Junior forward DeAndre' Bembry has been named the Philadelphia Big 5 Co-Player of the Week along with Sam Jones of Penn. Bembry led his St. Joe's Hawks to a 2-0 opening week, with wins over Drexel and Niagara.
Bembry, a 6-6 animal around the court, averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists through St. Joe's' two games. The Preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection shot 12-23 from the field and was able to lead his team in doing so while playing minutes so far decreased from his 38.6 per game last season.
In the Hawks' tight 82-81 opening-game victory over Drexel, Bembry led all scorers with 23 points on the night, including a tied career-high of 11 made free throws. Bembry also recorded four steals and a block in the win.
A strong follow-up performance came from Bembry two nights later against Niagara, as while the forward didn't exactly light it up from the floor, he pieced together a fantastic all-around gem, scoring 12 points, grabbing six boards, and dishing out seven assists.
Bembry has turned the ball over three times in each of the Hawks' two contests, not a concerning figure considering his high usage rate in Phil Martelli's offense. He is currently on numerous watch lists for awards, namely the Julius Erving Small Forward Award.
St. Joe's is now atop the A-10 following their 2-0 start, and with the vast improvement of Isaiah Miles and Aaron Brown since their disappointing 13-18 finish in 2014-15, the team hopes to be back at an NCAA Tournament run like the one they pulled off in 2013-14.
That 2013-14 team led by Langston Galloway was heartbreakingly sent home by Connecticut in the first round of the big dance with an overtime comeback triumph.
The Hawks face Buffalo in what will be an interesting matchup Wednesday, as the 1-0 Bulls will visit Hagan Arena for a Hall of Fame Tip-Off matchup.