We continue our recruit and return series with the Saint Joseph's Hawks, whose season ended Sunday with a loss to Oregon in the second round. A look at what the 2016-17 season could hold:
Possible 2016-17 starting five (statistics reflect regular-season average)
G: Shavar Newkirk (8.3 PPG, 2.7 APG)
G: Lamarr Kimble (6.1 PPG, 2.4 APG)
F: James Demery (8.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG)
F: Pierfrancesco Oliva (4.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
C: Markell Lodge (0.8 PPG)
Who is lost: The Hawks graduate a pair of starters in Aaron Brown and Isaiah Miles, along with another big man off the bench in Papa Ndao, but the biggest question at Saint Joseph's right now is the status of DeAndre' Bembry. The 6-foot-6 swingman has progressed from the Atlantic 10 co-rookie of the year as a freshman to a first team all-conference selection as a sophomore and A-10 player of the year as a junior. NBA scouts have been monitoring his progress the entire time and so, at minimum, he's expected to test the process this offseason. It's not a foregone conclusion that he'll be taken in the first round, and so he could elect to return for his senior campaign, but if he decides he already has done all there is to do at Saint Joseph's, the Hawks will have a considerable hole to fill. Even if Bembry stays, Brown and Miles won't be easily replaced. It's actually Miles, not Bembry, who led the team in both scoring and rebounding during the regular season, earning second-team all-Atlantic 10 honors in the process and being named the conference's most improved player. Brown has provided a powerful guard for the last two years following his transfer from West Virginia, and even Ndao has had value providing a big body off the bench.
Who is added: The Hawks signed two players in November's early signing period in Charlie Brown and Gerald Blount. Brown is a local Philadelphia native and classic late bloomer. He made huge strides in his senior year of high school and is currently in the midst of a post-graduate year at St. Thomas More School in Connecticut. He owns good size and length on the wing, is a good 3-point shooter and is still only scratching the surface of his potential. Blount is a throwback-style 4-man who provides toughness, mobility and a college-ready body. He might never be a high-level scorer in the Atlantic 10, but he's ideally suited to develop into a quality role player because he's going to be valuable defensively and on the glass and can play a complementary role offensively.
What it means for next season: There are undeniably wholesale changes on the horizon for Saint Joseph's, and so next season could be a rebuilding year of sorts, but there is already plenty of young talent on the horizon and so more bright days aren't far away. Oliva was arguably the most pleasant surprise of this year's freshman class and earned a starting spot, and Kimble played major minutes off the bench this season backing up Newkirk. Don't be surprised if coach Phil Martelli elects to pair those two point guards next season, although Chris Clover is yet another freshman the staff is high on and will undoubtedly see increased time next season as a sophomore. Demery is likely to be the team's leading returning scorer and he'll be asked to take on a bigger, and more consistent, role next year as a junior. The biggest question is who emerges in the 5 spot. Javon Baumann, who started last season as a sophomore but saw a reduced role as a junior, is a serviceable option, and Lodge has a chance to have a breakout sophomore year because of his high-level athleticism.
Trending: Down. Saint Joe's magical season is the type that comes from having a veteran lineup built around the best player in the league. Consequently, there were talented youngsters learning valuable lessons but not necessarily playing lots of minutes. Look for next year's sophomore class to emerge but the collective team to take a step back and build toward another run. The caveat, of course, is if Bembry elects to return and assert himself not just as the best player in the Atlantic 10, but potentially a top national player in the country. Such a decision would bridge the gap perfectly for the Hawks and have them right back in contention for another trip to the NCAA tournament.