by Patrick Stevens
 
For all of the changes in college basketball in the last 5-10 years, it’s still a sport where guards drive the bus.
 
And in that sense, Saint Joseph’s finds itself in an enviable position entering Steve Donahue’s second season on Hawk Hill.
 
Jaiden Glover-Toscano is one of the Atlantic 10’s top returning players after averaging 15.8 points and 4.8 rebounds while earning second team all-league honors last season. Austin Williford was an A10 all-rookie pick, a byproduct of averaging 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds as Saint Joseph’s rolled up 24 victories.
 
“Austin and Jaiden are to me the two best defensive guards in the league,” Donahue said. “I think they did that last year and put us as the No. 1 defensive team last year. Now they have an additional year of strength and knowledge under their belts. We’re leaning on both of them to be our anchor on both sides of the ball.”
 
Glover-Toscano earned a preseason first team all-A10 nod, and he figures to be one of the toughest matchups in the league thanks to the athleticism packed into his 6-foot-6, 206-pound frame. The 6-4, 192-pound Williford has a real chance to build on his strong work during league play last season.
 
And if Glover-Toscano and Williford are among the best two-way players in the A10, the Hawks will have a fine chance to contend for a place at or near the top of the conference this season.
 
“Both shot the ball decently last year. I think you’ll see a tick up from both of them on 3-point shooting,” Donahue said. “But more than that, I think you’ll see two better all-around basketball players. They know what this league is about. They know how to be successful in it. I think with all of our additions, those two in particular are guys that younger guys look to for guidance.”
 
A LOOK AT THE HAWKS:
Coach: Steve Donahue, second season at Saint Joseph’s, 24-12 with the Hawks and 355-356 in 25 seasons overall.
 
Last year: The Hawks posted their best conference record in 10 years, going 13-5 in the Atlantic 10 to finish third in the league. Saint Joseph’s fell in the A10 semifinals to eventual champ VCU, but turned in a commendable road showing in the NIT with victories at Colorado State and California before a 24-12 season concluded with a quarterfinal loss at New Mexico.
 
They’ll miss: Three starters are gone from last year’s team: Derek Simpson (13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.2 apg), Dasear Haskins (11.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Justice Ajogbor (6.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 bpg). Overall, five of the Hawks’ top seven scorers departed.
 
Impact returners: Glover-Toscano and Williford are the headliners for Saint Joseph’s, and they provide the Hawks an excellent foundation in the backcourt.
 
Another returning guard is junior Khaafiq Myers (5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg), who played in 34 games and averaged 15.8 minutes last season.
 
Newcomers of note: Ajogbor was the A10’s co-defensive player of the year last season, but it’s possible Saint Joseph’s will be even better at the five spot thanks to the addition of former Davidson forward Sean Logan.
 
The 6-foot-11 fifth-year player led the Atlantic 10 with 2.4 blocks per game, and he’s a year further removed from a knee injury that cost him much of the 2024-25 season.
 
“What Justice did last year was incredible,” Donahue said. “His ability to protect the rim without fouling was a huge impact on us, but he had limitations that weren’t his strengths. I recruited Sean in high school, and you can really run offense through him. He’s a great facilitator. He reads screens well so he gets in and out of them quickly. He knows how to handle dribble handoffs, can rescreen well and kind of swallow the game. Defensively, his discipline has to come so that he doesn’t try to block every shot. He’s growing into that.”
 
Another pickup to keep an eye on: Freshman guard BJ Ranson, a top-notch shooter out of Baltimore’s Mount St. Joseph High and the son of Hawks assistant Bino Ranson.
 
Reasons to be optimistic: There’s a sense of stability that simply could not have existed at this time a year ago. Donahue – hired by Saint Joseph’s as an assistant in May 2025 – was elevated to head coach in September when Billy Lange left for a job with the New York Knicks.
 
“Last year was very strange for a lot of reasons,” Donahue said. “I think this year, we built this program on what we saw as a staff and what is successful in the A10. Just guys who fit how we play on both sides of the ball. I think the additions are that and now it’s our ability to come together at the right time and build your team properly for A10 competition.”
 
X factor: Defense probably won’t be a problem for the Hawks. But can they make substantial gains in stretching the floor after managing a meager 30.8 percent from 3 last season?
 
“You have to build your program with that in mind, not just recruiting shooters, but recruiting passers and recruiting screeners and recruiting guys who can have high IQ and read defenses properly,” Donahue said. “That all goes into it. I think we return our two best 3-pointers in Jaiden and Austin Williford, but we addressed it in in terms of recruiting, too.”
 
Circle the date: The Hawks secured a sweet nonconference finale for Dec. 22, when they will play Penn State in Hershey, Pa. It will be the first meeting between the in-state foes since 2011 and just the fifth since the Nittany Lions departed the Atlantic 10 after the 1990-91 season.
 
Bottom line: If the Hawks didn’t max out their potential last season, they came close. And with Glover-Toscano and Williford still around, their ceiling is arguably higher.  Don’t be surprised if Saint Joseph’s is contending for a double bye directly into the A10 quarterfinals.
 
Patrick Stevens is a veteran college basketball writer who oversees Mid-Atlantic College Hoops. Previously, he worked for The Washington Post, Syracuse Media Group and The Washington Times. Stevens has written selected pieces for the Atlantic 10 Conference since 2013.