NEW YORK - As St. Joseph's prepares for tonight's NIT championship game against South Carolina at Madison Square Garden, the question has to be asked.
Has Hawks head coach Phil Martelli done a better job with this season's group of overachievers - as some are calling the Hawks - or with last year's storied team that had two future NBA players?
With first-round draft picks Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, the St. Joe's of last season went 30-2 with an undefeated regular season and was a three-point shot shy of the NCAA Final Four.
The program garnered unprecedented national attention and acclaim, with the national player of the year (Nelson) coached by the national coach of the year.
"People didn't listen correctly when they heard the awards last year," Martelli said yesterday at the Marriott Marquis. "I wasn't the coach of the year last year, I was the coach of Jameer."
This year's rotation, with nary an NBA-caliber player - save maybe sharpshooting senior Pat Carroll, who could slide onto a pro roster - has gelled into a cohesive bunch since being 3-6 on Jan. 1.
The Hawks are 21-5 in 2005 and are one win away from gaining what they did not win at any time last year - a title. And people are noticing.
"I don't know if there's a coach in the country that's more connected to his team, or his team connected to the coach, than St. Joe's," said South Carolina head coach Dave Odom. "He's got the pulse of his team."
For someone who has had his fair share of success in the NIT - his teams are 15-3 in the tourney - Odom wasn't suggesting that an NIT championship will earn you coaching hallelujahs, but said that shouldn't lessen the feat.
"There's not a coach in the country that aspires to have his legacy as, 'He was a great NIT coach,' " said Odom, who won an NIT title with Wake Forest and took the Gamecocks to the final in 2002. "But... I'm not ashamed of that."
Martelli echoed Odom's sentiment. He also acknowledged the differences in not only his coaching acumen the last two years but the circumstances of both squads.
"It's a different experience because last year you knew that you were in the middle of something really unique," said Martelli. "In this situation, people have to stop and pause and realize how unique what these players have done is."
In their five NIT victories, the Hawks have held their opponents to 52.6 points per game and for the most part have dictated the pace of play.
"To be quite honest with you, there are a dozen or more teams that I'd prefer playing to St. Joe's," said Odom. "Their defense is the most underrated element of their game. It's not complicated, it's just effective."
The Hawks have been successful during their winning streak of getting ahead early and then controlling the game's tempo by working the shot clock and keeping foes from offensive flurries.
"My decision is: Do we go out and force a tempo that is more favorable to us or do we settle in?" Odom said.
The Gamecocks feature 6-foot-7 senior Carlos Powell, an explosive forward who averages 16.4 points a game on 54 percent shooting from the floor.
Odom is apt to throw a variety of presses at teams, and said he planned on doing so against St. Joe's, but not when the Hawks are ahead and would welcome it most.
Win or lose, both coaches conceded that they'd rather win an NIT crown than lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. And all that means is that you're one of only two teams that end the season with a win, and isn't that the point?
"When I look in the mirror, I can say I put this team in the best position to be successful," Martelli said. "And the players have responded to that."
Has Hawks head coach Phil Martelli done a better job with this season's group of overachievers - as some are calling the Hawks - or with last year's storied team that had two future NBA players?
With first-round draft picks Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, the St. Joe's of last season went 30-2 with an undefeated regular season and was a three-point shot shy of the NCAA Final Four.
The program garnered unprecedented national attention and acclaim, with the national player of the year (Nelson) coached by the national coach of the year.
"People didn't listen correctly when they heard the awards last year," Martelli said yesterday at the Marriott Marquis. "I wasn't the coach of the year last year, I was the coach of Jameer."
This year's rotation, with nary an NBA-caliber player - save maybe sharpshooting senior Pat Carroll, who could slide onto a pro roster - has gelled into a cohesive bunch since being 3-6 on Jan. 1.
The Hawks are 21-5 in 2005 and are one win away from gaining what they did not win at any time last year - a title. And people are noticing.
"I don't know if there's a coach in the country that's more connected to his team, or his team connected to the coach, than St. Joe's," said South Carolina head coach Dave Odom. "He's got the pulse of his team."
For someone who has had his fair share of success in the NIT - his teams are 15-3 in the tourney - Odom wasn't suggesting that an NIT championship will earn you coaching hallelujahs, but said that shouldn't lessen the feat.
"There's not a coach in the country that aspires to have his legacy as, 'He was a great NIT coach,' " said Odom, who won an NIT title with Wake Forest and took the Gamecocks to the final in 2002. "But... I'm not ashamed of that."
Martelli echoed Odom's sentiment. He also acknowledged the differences in not only his coaching acumen the last two years but the circumstances of both squads.
"It's a different experience because last year you knew that you were in the middle of something really unique," said Martelli. "In this situation, people have to stop and pause and realize how unique what these players have done is."
In their five NIT victories, the Hawks have held their opponents to 52.6 points per game and for the most part have dictated the pace of play.
"To be quite honest with you, there are a dozen or more teams that I'd prefer playing to St. Joe's," said Odom. "Their defense is the most underrated element of their game. It's not complicated, it's just effective."
The Hawks have been successful during their winning streak of getting ahead early and then controlling the game's tempo by working the shot clock and keeping foes from offensive flurries.
"My decision is: Do we go out and force a tempo that is more favorable to us or do we settle in?" Odom said.
The Gamecocks feature 6-foot-7 senior Carlos Powell, an explosive forward who averages 16.4 points a game on 54 percent shooting from the floor.
Odom is apt to throw a variety of presses at teams, and said he planned on doing so against St. Joe's, but not when the Hawks are ahead and would welcome it most.
Win or lose, both coaches conceded that they'd rather win an NIT crown than lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. And all that means is that you're one of only two teams that end the season with a win, and isn't that the point?
"When I look in the mirror, I can say I put this team in the best position to be successful," Martelli said. "And the players have responded to that."
