The St. Joe’s men’s basketball season thus far has not been what fans have expected at all. At 10-12 overall and 3-6 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Hawks are 11th in the conference standings, failing to reach the ESPN preseason expectation of finishing within the top four. Could this week be a changing of the tide for the Hawks?
With a primetime home matchup against Saint Louis University on Feb. 12, this week is an important one.
St. Joe’s game against the Billikens on ESPN2 presents an opportunity for the Hawks to get a big win this week, and more importantly, get themselves back into the race for the A-10 title.
The Hawks are a different team from when they met St. Louis on Jan. 18.. Redshirt senior forward Markell Lodge and Redshirt sophomore forward Lorenzo Edwards are now in the starting lineup with sophomore forward Taylor Funk coming off the bench.
Losing to the Billikens in their previous matchup was a hiccup for the Hawks. Redshirt sophomore forward Charlie Brown Jr. was held to just nine points. That loss on Jan. 18 is sandwiched between wins against first-place Davidson University and 10th-place Richmond University.
In order for the Hawks to have success, Brown and freshman guard Jared Bynum need to have big offensive nights. Brown is the second highest scorer in the A-10 this season. Bynum has been raved for his assist to turnover ratio as being on of the best in the country. Friday’s game is the time for each to show they can perform in the lights of primetime.
On the other end of the court, Lodge and Edwards must have success rebounding and play strong defense on the low-block. The Billikens have strong low-post players that have bullied the Hawks over the past two season. For the Hawks to win, Lodge and Edwards will need to play their best basketball of the season.
A primetime win against the Billikens is meaningful in two ways. It would be a win over the sixth seed in the A-10 and a nationally-televised victory that will bring attention to a team that has been inconsistent. The Hawk fanbase needs a big-time win to remain confident and hopeful in this season.
Friday will prove one of two theories about this year’s Hawks correct: the tide is beginning to rise towards a victorious season or the season is at a low tide that cannot be overcome.
