSEPH'S forward DeAndre' Bembry dribbles right, dribble-steps back, puts the ball on the hardwood with his left and then takes off from the edge of the key and dunks with one hand over a Fordham defender in the second half of an 82-60 victory over the Rams.

SAINT JOSEPH'S forward DeAndre' Bembry dribbles right, dribble-steps back, puts the ball on the hardwood with his left and then takes off from the edge of the key and dunks with one hand over a Fordham defender in the second half of an 82-60 victory over the Rams.

The first person on his feet was Bembry's former teammate Langston Galloway, now a point guard with the New York Knicks.

Galloway has been through a lot since he finished his four-year career at Saint Joseph's. He wasn't selected in either round of the 2014 NBA draft, but found his way onto the Knicks' summer league roster and eventually their D-League affiliate in White Plains, N.Y.

Now entrenched on the Knicks' roster, Galloway is a shining example of the new path to the NBA.

Galloway played with Bembry during his senior season when Bembry had just stepped onto campus, and the pair helped lead the Hawks to the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008. In 2014, it was Galloway's name buzzing next-level potential.

In 2016, as a junior, Bembry is garnering the same chatter.

"I think that he's been able to facilitate more," Galloway said of Bembry's development. "He's always been an all-around guy. He had about 16 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He's an all-around guy and you can tell that he's getting better as time has gone on and he's going to be an eventual pro."

Bembry has had a pro-style game since he was a high schooler playing for the Patrick School. Scouts love his ballhandling and decision-making, but still have concerns about his size and body holding up against NBA talent.

But, Galloway has a different perspective on evaluating players such as Bembry and where they project at the next level.

"I understand now that you don't really have to translate right away to being an NBA player," he said. "I think that scouts and all of the guys that look at the game, they want you to do X, Y and Z. Sometimes, you might have to stick it and do it like I did. It's definitely great to see guys like (Bembry) understand the game so early. From being a freshman to a junior now, his game has definitely transformed. And I think (Isaiah Miles) he has a really good shot now. He's playing well and I think he has a good shot."

Miles, who is averaging a team-best 17.3 points per game as a senior, has become a focal point of the Hawks' offense - at times this season, even more than Bembry. He's averaging career highs almost across the board, including a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game. The Baltimore native is also knocking down nearly 40 percent of his three-point attempts.

"Isaiah has definitely taken his game to a whole nother level," Galloway said. "I'm proud of him and it means a lot when you see guys start from freshman year just trying to find minutes and then the next thing you know he's got an added package to his game. He's knocking down threes on a consistent basis. One-dribble pull-ups . . . He's been good so far."

Galloway and the rest of the Hawks' alumni are tuned in to Phil Martelli's Hawks, who at 19-4 are on pace to have the fewest losses since the 2003-04 team that went 30-2 and advanced to the Elite Eight, where they lost to Oklahoma State.

"We're watching every game," Galloway said. "It was a tough one against St. Bonaventure, but they're going to continue to learn. They've had some bumps in the road, but they can continue to get better."