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St. Joseph's hopes to get Shavar Newkirk, Charlie Brown back for opener

The Hawks look forward to the return of senior guard Shavar Newkirk from a torn left knee ligament suffered last Dec. 30, and sophomore forward Charlie Brown, who fractured a bone in left wrist in pre-season.

St. Joseph’s University basketball players Markell Lodge and Anthony Longpre chat during St. Joseph's University basketball media day Thursday, November 02, 2017 at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN / For The Philadelphia Inquirer)
St. Joseph’s University basketball players Markell Lodge and Anthony Longpre chat during St. Joseph's University basketball media day Thursday, November 02, 2017 at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN / For The Philadelphia Inquirer)Read moreWILLIAM THOMAS CAIN / For The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Hawks could have senior guard Shavar Newkirk and sophomore wing Charlie Brown back from injuries in time for their Nov. 11 season opener.  Newkirk, who averaged 8.0 points as a sophomore, was on his way to an all-conference season last year, averaging 20.3 points, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a Dec. 30 game that sidelined him for the season.

Brown, who suffered a fracture in his left wrist last month, was named to the Atlantic 10's All-Rookie team last season after averaging 12.8 points and becoming the team's best three-point threat.

Junior Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble is healthy again after suffering a broken bone in his foot and missing the last seven games last season. Senior James Demery averaged almost 15 points last season but needs to be a presence at the defensive end and under the boards this season. Pierfrancesco Oliva, a 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who sat out all of last season while recovering from knee surgery, is an outstanding passer but needs his shot to be more consistent.

Sophomore Nick Robinson provides versatility at guard and helps the Hawks' depth at the perimeter, as does junior Chris Glover, who scored 20 or more points in a pair of conference games last season. Two freshmen who could see playing time right away are 6-8 Taylor Funk and 6-10 Anthony Longpré, both of whom are comfortable from beyond the arc. Junior Markell Lodge, who started all 31 games last  season, and senior Jai Williams provide depth up front.