Entering the 2022-23 college basketball season, the St. Joe’s Hawks are looking to improve upon their 11-19 campaign last year. The Hawks were picked 12th out of 14 teams in the A-10 Preseason Media Poll. They return some talented players, including 2021-22 All Atlantic 10 Rookie Team member sophomore Erik Reynolds II. The Hawks will play 12 non-conference games this year, seeing both familiar foes and new opponents.
The first part of this schedule breakdown will predict the first six games against known opponents, seeing as the Hawks do not yet know whether they will meet University of Alabama-Birmingham or University of South Florida in the second game of the Sunshine Slam tournament. With that being said, it is time to take a look at the first half of the Hawks’ 2022-23 non-conference slate.
#3 University of Houston – Nov. 11 6:00 p.m. @ Annapolis, M.D. (Veterans Classic)
The Hawks kick off their regular season in the Veterans Classic against the highly touted University of Houston Cougars. The Cougars return guards Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead while bringing in talented freshmen in guard Terrance Arceneaux and forward Jarace Walker. St. Joe’s will struggle to keep up with a Cougar team that is a national championship favorite entering this season.
Prediction: Houston
Lafayette College – Nov. 14 7:00 p.m. @ Hagan Arena
The Lafayette Leopards went 10-20 last season and lost their top two scorers from last year over the offseason. St. Joe’s and Lafayette were very similar teams on offense last season, scoring 67.6 and 67.8 points per game respectively and shot 42.1% and 43.3% from the field. The Hawks have a lot more talent returning than the Leopards, so the talent gap between these two teams, offensively, is bigger. St. Joe’s is a better team defensively and should be able to stifle a young Lafayette squad to win their first game of the season.
Prediction: St. Joe’s
University of Albany – Nov. 17 7:00 p.m. @ Hagan Arena
The Great Danes of Albany finished 13-18 last season and were one of the worst offensive teams in the country. They scored just 61.8 points per game and shot just 41 percent from the field. They lost their top five scorers from a season ago, so things may get worse before they get better on offense for the Great Danes. Former Hawk Ryan Daly ’21 is an assistant coach on the Albany staff. St. Joe’s should be able to contain the Albany offense en route to their second win of the season.
Prediction: St. Joe’s
University of Georgia – Nov. 21 8:30 p.m. @ Daytona Beach, F.L. (Sunshine Slam)
The Georgia Bulldogs enter this season coming off their worst season in school history. They finished 6-26 and fired Head Coach Tom Crean at the end of the season. Nine players from Georgia’s 2021-22 team transferred from the program. The Bulldogs brought in six transfers to take their place, as well as four-star forward KyeRon Lindsay. Although things may be in disarray in Athens, Georgia is still an SEC program that should be able to handle the Hawks in what could be a surprisingly competitive game on a neutral floor.
Prediction: Georgia
University of Pennsylvania – Nov. 30 8:30 p.m. @ The Palestra
Penn and St. Joe’s are pretty evenly matched squads entering the 2022-23 season. The Quakers return their top four scorers from 2021-22, including guard Jordan Dingle, who averaged 20.9 points per game. The two teams met last year in a game that the Hawks won 78-71. This game could really go either way, but having the home floor advantage at the Palestra gives Penn the advantage in this game, bringing St. Joe’s to 2-3 on the year.
Prediction: Penn
Fairleigh Dickinson University – Dec. 3 1:00 p.m. @ Hagan Arena
The Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson are coming off a season that saw them finish with a dismal 4-22 record, one of which came via a Mount St. Mary’s University forfeit. The Knights were a young team last year, and things might not get much better for them in 2022-23. Fairleigh Dickinson doesn’t return any of its top five scorers and will start their rebuild under new Head Coach Tobin Anderson. The Hawks should be able to handle the Knights with ease to climb back to .500 after six games.
Prediction: St. Joe’s
