Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
What does success look like this year at St. Joseph’s? The program is under a new regime in first-year head coach Steve Donahue, who finished with an 8-19 record at Penn last season. The St. Joe’s roster features new transfers plus four key veterans looking to replace the team’s top three scorers from last season. Many of those new transfers came to Hawk Hill to play for Billy Lange, who stepped down as head coach in September to take a job with the New York Knicks to run their player development program. Donahue, 63, joined St. Joe’s in May as an assistant coach after being fired from Penn, where he spent the last decade. While many players recalled being shocked and disappointed by Lange’s departure, the roster stayed intact. Players had a 30-day window after the coaching change to decide if they wanted to transfer out. That very much could be the first check point in success for a St. Joe’s team predicted to finish seventh in the Atlantic 10 preseason polls, and will open its season at home on Monday against Lafayette (7 p.m., ESPN). “That was very reassuring, but quite frankly, I think it speaks volumes to what this place has done,” Donahue said. “I think these guys realize how good a basketball and academic situation this place is, so a change in the head coach wasn’t that dramatic to them. ... I think they understand our commitment to making them better individually, and they’re excited about what we can do as a team.” Donahue said this team “may be the most talented roster I’ve ever coached,” and looking at his previous stints, it makes sense why. He spent 10 years at Cornell (Ivy League) and four at Boston College (Atlantic Coast Conference). Both schools are better known for their ice hockey programs — or even lacrosse and football — than basketball. Donahue had less resources to work with. His teams were taking buses rather than charter flights. Yet, he found success. He led Cornell to three consecutive Ivy League championships (2008-10). Cornell made some noise with their an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament, winning two games. He had similar success at Penn, guiding the Quakers to a March Madness appearance in 2018 after winning the Ivy League tournament. » READ MORE: Nowhere to go but up for St. Joseph’s and La Salle after finishing lower than expected in A-10 preseason polls “I didn’t realize it when I’m at those places, because I’m just kind of like, ‘Hey, I’m going to work with what I got,’” Donahue said. “It was eye-opening when I got here. From the commitment of the administration, our weight room, our strength coach, our trainer, our training facilities, our academic support, you go through everything, how we travel, everything they’ve done is committed to helping this program win at the highest level, and I can feel it. “I feel a sense of responsibility that I want them to be rewarded with great basketball on the court because of this commitment, it’s been pretty eye-opening for me after being at my other three stops.” St. Joe’s, which finished 23-13 last season, hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. In the last two years, the Hawks lost in the A-10 tournament semifinals. However, they have developed professional talent, the latest being Rasheer Fleming and Erik Reynolds II, the school’s all-time leading scorer. This year, the Hawks carry depth. During its 86-65 win over Delaware in an exhibition game on Oct. 25, St. Joe’s started Deuce Jones II, Derek Simpson, Dasear Haskins, Anthony Finkley, and Jaden Smith. Guard Jaiden Glover-Toscano led the Hawks with 19 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Guard Austin Willford added 10 points off the bench, while Jones dropped 16 and Finkley had 13. Last year’s group, it was evident who the Hawks’ main scorers were, but under Donahue, a coach known for his offensive schemes, it could take a committee. “This has been pretty much since I got here, I think their willingness to share the basketball and cut hard on the offensive end has really been impressive,” Donahue said. “To get 24 assists [against Delaware] and basically every shot was at the rim or three, I’ve just been impressed with their high IQ and their willingness to learn a new system. It’s not complicated, but it does take a lot of unselfishness, and I’ve been impressed with each guy’s ability to try to do what the coaches want and what the system is asking.” » READ MORE: Steve Donahue gets another shot as a college head coach, an opportunity he thought wouldn’t come again So back to the question, what does success look like in Donahue’s first year? The Delaware County native, who played at Cardinal O’Hara and Ursinus, says he’s not settling for anything but winning. In the college basketball landscape, building a program or growing a roster is tough with the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness at play. Donahue knows that, which is why his focus is on the present, and he might have the pieces to win now. “I’m committed to winning this year for all the reasons that we put forth with this group,” Donahue said. “I think it’s important that I value winning and getting this team to the highest level we possibly can. That’s what my responsibility is, and that’s what my goal is solely now. I don’t think I would say that five years ago, but now it’s different, and your responsibility is for the 15 guys in that locker room to be committed to winning the most you can in this season.”
