Nov. 20, 2012

by Nikki Philpot

After kicking off the season against Yale at Hagan Arena and taking part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic championship rounds at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the eventual site of the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship, the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team welcomes Harvard this evening as the Hawks host their second home game of the 2012-13 season.

By now, you have probably noticed a few new faces donning the Crimson and Gray in the form of this year's freshman class, three rookies that hail from a combined 4,475 miles away, with hometowns stretching from Ohio to Maryland to Germany, who will compete for Saint Joseph's this season.

Hawk fans, please welcome Javon Baumann, Isaiah Miles, and Kyle Molock to Hawk Hill.

Just like their other teammates, different backgrounds and opportunities have led the freshmen to this very university, this very arena, this very team, and while Baumann, Miles, and Molock come from contrasting locations and experiences, one theme holds constant between all three:

They have come to Hawk Hill to make a difference. And a difference is what they'll make.

The newcomers are used to making a difference, just on a smaller stage than that of Hagan Arena.

Baumann, a 6-foot-8 center who hails from the small town of Solms-Oberbiel, Germany, about 45 minutes outside of Frankfurt, started playing the sport as most kids do, picking up a ball at the age of eight and shooting throughout the summer days. However, there came a point when Baumann found that the fun he experienced when working with and playing for his basketball club teams meant something to him, so he kept playing. And with that, he kept improving.

In the 2011-12 season, Baumann averaged 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 62.7 percent from the field for the Licher Baeren team in Germany's Pro-B League. Since Germany's school system does not recognize basketball as an organized sport, Baumann had always dreamed of the day when academics and athletics could go hand-in-hand, when he could represent one institution on both an academic and athletic level. Playing basketball in America presented Baumann with that opportunity, and Saint Joseph's held the key.

"Most of the basketball players in Germany look up to the NBA and college basketball because it's their dream to play [at] as high [a level] as possible," said Baumann. "A lot of players want to go to college and play in college. I felt the same way."

Excelling both academically and athletically after his first three months on Hawk Hill, Baumann finds himself comfortable and appreciative of his freshman experience thus far.

"As a food marketing major, I really wanted to do something that I was interested in, and I'm interested in cooking," he said. "I wanted to play basketball and get a good education at the same time, and it's nice to play basketball for a school and to get all of the support."

Miles knew that basketball was the sport for him from the age of five and, in turn, grew up idolizing superstars like Len Bias, Shaquille O'Neal, and his father, Eric Miles. Relocating two hours from one big city to another, Miles comes to Saint Joseph's from Baltimore, where he played his senior season at Milford Mill Academy. As a 6-foot-7 center for the Millers, Miles averaged 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game while recording 14 double-doubles to earn All-County and All-Metro First Team honors.

His confidence on the court matched his confidence in Saint Joseph's. Miles felt like a Hawk before he even committed to the program, and he credits his current teammates with that feeling of acceptance. The rookie speaks with an air of pride about the exact moment he knew that he was meant to be a Hawk.

"It was when I first came to visit," explained Miles. "It was a friendly environment. It felt like home. The team treated me like a brother already and I hadn't even committed. It was the environment and the basketball team. This is a rising program. I just wanted to be a part of it."

Molock, who hails from Dublin, Ohio, a suburb just outside of Columbus, got serious with the sport in the fifth grade, when he began to play with his first travel team. With the team, he enjoyed practices and knew that he wanted to play basketball in college. Growing up admiring the talent of fellow guards Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, Molock watched basketball to learn different styles of play. The 6-foot-2 guard will redshirt this season after re-tearing the ACL in his right knee four weeks into summer workouts. Molock battled two knee injuries throughout his high school career at Dublin Coffman and was averaging 19.0 points through eight games last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee in January of 2012. After undergoing his most recent successful surgery in August, Molock uses the view from the sidelines to his advantage, understanding the game from a different perspective.

"I'm definitely learning everyday," said Molock, who will be called on next year to help fill the position that will be vacated by current senior Carl Jones. "Every practice, Coach Martelli asks me questions to make sure that I'm staying focused and understanding everything because he knows that I'll be coming in [next year] to help a big part of our current team."

An academic standout in his own right, Saint Joseph's is not Molock's final stop on his educational journey. The political science major intends on going to law school after his time spent on Hawk Hill.

Baumann, Miles, and Molock have entered into one of the most anticipated seasons in Saint Joseph's recent history, finding themselves on a team picked first in the preseason in an Atlantic 10 conference that is the strongest it has ever been.

They understand it.

"It's very impressive," said Baumann of Saint Joseph's preseason honor. "It's great because we get to learn a lot from the coaches and from the players. The competition just makes us better."

They appreciate it.

"It feels great," said Miles, who goes by the nickname "Zeke." "It's a great opportunity I've been placed in and I'm going to make the best of it."

They challenge it.

"It's exciting because now that the team is making big strides and winning a lot games, everybody on campus is excited and the team is excited," added Molock. "It's fun to come into a program that's on the rise and to know that you're going to be able to contribute and help your team keep the rise going further."

With a target on this team's back, the freshmen have had to make even more of an adjustment from high school and club ball to the college game. What they're experiencing, and may not have been expecting, is that the main competition is at practices, among themselves.

"Practices are very competitive and very tough," said Baumann, who, with Miles, is matched up with powerhouse starters in juniors C.J. Aiken, Halil Kanacevic, and Ronald Roberts on a day-to-day-basis. For the rookie center, the difference between club ball and college ball is tremendous and stems from the difference in player ability and competitive edge.

"The players are much more athletic, stronger, and aggressive here," he said.

When transitioning from high school life to college life, making the adjustments on and off the court is not an easy feat, but the freshman class credits the support of their teammates for making the transition comfortable.

"Everybody helps," said Baumann of the support he receives on the court. "If somebody sees a place where he can help me improve, he's going to tell me. It's an all-around effort."

Off the court, Miles and Molock credit the entire time and, more specifically, two teammates who show great interest in the freshman class' progress and development both on the basketball court and in the classroom.

"If I had to name one [teammate], it'd be [sophomore] Chris Wilson," said Miles. "He's like a brother figure. He's been looking out for me since the summer."

"Chris [Wilson] always checked on how I was doing even before I got to campus last year, when I was in high school," added Molock. "He would ask how the season and school year were going...he's been a big part of getting used to school."

The second teammate that all three freshmen look up to in every sense is a bit more obvious. Like the returners, the newcomers are grateful for the opportunity to play under the leadership of their first-ever collegiate captain - junior Langston Galloway.

"Lang's a great person," said Miles. "His personality is just excellent. He's humble and I like the way he carries himself."

"He's kind of like a mentor but, at the same time, he's kind of like a brother," agreed Molock. "He's a down-to-earth person that you can trust in and rely on for anything you need."

Under this leadership, the Class of 2016 has the potential to do some serious damage for the Hawks this season on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball. With Baumann's brute strength, Miles' sheer talent, and Molock's sharp knowledge of the game, each rookie brings something different to the court in 2013. Hawk fans first saw Baumann in the final minutes of Saint Joseph's win against Wheeling Jesuit as he flew toward the basket to perform his self-proclaimed signature move, the dunk. In that one move that shook the rim in front of a roaring SJU student section, you saw promise of what this 6-foot-8 center can do for the Hawks now and in future seasons to come.

Fast forward to last Monday's home opener against Yale. The Hawks were up 53-32 with 4:02 remaining and a whistle blew, calling for SJU subs, as Ronald Roberts and Isaiah Miles came into the game, Roberts reentering, Miles making his collegiate debut. After Galloway tipped in a layup at the 3:44 mark, it was Miles's time. Off of a dish from Aiken, Miles buried his signature move, the jumper, just outside of the paint and right in front of a packed, ecstatic student section of Hawks.

To the rookie, the feeling was nearly indescribable.

"I like the fact that the crowd was on my side," said Miles on his first collegiate points. "It gave me a lot of motivation. It was a great feeling."

Tonight, the Hawks will look for their second home win of the season against the Crimson of Harvard. #12, #15, and #34 will look to do what any Hawk - veteran or rookie - would do given the opportunity.

Play with heart and get the win.