BUFFALO, NY (3/19/04) -- It would be easy to view Saint Joseph's second-round
NCAA Tournament game against Texas Tech as a contrast in coaching
personalities.
On one bench, a jovial, loquacious presence, a self-professed lover of
public relations, a perpetually smiling guy who says yes to practically
every media request and charity invitation.
On the other bench, the famously intense and fiery chair-hurler, a fellow
whose prickly relations with reporters -- not to mention run-ins with
university administrators and students -- has become legendary.
Phil Martelli against Bob Knight.
The Jester versus the General.
But when the top-seeded Hawks and the No. 8 Red Raiders tip it off
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at HSBC Arena, the only thing that will matter is
what happens on the floor. Seedings and personalities will go out the
door. What's at stake is a trip to the Meadowlands next week as a member
of the coveted Sweet 16.
"It's easy to say it's not personal, and it's not," said Martelli. "But
this is an egotistical business, because you believe your plan is better
than the other guy's plan, and your players are better prepared to execute
it. What matters is whether we can play better than Texas Tech, not
whether I can coach better than Bob Knight."
Martelli pointed out that the last time Saint Joseph's was involved in a 1
versus 8 tournament game, in the second round in 2001, the No. 8 Hawks
took top-seeded Stanford to the game's final minute before falling.
"It doesn't matter what seed you are," guard Delonte West agreed. "Each
night, you're going to face someone who doesn't care what seed you are.
You have to lace them up and go play."
"At this point no one's the underdog," guard Jameer Nelson added.
"Everyone is up here to win games."
The Red Raiders' Andre Emmett likewise downplayed any notion that his team
would get caught up in playing the East Rutherford Region's top seed.
"Eventually you're going to have to play one of the better teams in the
nation," he said. "If we wanted to advance, we knew it was coming. Nothing
is going to be different. We're going to prepare the same, try to have the
same approach every game, and go out and try to win."
Contrary to his reputation, Knight was gracious and charming in Friday
afternoon's media session, complimenting the Hawks on their remarkable
season and dismissing those who have cast doubts on it.
"The run they had against the teams they played was a very, very unusual
thing and very remarkable today," Knight said. "Going undefeated as long
as they did is a very singular accomplishment. They did it against good
teams, and they beat teams on the road. The Atlantic 10 is a pretty damn
good basketball conference. For a team to do what is has done is a
remarkable achievement."
The Red Raiders will run Knight's motion offense, patiently setting
screens and cycling the ball until they find a good shot. Among Saint
Joseph's chief concerns will be finding a way to defend Texas Tech's
superlative forward, Player of the Year candidate Emmett.
"He reminds us of [Temple's] David Hawkins," West said. "He's powerfully
built, and he can play more than one position. He attacks the basket
fiercely. He can get you into foul trouble. He can hit the boards. And
Dave gave us a lot of trouble this year."
For Tech, the task at hand is containing Nelson and West.
"It's going to be a pretty good challenge for our guards," Red Raider
guard Michael Marshall said. "Overall these are some of the best guards in
the nation, and we're going to go out and give it our all against them.
They can shoot the ball, they can drive, they set a lot of ball screens,
and the post men set a lot of screens for them. They're exceptionally
quick, too."
Saint Joseph's (28-1) tuned up for the Red Raiders with an 82-63 blasting
of Liberty in the first round Thursday, while Texas Tech (23-10) withstood
a furious Charlotte rally and held on, 76-73, to reach the second round.
"I don't know whether we're an underdog or a favorite," Knight said. "St.
Joe's is very, very good, and I think we're pretty good, but were not
very, very good. We're going to have to play extremely well in tomorrow's
game."
"I don't think the number really matters much," Martelli said. "You're
going to see teams that can really play right now. You're going to see
teams that expect to be here."
Maybe these guys are more alike than anyone thinks.
