Welcome to the #A10WBBTipoff for the 2020-21 Season. This afternoon, we feature the Saint Joseph's Hawks. To revisit all of the season previews throughout the week, click
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Saint Joseph's
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The numbers didn’t add up a year ago for Saint Joseph’s. The Hawks averaged a mere 52.6 points per game, 14th in the Atlantic 10 for scoring offense and near the bottom of Division I.
Offense!!! -- three exclamations intentional -- is what Coach Cindy Griffin stresses is a point of emphasis this season. The coach, entering her 20th season with the program, is hopeful that the team’s newest talent will help the Hawks reset and turn those statistics around.
“We outshot most of our opponents last year,” Griffin said. “We were getting shots; we weren’t making shots. We need to be more efficient on offense and take care of the ball, and we think we’ve brought in some kids to fill those voids.”
It starts with Pitt transfer Alayna Gribble. Concussions cost her nearly two seasons, but the 6-foot guard is cleared, healthy and excited about her first season on Hawk Hill. In just two seasons at Pitt, she cracked the top 10 for career triples and twice drained seven (as a sophomore vs. Georgia Tech and as a freshman against Syracuse).
“It’s nice to have that kind of shooter in the gym,” Griffin said. “She’s more than a shooter, but we need her to be a shooter.”
Gribble, a fifth-year senior, was recently granted a sixth year by the NCAA.
Another transfer, Olivia Ramil, joins the Hawks from Binghamton, which finished 22-9. Griffin likes the 6-2 forward’s touch, particularly from beyond the arc, and the winning mentality she brings. “She can pass, and she can face up a lot from that five spot; we need some maturity there,” Griffin said. “She can understand angles.”
A third transfer, Alexis Santarelli, comes in after being part of the best Lafayette season in nearly 20 years. The 6-2 forward, a graduate student, will be an immediate contributor in her only year with the program. “She has a lot of intangibles,” Griffin said. “She’s tough. She understands the game. She’s a lefty and a great communicator.”
Leading scorer Katie Jekot returns and will be freed up to play point, a move that should lead to better spacing and more offense. “She’ll be able to score from that spot,” Griffin said.
Understanding who should be putting the ball up will be key, Griffin said. Along with the newcomers, Saint Joseph’s returns its top six returning scorers from a year ago minus Claire Melia, who played only half a semester.
Sophomore Gabby Smalls will be key. The 6-2 forward shined with a .506 field-goal percentage but consistent foul trouble limited her minutes. “She’s definitely a scorer,” Griffin said. “She’s a great player. We’ve got to be able to keep her on the court for more than five possessions.”
Senior Lula Roig, second in assists last year, can take a step forward by cutting down on her turnovers and improving her defense.
But the Hawks shined in that department last season, second only to Fordham in the A-10 in scoring defense. If the offense can pick up, count on this team to improve in a major way.
A look at Saint Joseph’s
Coach: Cindy Griffin, 378-300 in 22 seasons overall, 330-267 in 19 seasons at Saint Joseph’s
Last year: 9-20, 3-13 A-10, lost 58-36 at Fordham in first round of the Atlantic10 Championship
They’ll miss: Nailah Delinois, a 5.9 guard, started 20 of 28 games and averaged 4.2 rpg.
Impact returners: Katie Jekot, 5-9 junior G (team leader in scoring (10.6 ppg), made field goals, 3-pointers (44), minutes played and total steals); Lula Roig , 5-9 senior G (7.0 ppg); Gabby Smalls, 6-2 sophomore F (6.7 ppg, team-highs of 5.5 ppg and 50.6 field goal percentage)
Newbies of note: Alayna Gribble, 6-0 graduate student G (excellent 3-point shooter — had seven in one game on two separate occasions, cracked Pitt’s top 10 for career triples in just two seasons; Olivia Ramil, 6-2 graduate student F (8.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg while starting all 31 games at Binghamton. Also finished in the top 5 in the America East Conference the past two seasons in blocks per game. Played her freshman year at Georgetown); Alexis Santarelli, 6-2 graduate student F (9.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg while starting all 28 games at Lafayette).
The good news: With an influx of new players, Saint Joseph’s should be much improved offensively, and with six returners, the Hawks' defense shapes up to be among the A-10’s best again.
Bottom line: This season will be about resetting the program from the league’s most tenured coach. Given Griffin’s storied history with the program, there’s no reason these Hawks can’t take a giant step forward.