The top-seeded Saint Joseph's Hawks (29-1) may feel as if they're peering into a mirror when they tip it off against No. 4 Wake Forest (21-9) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament Thursday night at Continental Airlines Arena.

In addition to styles of play, the similarities extend to personnel. Wake Forest's Chris Paul has been compared to the Hawks' Jameer Nelson; both are point guards with the ability to completely take over a game. SJU's Delonte West and the Demon Deacons' Justin Gray provide considerable offensive firepower from the shooting guard position. And the coaches, Saint Joseph's Phil Martelli and Wake's Skip Prosser, himself a former Atlantic 10 head man, are friends who cannot say enough good things about each other's team.

"The more tape you watch of them, the more it becomes readily apparent why they have the record they have," Prosser said at Wednesday's media session. "We're hopeful to remain competitive throughout the game. They are a very, very talented team and extremely well coached."

"This is going to be a terrific matchup, and not just because of Paul and Jameer or Gray and Delonte," Martelli offered. "I really like the values that Wake plays with. They're willing to take the three and they open the floor up. Skip Prosser is a good friend of mine and a terrific basketball coach."

Opinions about what will make the difference were plentiful -- and divergent.

"If you turn the ball over against them, its basically going to lead to two points," Hawks sixth man Tyrone Barley said. "They like to get out in transition. They're quick hitters. We have to limit our turnovers and get back in transition."

"We definitely have to start strong defensively," said junior swingman Pat Carroll. "We're going to have to stop their transition and concentrate on not letting their guards penetrate. They're very good. Chris Paul is good, and they have good shooters, and Paul can penetrate. They're a very good team."

Junior guard Delonte West talked of the need to deny the passing lanes and "bring your A game" and added: "The game's going to come down to the little plays, who's willing to get on the fllor, who's going to dive on the floor for loose balls, go the extra mile for their team."

If the Hawks have any obvious advantage, it is their experience. Nelson and Barley are seniors playing in their third NCAA tourney; the Demon Deacons have no scholarship seniors on their roster, and Paul, for all of his gifts and achievements, is a freshman.

"On-the-court experience is big for us because we are a mature team," Nelson said. "The previous games, we've been able to use our minds a little more instead of our ability to play basketball."

Neither coach, though, anticipated that experience playing a large role in the game's outcome.

"St. Joseph's has a senior leader in Jameer Nelson and a strong junior in Delonte West," Prosser conceded. "The experience edge does not lie with us, but our guys have faced that on many occasions this year."

"I'm hoping that experience and a little bit of size pays off," said Martelli, referring to Nelson's edge over Paul in those areas. "But you can't make it just about the two of them. We all have to guard Paul, and they all have to guard Jameer. The key will be who gets in the lane the most. He'll make his teammates more effective."

Several Hawks said they looked forward to playing at a venue so close to Philadelphia. The presence of so many Saint Joseph's fans should ensure a fun, raucous atmosphere -- something SJU has reveled in all season long. Barley, Nelson, and West also spoke of the campus's intimate, family feel as a factor that has helped to make the season so enjoyable.

"We have a great group of guys at Saint Joseph's," West said. "They've made coming to practice each and every day fun. I've definitely enjoyed every moment of it, and I don't think my teammates could complain, either."

"I came back for my senior year, and the reason I came back is to have fun with these guys and my coaches," Nelson added. "They're having just as much fun as we are."

Both teams will be making their first Sweet 16 appearance in a while. Saint Joseph's last played in the regionals in 1997; Wake's last appearance was in 1996.

CBS will televise the game, whose approximate tip time is 9:57 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WPEN/950-AM and at http://www.sjuhawks.com.