Lofty expectations not new for Hawks' Martelli

Phil Martelli knows that seasons with this much promise don't come along often.

The gregarious coach of the No. 12 Saint Joseph's Hawks has been around basketball long enough to know that a player like Jameer Nelson is similarly uncommon.

This season - Martelli's ninth on City Line Avenue - has been cause for optimism among the Hawks faithful, who have watched the team sprint out to a 3-0 start. Four starters have returned from last year's team that finished 23-7 and secured the school's third consecutive Atlantic 10 regular season title.

St. Joseph's has enjoyed their share of national success during the Martelli era.

In 1997, the coach's second season at the helm, Rashid Bey and Arthur "Yah" Davis led the Hawks to Martelli's only Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship and, ultimately, to the Sweet 16.

Then, in 2001, the Hawks again made waves in the Big Dance by going the distance with No. 1-seeded Stanford in a memorable second-round tilt. The Hawks fell in overtime, 90-83, but proved their mettle before a national audience.

St. Joseph's lived up to its lofty preseason ranking (No. 17) at the Coaches Versus Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden in besting then-No. 10 Gonzaga, 73-66. The Hawks have since taken road games at Boston University and Old Dominion.

Following tonight's home opener against San Francisco, Martelli's team will have several days off before opening their Big 5 City Series title defense Saturday at the Palestra against the Quakers.

The Hawks have not lost a Big 5 contest since Mar. 3, 2002, when they bowed to Temple, 87-84, in a double-overtime thriller at the Palestra.

They went undefeated in Big 5 play last season to win the City Series for the first time since 1980 and are favored to repeat this year.

None of the four returning starters are as critically important as the preseason All-American Nelson, who withdrew his name from consideration for the 2003 NBA Draft to return to Hawk Hill for his senior season.

"It means we have a great player," Martelli said. "We have the best player at his position in America."

Coach would know. He's watched Nelson develop into an NBA-caliber talent since his days at Chester High School.

Four years ago, basketball headlines were dominated by New York's much-ballyhooed "Holy Trinity" - guards Andre Barrett, Omar Cook and Taliek Brown. Despite leading Chester to a Pennsylvania state title in 2000, Nelson was ranked the 60th-best senior in the nation by Hoop Scoop, and had slipped under the radar of many national basketball powers. Still, Martelli actively recruited him.

While many of the players once ranked above him have wallowed in basketball limbo -- college obscurity, the NBDL and overseas ball -- Nelson has steadily improved over his four years under Martelli's tutelage. Today, he's a trendy pick for the Wooden award, given to the nation's best player.

"It isn't about being a first-round draft pick any more. It's about being a lottery pick for next year and a candidate for National Player of the Year," Martelli said. "Jameer will break every record that we have, he's a first team All-American and he'll be revered as long as they play basketball at St. Joseph's."

Martelli is confident that this year's squad can exceed the achievements set by the beloved 1997 and 2001 teams.

"[Nelson] can help take this program places it's never been," Martelli said.

For Penn coach Fran Dunphy, Martelli reserved high praise.

"I think that Fran is one of the nicest people in coaching today," Martelli said. "I'm really thrilled to be able to call him my friend -- not just a colleague, or somebody I compete against. He's a special guy who's done an incredible amount of work for Penn, Penn basketball, the Big 5 and the community as a whole."

"He really epitomizes what a coach should be."

In October, Martelli -- who is 149-67 as the Hawks' coach -- signed a contract extension through the 2009-10 season.

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