PHILADELPHIA (08/04/03) -- Normally the college basketball season starts in mid-October with Midnight Madness celebrations around the country to signify the official start of practice sessions. That is not the case this season for the Saint Joseph's University Hawks. This year, the season started on Hawk Hill a little earlier - June 19 to be exact. That was the day that All-America guard Jameer Nelson withdrew his name from consideration for the 2003 NBA Draft and returned to Saint Joseph's for what looms to be an incredible senior season. "I've said all along that Jameer is the best point guard in America, but he is an even better person," says Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli, who has compiled a 149-97 record in his eight seasons as the Hawks' coach. "He cares so much about his school, his teammates and our program that no one should be surprised with this decision. He is coming back to school for all the right reasons, and his legacy will be like those left by Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Lionel Simmons and David West, four-year guys with tremendous character." "It isn't about being a first-round draft pick any more. It's about being a lottery pick next year and a candidate for national player of the year. 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 Saint Joseph's." Arguably the finest point guard in the 94-year history of Hawk basketball, Nelson averaged 19.7 points and 4.7 assists per game last season while leading SJU to a 23-7 overall mark, its third straight Atlantic 10 regular-season title and a second NCAA Tournament at-large bid in three years. The Chester (Pa.) HS product finished the year with 591 points, the fifth-highest single season total in school history, and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-America selection. Nelson, who already owns the top two single season assist totals in school history, ranks second on the all-time list with 543 assists. He trails only Rap Curry, who collected 580 assists from 1990-94. Nelson also ranks 17th on SJU's all-time scoring list with 1,435 points. He needs 551 points as a senior to surpass Bernard Blunt (1990-95) as the Hawks' all-time scoring leader and 565 points to become the first 2,000-point scorer in men's basketball at Saint Joseph's. "Jameer understands there is still a lot for him to accomplish individually and that he can help take the program places it's never been," states the two-time District Coach of the Year. "There is nothing about this kid that isn't worthy of admiration. He is a special, special player and person." A consummate team player, Nelson's goals are to lead Saint Joseph's to its fourth straight A-10 regular season title, a third NCAA appearance in his four seasons at the school and finally to eclipse the record for wins over a four-year period. Classmate Tyrone Barley, the Hawks' only other fourth-year performer, have teamed up to lead SJU to a three-year mark of 68-26. SJU needs 23 wins this season to eclipse the 1981-82 senior class of Mark Dearborn, Bill Healy and Bryan Warrick, which posted a 90-33 record. That trio is also part of the last class to lead the Hawks to four consecutive postseason appearances, another feat that Barley and Nelson will be trying to match. Barley, a 6-1 guard, is the leader of the Hawk defense that held opponents to a nation's best and school-record 37.2 percent from the field and ranked seventh in scoring defense (59.5 ppg.). The team's sixth man for most of last season, Barley will most likely remain in that role with Nelson's return. Despite coming off the bench, he ranked fourth on team in scoring (6.0 ppg.) and minutes per game (24.4 mpg.). When called upon to start, he averaged 9.9 points and 2.7 assists per game, tallying double figures in three of his seven starts. Junior Delonte West will again team with Nelson, giving Saint Joseph's arguably the best backcourt in the nation. The duo combined to average for 37 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game last year. The 6-4 guard exploded onto the scene last season after averaging just 5.9 points per game as a rookie (2001-02) to give the Hawks another viable offensive weapon. Prior to suffering a stress fracture of the right fibula, West was the Hawks' leading scorer (19.2 ppg.) and the A-10's scoring leader in conference games only (23.1 ppg.). A slasher who also can drain it from long-range (55-147, .374), West is one of the toughest players to defend in the conference. A first team all-conference and all-district selection despite his limited playing time down the stretch, West finished the season second to Nelson in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and third in rebounding (4.3 rpg.). One of the sweetest shooters ever to lace them up on Hawk Hill, junior Pat Carroll is another player that blossomed after limited playing time as a freshman. Carroll, a 6-5 small forward, led the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting, draining 76-of-169 from behind the line (.450). One of only two players to start all 30 games, the southpaw sharpshooter proved to be the ultimate zone-breaker. He finished his second season third on the team in scoring with an 11.5 average. That was an improvement of 10.3 points per game from his freshman season (1.2 ppg.), and the second largest jump in the A-10 next to West (+11.4), the conference's Most Improved Player. Sophomores Dwayne Lee and Chet Stachitas, both of whom saw significant minutes in the Hawks' 10-man rotation last year, are also back. Lee (1.3 ppg.), a gifted ball-handler, played in all 30 games as a freshman, spelling Nelson for spurts during each half. The 6-0 point guard dished 18 assists while turning the ball over a mere 17 times. A swingman, Stachitas averaged 10.5 minutes while playing all 30 games, mostly at the "three" slot. He dished 27 assists against just 14 turnovers, for a team-best 1.8 assist-t-turnover ratio. The only starter not returning from Saint Joseph's magical season of a year ago is 7-1 center Alexandre Sazonov. The tallest player to don a SJU uniform, Sazonov will not easily be replaced, but Martelli and his staff will look to another developing player, 6-11 sophomore Dwayne Jones, to fill the role of starting center. As a red-shirt freshman, Jones made an immediate impact last year, leading the Hawks in rebounding (6.2 rpg.) and the A-10 in blocked shots (2.0 bpg.) despite playing just 21 minutes per game. Not known for his scoring (4.2 ppg.), although he did tally a season-high 11 points (8 rebounds) in a win at George Washington, Jones became a rebound machine for SJU down the stretch. In the Hawks' final seven games, he pulled down double figures four times, including a season high 14 against La Salle. Jones will be joined on the inside by 6-7 junior John Bryant and 6-10 sophomore Dave Mallon. A high-energy player, Bryant came off the bench to average 3.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while playing 21 minutes per contest last season. A starter last season, Martelli is hopeful that after a year of seasoning, Mallon (1.6 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) will blossom as a sophomore, a la Carroll and West. Also returning to help bolster the Hawks' inside game is 6-5 freshman forward Mike Williams. The 2002 Rhode Island Player of the Year is hopeful to make his debut after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him the entire 2002-03 season. Robert Ferguson, a 6-8 power forward, leads a trio of incoming freshman. Ferguson averaged 25.0 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks per game and capped a remarkable senior year at Mariner High (Cape Coral, Fla.) by garnering Florida Class 5A Player of the Year honors. A 7-0, 285-pound center, Artur Surov, who was born in Estonia but has lived in Helsinki since he was six-years-old, averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds to help lead Memorial Day School (Ga.) to the state championship game. Arvydas Lidzius, a 6-9 forward out of Montrose Christian School (Md.), averaged eight points and four rebounds off the bench for the Metro DC area powerhouse that posted a 20-1 record this season. Rounding out the 2003-04 squad are senior walk-ons, Robert Hartshorn, a 6-3 guard, and Brian Jesiolowski, a 6-7 forward. The Hawks will again take on a challenging non-conference schedule that includes trips to Boston University, Old Dominion, Delaware and Villanova as well as Fieldhouse games with Fairfield, San Francisco and Pacific, and Palestra clashes against Boston College Penn (Philly Classic) and Drexel. The highly competitive Atlantic 10 Conference, which last year sent six teams to postseason play for the second straight season, will be as demanding as ever. This season again features Saint Joseph's facing East Division rivals Fordham, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure and Temple twice each. The Hawks will host West Division rivals Dayton, George Washington and La Salle while also traveling to Duquesne, Richmond and Xavier.