Notable : This is a tough matchup for UR (5-2 A-10, 16-6), though the Hawks (2-5, 8-13) are young and down this season. SJU has quality backcourt players and is suspect inside. The Spiders' strength is their backcourt, and they also lack consistent interior scoring. . . . These are the two worst rebounding teams in the league. . . . Saint Joseph's has won seven of the past eight in the series. Richmond hasn't just lost its past four at SJU, it's been handled easily in those games. . . . This will be UR's first trip to Hagan Arena, the renovated facility that was Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. SJU is 6-3 at home. . . . The Hawks allow an average of 75.7 ppg, 13th in the 14-team league.
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Problems on road frustrate Martelli
Phil Martelli is a man of routine.
For example, the St. Joseph's coach insists that the Hawks check out of hotels following road games, which means the team bus returns to the hotel before it departs for either Philadelphia or an airport.
At times, it's an inconvenience, but that doesn't deter Martelli from adhering to the routine. His explanation: Road games are business trips, so you treat them like business trips.
This season, when St. Joe's has been forced to scratch and claw for any victory it can get, business is not good. Excluding last week's win over Penn at the Palestra, the Hawks (8-13 overall, 2-5 league) are 0-8 on the road, including an 0-4 mark in the Atlantic Ten Conference.
If the trend continues, St. Joe's will be in danger of not qualifying for the A-10 tournament, which would be a dramatic plunge for a team that has advanced to the conference title game in three of the last five seasons.
Even if the Hawks qualify for the 12-team A-10 tournament, they'll likely have to win a road game to advance to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, where the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game will be held.
In a change of the format, first-round games will be played March 9 on the campuses of teams seeded fifth through eighth. The winners go to Atlantic City for the quarterfinals on March 12.
The top four finishers in the regular season draw first-round byes.
The four remaining A-10 road games for St. Joe's are against Massachusetts, Xavier, Charlotte, and George Washington. The Hawks, who play tough Richmond tonight at Hagan Arena, will be underdogs in all of them. Somehow, they must end their road miseries. Martelli said it came down to toughness.
"I think you have to be much tougher mentally and physically to win on the road, particularly in the venues where we go in this league and against the talent that's in this league," Martelli said.
"And you need to break through that," he said. "You need to get one to know what it feels like. It's clearly the idea of 'think older, act older' when you're on the road."
The away losses to St. Bonaventure and Duquesne, both by three points, have been particularly galling to Martelli. Both games went down to the final minute, and the Hawks didn't show the toughness needed to come up with critical defensive stops.
"We don't have any one thing we do at the highest level," Martelli said. "It's like there's a dike, and you put your finger in one hole to stop the leak. Then you put your hand over another hole; your elbow over another.
"We're trying to prevent the leaks from causing the record we have."
The future. If the projections on St. Joe's three incoming freshmen are accurate, the Hawks should get a boost in scoring and athleticism.
Langston Galloway, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Baton Rouge, La., is ranked 36th at his position by Scout.com.
C.J. Aiken, a 6-9 power forward from Plymouth Whitemarsh, and Daryus Quarles, a 6-6 small forward from Paulsboro, N.J., are both ranked 30th at their respective positions.
Galloway, who attracted interest from Louisiana State, Mississippi, Texas A&M, and Baylor, is a nephew of St. Joe's assistant coach Geoff Arnold.
Grim stats. St. Joe's ranks last in the A-10 in rebounding margin at minus-8.7 and offensive rebounds with 9.6 a game, and next-to-last in scoring defense, yielding 75.7 points a game. The Hawks are 12th in shooting at 41.3 percent.
________
Problems on road frustrate Martelli
Phil Martelli is a man of routine.
For example, the St. Joseph's coach insists that the Hawks check out of hotels following road games, which means the team bus returns to the hotel before it departs for either Philadelphia or an airport.
At times, it's an inconvenience, but that doesn't deter Martelli from adhering to the routine. His explanation: Road games are business trips, so you treat them like business trips.
This season, when St. Joe's has been forced to scratch and claw for any victory it can get, business is not good. Excluding last week's win over Penn at the Palestra, the Hawks (8-13 overall, 2-5 league) are 0-8 on the road, including an 0-4 mark in the Atlantic Ten Conference.
If the trend continues, St. Joe's will be in danger of not qualifying for the A-10 tournament, which would be a dramatic plunge for a team that has advanced to the conference title game in three of the last five seasons.
Even if the Hawks qualify for the 12-team A-10 tournament, they'll likely have to win a road game to advance to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, where the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game will be held.
In a change of the format, first-round games will be played March 9 on the campuses of teams seeded fifth through eighth. The winners go to Atlantic City for the quarterfinals on March 12.
The top four finishers in the regular season draw first-round byes.
The four remaining A-10 road games for St. Joe's are against Massachusetts, Xavier, Charlotte, and George Washington. The Hawks, who play tough Richmond tonight at Hagan Arena, will be underdogs in all of them. Somehow, they must end their road miseries. Martelli said it came down to toughness.
"I think you have to be much tougher mentally and physically to win on the road, particularly in the venues where we go in this league and against the talent that's in this league," Martelli said.
"And you need to break through that," he said. "You need to get one to know what it feels like. It's clearly the idea of 'think older, act older' when you're on the road."
The away losses to St. Bonaventure and Duquesne, both by three points, have been particularly galling to Martelli. Both games went down to the final minute, and the Hawks didn't show the toughness needed to come up with critical defensive stops.
"We don't have any one thing we do at the highest level," Martelli said. "It's like there's a dike, and you put your finger in one hole to stop the leak. Then you put your hand over another hole; your elbow over another.
"We're trying to prevent the leaks from causing the record we have."
The future. If the projections on St. Joe's three incoming freshmen are accurate, the Hawks should get a boost in scoring and athleticism.
Langston Galloway, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Baton Rouge, La., is ranked 36th at his position by Scout.com.
C.J. Aiken, a 6-9 power forward from Plymouth Whitemarsh, and Daryus Quarles, a 6-6 small forward from Paulsboro, N.J., are both ranked 30th at their respective positions.
Galloway, who attracted interest from Louisiana State, Mississippi, Texas A&M, and Baylor, is a nephew of St. Joe's assistant coach Geoff Arnold.
Grim stats. St. Joe's ranks last in the A-10 in rebounding margin at minus-8.7 and offensive rebounds with 9.6 a game, and next-to-last in scoring defense, yielding 75.7 points a game. The Hawks are 12th in shooting at 41.3 percent.
