Saint Joseph returns each of its starting guards from last season. And also brings back Garrett Williamson, who served as sixth man.
Tasheed Carr, an Iowa State transfer, ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with 5.6 assists per game in his first season at St. Joes. Carr had almost exactly twice as many assists as turnovers. He also posted a team-high 47 steals and averaged 10.8 points per game.
Darrin Govens is the Hawks biggest 3-point threat. He made 68 shots from beyond the arc last season and has a career 3-point percentage of 38.3. Govens averaged 9.8 points per game last season, but he reached double-figures just once in his final nine games and shot 20 of 69 from the floor during that stretch. The Hawks need more consistency from Govens as they try to withstand the losses of Pat Calathes and Rob Ferguson, who each shot at least 40 percent from 3-point range last season.
Williamson isnt much of a scoring threat, but hes the best defender on the team and an effective ballhandler. He ranked third on the team with 2.6 assists per game last season.
The backcourt also should get a boost from the arrival of true freshman Chris Prescott, a three-star prospect who averaged 22 points, five rebounds and five assists per game last year and scored more than 1,000 career points at Northwest Catholic High in West Hartford, Conn. Prescott could crack the starting lineup immediately.
FRONTCOURT
The frontcourt has only one player with much college experience, but that guy is darned good. Ahmad Nivins earned third-team All-Atlantic 10 honors last season and ranked fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage (64.7). Nivins is the schools career leader in field-goal percentage (63.4). He led St. Josephs in blocks (39) and ranked second on the team in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (5.8) last season.
St. Joes will need somebody else to step up in the frontcourt now that Calathes and Ferguson have departed. One candidate is Idris Hilliard, a sophomore who played just 5.7 minutes per game last season. Hilliard arrived at St. Joes as a three-star prospect last year after earning all-state honors three times during his career at The Hun School in Princeton, N.J.
The lack of experience in the frontcourt also could create an opportunity for true freshman Bryant Irwin, a three-star prospect who averaged 31 points and 11 rebounds his senior year at Bridgeport (W.Va.) High School. Irwin was the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia.
OFFENSE
St. Joes runs a motion offense that helped the Hawks average 73.1 points per game last season. It will be interesting to see how the losses of Calathes and Ferguson impact the offense. Calathes and Ferguson combined for 133 of the Hawks 247 3-point baskets and 318 of their 640 attempts from beyond the arc. Will St. Josephs not shoot from the outside as often with Calathes and Ferguson gone?
DEFENSE
The Hawks rely mainly on a man-to-man defense. They allowed 67.4 points per game last season to rank in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10, but they were last in the league in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (37.0).
SHOES TO FILL
Calathes. The 6-10 Calathes created all kinds of matchup problems because he combined the size of a frontcourt player with the shooting touch and ballhandling ability of a guard. He led the Hawks in scoring (17.5), rebounding (7.5) and 3-pointers (74). Calathes unique skill set makes it impossible for one guy to replace him.
MUST STEP UP
Nivins. He already is a good player. The Hawks need him to be great. Coach Phil Martelli has said he wants Nivins to emerge as a candidate for the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award this season. Nivins attempted more than 12 shots in a game just once last season. That might have to change. He also posted at least 10 rebounds just once in his final 17 games. Martelli has mentioned that Nivins will have to become more of a force on the boards.
IMPACT NEWCOMER
Prescott. The Hawks return plenty of talent in the backcourt, but Prescott is such a promising performer that he still might work his way into the starting lineup. Prescott set a school single-season record for 3-pointers at Northwest Catholic, so he could provide some needed outside shooting now that Calathes and Ferguson are gone. Irwin also should provide some scoring punch as a true freshman.
