Saint Joe's Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Hawks

Saint Joe’s Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Hawks

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 13: A detailed view of a Spalding basketball during a quarterfinal game between the Davidson Wildcats and La Salle Explorers in the 2015 Men's Atlantic 10 Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 13, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

1 of 4

SPOKANE, WA – MARCH 20: Lamarr Kimble #0 of the Saint Joseph’s Hawks drives against Dillon Brooks #24 and Tyler Dorsey #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the second half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Saint Joe’s Basketball made the best of 2017-2018 by finishing 4th in the A-10 despite season-ending injuries to two of their best players. What bodes for the Hawks this upcoming season?

Expectations were high for the Hawks entering last season. In their annual season preview, Sports Illustrated picked them to finish 4th in the Atlantic 10 and to finish with the same record (11-7) as the NCAA Tournament-bound St. Bonaventure Bonnies. Other pundits were optimistic as well – and for good reason. Joe’s had a deadly quartet set to take the floor in Shavar Newkirk, Lamarr Kimble, Charlie Brown, and James Demery.

Perhaps the Hawks were jinxed by all the optimistic predictions, but just as it did in 2016-2017, the injury bug once again found its way into the St. Joe’s locker room. By the end of the first game, both Charlie Brown and Lamarr Kimble would be sidelined for the entire year (Brown’s injury took place in the preseason). After taking that kind of hit, it would have been understandable for the team to become a bottom-feeder in the conference. All credit to Phil Martelli, however, as not only he keeps his team out of the basement, he got them to scratch and claw their way to a 4th place finish.

This season, the team will be sans Shavar Newkirk and James Demery, so there will undoubtedly be some growing pains as they find their new identity. There will be no shortage of talent on the roster, however, and if they can find a way to stay healthy, they may finish even higher than last season in an A10 with much more parity.

Home/Atlantic 10