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Head Coach Phil Martelli's A-10 team just defeated St. Mary's of the WCC and will be looking for a sweep of the WCC when they take on the Zags at 3:00pm Saturday. Gone are Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Pat Carroll and Dwayne Jones. But typical of the Philadelphia school, more great players, especially guards, are on the rise and Gonzaga will need to play superb outside-inside defense to stop the Hawks. With a marquee win over Kansas, plus solid wins over Drexel and St. Mary's, with a near-miss against Ohio State, this squad will test Gonzaga.
Chet Stachitas is a sharpshooting guard in the mold of Pat Carroll. Chet is hitting at a 50% clip with most of those from beyond the arc for a 16 ppg average. If the Zags' defense loses track of him, or does not get up in his grill, Stachitas will make them pay. Just a terrific shooter with a high basketball IQ.
Dwayne Lee is the heart and soul of St. Joe's, a heady guard who is averaging over 12 points and plays vintage tough Martelli defense. Lee is the playmaker on this time, but there is one more.
Abdulai Jalloh is another guard who creates havoc with opposing defenses. He averages over 15 ppg and knows how to get to the hoop and finish strong and drawing fouls. Like Dwayne Lee, Jalloh is quite an athlete.
Rob Ferguson, Ahmad Nivins and Dave Mallon are the best frontcourt players the Hawks have, and they can all be factors inside as well as stepping out for the occasional three. With the guards playing well, the forwards get room to make plays.
All three frontcourt players average over 7 ppg, any of them able to score double-digits.
But St. Joe's has always been about guards and strong guard play. This is what the Zags must put a damper on the most. 3-point shooting, driving to the hoop, and driving and kicking out. GU's defense had better be prepared.
On offense, Adam Morrison will need help inside with J.P. Batista and get help outside from Zag guards. Morrison can do a lot, but he can't do it all against a very well coached team like St. Joe's. The Hawks are now used to the Pacific Time Zone and will be ready. Meanwhile, Gonzaga will continue its search for balance and a 10-3 pre-conference record.