SAN ANTONIO (4/1/04) - Saint Joseph's Phil Martelli and Jameer Nelson received the Adolph Rupp Awards, given by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the nation's Coach of the Year and Player of the Year. Martelli and Nelson received their awards at the organization's annual reception held at the NCAA Final Four.

Martelli was the inaugural recipient of the Rupp Cup, awarded to the top college basketball coach in NCAA Men's Division I. Nelson receives the Rupp Award, which is given to the best men's Division I college player. This award had been given to the player named as the Associated Press Player of the Year, but the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky is resuming naming its own winner.

Former LSU coach Dale Brown made the presentation to Martelli while Sean Elliott, a past Rupp Award winner and NBA star with the San Antonio Spurs, presented Nelson with the award.

Martelli has already received the Naismith Award for Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, and been named the Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He will receive the Hank Iba Award at the USBWA breakfast in San Antonio on Monday, April 5. The Hawks' mentor was also named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.

Nelson has also earned the Naismith Award, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy from the USBWA, and the Atlantic 10's top honor.

Martelli guided Saint Joseph's to its finest season in school history with a 30-2 record and a berth in the NCAA Elite Eight. The Hawks went 27-0 during the regular season, recording the best start in school and Atlantic 10 history, and setting the SJU record for a winning streak. Saint Joseph's was ranked in the nation's top 25 all season, while ascending to an all-time high of number-one in the polls for one week. Martelli and the Hawks earned the school's first-ever top seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1981, before suffering a heartbreaking 64-62 loss to Oklahoma State.

Martelli, who completed his ninth season as the Hawks' head coach, owns a career record of 179-99. He was named the 2004 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and won the Henry Iba Award for the nation's top coach as given by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

"This is truly an honor for our University. This award is humbling because by honoring me, they are honoring our three assistant coaches. It's not just me as the Coach of the Year - it's all of us together as a staff and of course, our team. To receive this inaugural award is something that when I reflect on in the future, it will be one of the greatest honors that I ever receive," said Martelli.

Nelson was the catalyst for the Hawks' magical season, topping the team in points (20.2), assists (5.3) and steals (2.9).

The greatest player to wear the Hawk uniform, Nelson finished his career as the school's all-time leader in points (2, 094), assists (713) and steals (256). He joined with Tyrone Barley to form the winningest four-year class in school history with a 98-27 record and four consecutive post-season appearances.

Past recipients of the Rupp Award include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Shane Battier. Nelson becomes the second Philadelphia player to win the award as Lionel Simmons was the 1990 recipient. He is the third player, and second consecutive, from the Atlantic 10 to capture the honor. UMass' Marcus Camby won the award in 1996 and Xavier's David West was last year's recipient.

The Rupp Awards are given in memory of the legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp.