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Tampa subregional
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 21, 2003
Saint Joseph's has the edge, having made more 3s while shooting at a better percentage. Hawks small forward Pat Carroll has 76 and ranks third in the country in percentage at .463. Point guard Jameer Nelson (61) and shooting guard Delonte West (53) also are formidable. Auburn's top outside threat is shooting guard Derrick Bird, who has 50 in 132 attempts. The Tigers make 34 percent as a team.
Saint Joseph's shoots 68.3 percent; Auburn is at 65.2. If the game is close or if the Hawks have a late lead, they could be in good shape because their guards are their best free-throw shooters. Carroll, Nelson, West and Tyrone Barley each shoot 76 percent or better. Bird leads Auburn (.803), but he doesn't get to the line much. Tigers forward Marquis Daniels, the team's leading scorer, shoots 68.5 percent.
Saint Joseph's, with its intense man-to-man pressure, ranks seventh nationally in scoring (59.3) and first in field-goal percentage (.369). The Hawks led the Atlantic 10 Conference in blocks (5.59). Coach Phil Martelli stresses defense and his players have listened well. Like Saint Joseph's, Auburn defends well on the perimeter and in the paint. Keep an eye on Bird, who is thought to be among the SEC's toughest defenders. He often matches up against the opposing team's best scorer.
With one of the SEC's most imposing frontlines, the Tigers have outrebounded opponents 35.1-33.0. Forward Marco Killingsworth leads with a 6.4 average, followed by Daniels (6.1) and 6-10 center Kyle Davis (5.9). Auburn is quick and athletic inside, and the Tigers know how to position. Saint Joseph's was outrebounded by a slim margin during the regular season and will have its hands full. Two of the Hawks' three leading rebounders are guards, so they'll need more production inside.
Martelli and Auburn's Cliff Ellis are NCAA veterans. This is Ellis' eighth trip, where he's 6-7. He also earned bids with Clemson and South Alabama. Ellis has coached the Tigers to three of their five best seasons. Martelli is 3-2 in the tournament in two trips and hasn't lost in the first round. Both teams feel like they have something to prove. Several TV commentators (see Dick Vitale) slammed the selection committee for giving the Tigers a bid. Saint Joseph's is fighting to give itself and its conference some respectability.