Pittsburgh—Does anyone remember the 2004 Saint Joseph’s team? The team that went 27-0 in the regular season and came within a single basket of making the Final Four? Surely fans who have followed the Atlantic-10 in the past decade or so have heard of them, because they were one of the finest teams the conference has seen in the past decade. Well the word on Hawk Hill is that this year’s Saint Joe’s team is the best they have seen since that remarkable ’04 group. Quite a lofty claim, and quite an unsettling rumor for the ears of opposing players and coaches.
Whether or not the Hawks (8-5) are as good as they are hyped up to be, few people can doubt that they are for real. They have size, depth, experience, and a decent amount of shooting prowess. Shooting isn’t particularly the team’s strong point, but Saint Joseph’s is a lot more forward-centric than it has been in years. Even so, guard Langston Galloway (14.7 ppg) is the Hawks’ main sharpshooter. If Duquesne should be worried about anyone gaining a hot hand, it is this man.
Duquesne has been able to win despite being undersized on multiple occasions this year. However, Saint Joe’s possesses not only size, but depth at the forward position. Marhold and Abele better show up Saturday, especially on defense. It may even pay to run a zone if man-to-man doesn’t work early on. At the forward position, the Hawks have Mr. Do-it-all Halil Kanacevic, Ronald Roberts, and the tall, lanky C.J. Aiken. All three are juniors, all three played last year, and all three are legitimate scoring threats.
It is not just the frontcourt for the Hawks that is experienced. They bring back everyone this year from a 20-win season a year ago. Their sense of purpose and respect for their opponents has shown as a reflection of the team’s overall maturity. “There’s a more seriousness of purpose and there’s a real sense of competition,” coach Phil Martelli told Sports Illustrated of his team earlier in the year.
For Duquesne to win, they are going to have to be physical inside with Aiken and the other Saint Joe’s forwards. Marhold must play sound defense, as he usually does, and Abele must not get into foul trouble early. Quevyn Winters, Jerry and Jeremiah Jones must also do their part inside. All three are likely to see some time guarding one of the Hawks’ forwards. The guards must also be responsible for closing on Langston Galloway when he has the ball and a bit of open space in front of him.
Against Fordham, Duquesne was unfortunate enough to be picked apart by an unselfish guard and two decent forwards who happened to both be having a good night. Sadly, Saint Joe’s has three forwards that are talented enough to be a threat on any given night. And if Galloway gets going, the game may get pretty ugly.
Sure, the Dukes are back in the Palumbo Center where they have only lost once this year. But Saint Joe’s has played a number of tough road games this season—they won’t be fazed by The Crew. Duquesne may make things interesting early on, perhaps even take the lead for a stretch. But as the game wears on, the superior experience and discipline of their opponent will most likely get the better of them.
Photo Credit: Duquesne Athletics
