2003–04 Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball | |
---|---|
Conference | Atlantic 10 |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 5 |
AP | No. 5 |
2003–04 record | 30–2 (16–0 Atlantic 10) |
Head coach | Phil Martelli |
Assistant coach | Mark Bass |
Assistant coach | Matt Brady |
Assistant coach | Monté Ross |
Home arena | Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse |
The 2003-2004 Saint Joseph's University Hawks men's basketball team was one of 25 teams to finish the regular season undefeated in men's division I basketball. They were the last to do so until Wichita State did it in 2014. Under coach Phil Martelli, the Hawks held an overall record of 27-0 and a conference record of 16-0 in the regular season before losing to Xavier in the A-10 tournament and eventually Oklahoma State in the East-Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament.
Asterisk designates NCAA D-1 Tournament game.
The Hawks dominated the regular season, going 27-0 for the season. In the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the Hawks received a #1 seed, which included a first-round bye. However, they lost badly to the Xavier Musketeers 87-67. Despite their early exit, the Hawks still received a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks also won the Philadelphia Big 5, going 4-0 in the process.
The Hawks received a #1 seed, and defeated Liberty, Texas Tech, and Wake Forest in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds, respectively. In the Elite 8 match-up against Oklahoma State, the Hawks lost by 2 points. John Lucas III of Oklahoma State hit a go-ahead three with only a few seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Jameer Nelson attempted to tie the game, but his 15 ft. shot fell short.