Conventional wisdom doesn't hold that a tiny Jesuit school on the outskirts of Philadelphia can bang with the big boys of college basketball.
Yet Saint Joseph's, the oft-overlooked university ensconced on City Line Avenue, boasting an undergraduate enrollment of just 3,850, woke up to a consensus No. 3 ranking for the third week in a row yesterday.
The message from the pollsters is clear: the Hawks are as good as advertised.
Big 5 fans have watched with bated breath as St. Joe's has ascended the top 10 as the season has unfolded. From 11-and-0, to 15-and-0 to -- gulp -- 19-and-0.
Before slipping a few decimal points last week, the Hawks were the No. 1-ranked team in the RPI -- no small feat for a team from a mid-major conference like the Atlantic 10.
There's no telling how high these Hawks can soar, as their success is without precedent. Certainly, no St. Joe's team in the program's 94-year history has posted so gaudy a winning streak. This year's Hawks are breaking individual and team records, it seems, at every turn.
But the naysayers abide, more than willing to supply a dose of tempering reality to St. Joe's enchanted season. How can they expect to hang with the big boys? Jameer Nelson may be Player of the Year and the Hawks might boast the nation's best backcourt -- but can they really go 40 minutes against a Big East or ACC superpower? Can head coach Phil Martelli's six-guard rotation compete against the vaunted corps of Duhon, Reddick, Deng, Dockery and Ewing?
Time will tell. March looms. But in the meantime, the Hawks seek to finish up an undefeated regular season -- a trick not turned since the University of Nevada-Las Vegas ran the table in 1991.
It's a fact that some people won't be sold on the Hawks until they beat a Duke or a Connecticut. And yes, when it comes to nonconference scheduling, it's true that Martelli shies away from the baptism-by-fire favored by Temple's John Chaney -- the Hawks have faced only one ranked opponent, beating then-No. 10 Gonzaga (convincingly) in the season-opening Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic.
But the strength of St. Joe's schedule -- 32nd out of 326 Division I teams -- is moot. It's not which opponents you play, as Martelli insists, but how you play against them. The Hawks have handily dispensed of all comers -- A-10 or otherwise -- winning their games by an average of 16.9 points, the fifth-best margin of victory in the nation.
The gregarious Martelli -- as Philadelphia as a Butterscotch Krimpet -- is the perfect coach for this group. His constructive candor and steadfast emphasis on the "Saint Joseph's family" have kept his Hawks grounded and relaxed as the spotlight has intensified.
And it's only getting hotter.
Because of their unblemished record, the Hawks would be a No. 1 seed if the pairings were selected today. If they can complete a perfect regular season and win the A-10 Tournament (which they should), not even the famously fickle selection committee will be able to deny the Crimson and Gray a top seeding -- the fast lane to the Final Four.
"I think people are starting to believe it," Delonte West told The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Hawks' wonderfully talented southpaw guard. "We definitely have confidence in each other and our coach has confidence in us. When a coach is confident, it starts to trickle down to the players. We're not a team that's going to come out and bang our chests. We're just going to get the job done."
The early-season rumblings have crescendoed to a fever pitch on Hawk Hill. The three major local TV stations regularly roam the campus, seeking out fan reaction. Officials at TheHawkStore.com haven't been able to keep No. 14 jerseys on the shelves. A pair of ducats for Monday night's Holy War between the Hawks and archrival Villanova were going for upwards of $600 on eBay. Seats for home games at the congested Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse have been gone for half a year.
In a strung-out city desperate for a winner -- now more than ever: in the wake of another Eagles meltdown and in the midst of a nightmarish Sixers season -- these Hawks are a sorely-needed hit.
Alas, the naysayers abide, as does their standard leading query: Are the Hawks a "real" No. 3?
Yes.
Nelson has realized the hype: he's the best player in college basketball, a little-guard-that-could whose considerable statistical impact is matched only by the intangible advantages his presence brings. West seems like Nelson's soul mate on the basketball court -- astounding is their preternatural ability to communicate on the floor with a mere glance or a nod. They're playing on another level.
Perhaps this Hawks team will shine most in March Madness, when guard play is paramount. Neither Nelson nor West tire easily, and they rarely find themselves in foul trouble. In over 120 college games, the indefatigable Nelson has fouled out exactly four times. The equally tireless West, twice.
In fact, despite Martelli's patented brand of claustrophobic pressure defense -- which has stymied good opponents and flabbergasted lesser ones -- only twice has a St. Joe's player notched five fouls all season long: Dwayne Jones against Boston University and Tyrone Barley against Xavier. Such is the fundamental discipline of the nation's third-ranked team.
Another common argument against the Hawks is their frontcourt dearth. Martelli often employs a four-guard offense, forcing a mismatch with his opponent's frontcourt. St. Joe's gives up a size advantage on the inside, but its opponents are forced to chase the Hawks all over the perimeter -- where they'll gladly trade three points for two, as they have all season.
Remember, Martelli's offense hinges on patience and adamance, on finding the open shot. And with a backcourt as dynamic as Nelson and West at the helm, it's easy to see why St. Joseph's guards have proven so adept from downtown: Barley, Pat Carroll and Chet Stachitas rarely take contested jumpers.
Even the most optimistic St. Joe's fan must concede that these Hawks are not, by any means, unbeatable -- especially given the ever-widening target on their collective back. Villanova showed that St. Joe's can be pushed around, that they won't run away with every contest. But every time the Wildcats mustered momentum and sent the Ski Lodge buzzing, the Hawks coolly responded -- often through Nelson or West.
They're not invincible, but these veteran Hawks possess the type of steely resolve and even keel inherent in champions. Simply, they never blink. Their highs are never too high, and their lows are never too low.
Only eight games -- against manageable conference opponents -- remain between the Hawks and an undefeated regular season. Martelli would be the first to tell you that a year like this comes once in a lifetime.
Consider it a gift to this town's beleaguered sports fans.
Enjoy the ride.
