The Hawk Will Never Die

But it may be on life support. At the half of the Saint Joseph's-Oklahoma game, the Sooners are up 34-22. Ouch. I mean, I figured the Hawks didn't have much of a chance, but they're losing to a team with a player named Longar Longar. Seriously. Was this man so nice that they named him twice?

Oh, and as an aside, I know that the Hawks are playing terribly, but Verne Lundquist is practically having orgasms describing OU's play. I mean, can you at least pretend you're unbiased? Jerk.

I'll update later . . . if I don't kill myself first.

8:30pm Update: With 13:13 left in the game, Oklahoma is up by 18. Swell.

9:00pm Update: The Hawks closed to within 7 points from being 19 down. 5:30 left in the game. At least they're showing some fight now.

FINAL UPDATE: Oklahoma 72, Saint Joseph's 64. Damn. The Hawks didn't play too poorly, considering, but after losing our ice hockey playoff, it's been a terrible sports week for yours truly. The only thing that will salvage the week is if Villanova loses to Clemson. Um, sorry Uncle Ray.

Oh My God, We Made The Dance!

I don't know how it happened, but my alma mater is playing in the NCAA Tournament, and they're seeded 11th! Whoo hoo!

Saint Joseph's Earns 2008 NCAA Tournament At-Large Bid

11th-Seeded Hawks to face 6th-seeded Oklahoma Sooners

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's has earned an at-large bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and will play Oklahoma in the East Region at Birmingham, Alabama on Friday, March 21 at the BJCC Arena.

The Hawks own a 21-12 record and finished as the runner-up in the Atlantic 10 Championship, falling to city rival Temple in the title game, 69-64, on Saturday evening.

The Sooners are 22-11 and lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship to Texas, 77-49, on Saturday.

Saint Joseph's is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004, when the Hawks reached the Elite Eight, and fell to Oklahoma State, 64-62, in the East Regional Final. It marks the 18th appearance in school history, with the Hawks owning an all-time record of 15-21 in NCAA Tournament games. Phil Martelli owns a 6-4 record in NCAA play. (H/T - SJU)

I am very grateful that SJU earned an at-large bid, but am also realistic of their chances against a very good Oklahoma team. The Sooners are good, but our guys will be ready for them.

You hear that, hillbilly boys? The Hawks are coming to get ya!

Ho. Lee. Crap!!!

Someone pinch me, because I must be dreaming.

Saint Joseph’s beats No. 10 Xavier 61-53 in Atlantic 10 semis

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)—Pat Calathes scored 24 points and Saint Joseph’s held No. 10 Xavier to a season-low point total in a 61-53 victory in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Friday night.

Fifth-seeded Saint Joseph’s (21-11) can lock up its first NCAA tournament berth since 2003-04 on Saturday night in the championship game.

Despite the loss, the top-seeded Musketeers (27-6) are all but guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament when the selections are announced on Sunday.

Ahmad Nivins added 15 points for the Hawks, whose tough man-to-man defense limited Xavier to 37 percent shooting from the field, including only one basket outside the paint.

The Hawks, who dominated Fordham and Richmond in the first two rounds of the tournament, took control with a 15-0 run that bridged the end of the first half and the start of the second, putting them ahead 35-20. (H/T - AP via Yahoo!)

Okay, while I am an SJU alum, I am not an idiot. The Hawks started off the season as one of the best teams in the Atlantic 10. Then, they took a nosedive into the toilet, and couldn't beat St. Mary's School for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind. The only way they're making the NCAA's is by winning the tournament, and they'll have to beat either Temple of Charlotte to do it. (Those teams are playing as I post this.) I am an optimistic realist. I think they can beat these teams, but only if they play their best basketball.

The way this team has turned into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, just making the Big Dance would be a victory, and if they slip in, I'll be ecstatic. They won't do a blessed thing in the NCAA Tournament, but it'll be nice to get an invite. We'll see.

UPDATE: A-10 Championship Game. Temple 69, Saint Joseph's 64. Dammit.

A Terrible Loss For The SJU Community

And I am ashamed to say that I just heard about it.

Saint Joseph's University mourns the loss of Thomas D. Marzik, Ph.D. Marzik died Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007.

Marzik had taught in the Department of History at Saint Joseph's for the past 37 years. His specific areas of scholarship focused on Eastern European and Russian History. He had most recently been working on a book focused on Thomas Masaryk and the creation of Czechoslovakia.

Randall Miller, Ph.D., Professor of History, and Francis Graham Lee, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, spoke of their friend's wonderful sense of humor and meticulous nature as a teacher, scholar and advisor. Marzik always had a great interest in his students, according to Miller. Lee and Miller expressed how hard it was to capture Marzik in words as they reminisced on stories from the past.

"He was and is a much loved human being," said Miller.

The University released a statement regarding Marzik's death on Friday, Oct. 26.

University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., wrote, "The entire Saint Joseph's University community is deeply saddened by Dr. Marzik's passing. Please keep Dr. Marzik's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers." (H/T - The Hawk)

Dr. Marzik was far and away my favorite professor at Saint Joe's. Of course, he was a history professor, but he was so much more. A tremendous intellect combined with a dry biscuit sense of humor, Dr. Marzik always made sure his classes were entertaining. My friend Heather and I took his uber-challenging Russian History course during our senior year, when other folks were taking easy A's. The reason was Marzik.

My best memory of his Russian History class was also my most embarrassing moment. It was an early class, and I was exhausted from the night before. While Dr. Marzik was handing out graded exam papers, he asked me to pass one to the person behind me. I must have been nodding off beforehand, but said, "Yeah, sure." I passed the paper back, and he looked at me, smiled, and said, "Thank you. You may go back to sleep now."

I will miss him terribly.

Temple Owls Are Everywhere

Except the win column. Heh.

Well, I gave Randal Graves grief when my Hawks beat his alma mater (Drexel University), so I have to give Vincent Antonelli a little grief as well, right?

1/26/2008 - Pat Calathes hit a 3-point shot with 3.9 seconds left to give Saint Joseph's a 68-67 victory over city rival Temple on Saturday night. Calathes scored a season-high 24 points for the Hawks (12-5, 4-1 Atlantic 10) in a game in which neither team held more than a two-point lead over the last 10 minutes. (H/T - SJU)

The Hawks are 12-5, and 4-1 in the A-10. Keep it up, boys! March Madness is fast approaching!