A Soaring Season
The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos
In the 2003–04 season, Saint Joseph’s became the most unlikely and most incredible story in college basketball. The underdog Hawks captivated the entire city of Philadelphia and much of the nation with a unique, guard-oriented style and team-first mentality featuring players who were not wanted by power conferences. Big-time programs passed over star point guard Jameer Nelson because of his height, but Nelson played an oversized, sensational game that dwarfed his 5 feet, 11 inches. Nelson’s backcourt mate, Delonte West, was a lightly recruited prospect out of high school but transformed himself into an NBA first-round draft pick with a work ethic and competitive drive that never had been seen before or since on Hawk Hill.
Outspoken head coach Phil Martelli, who finally got a chance at the only job he had ever wanted since middle school when he was nearly 41 years old, surrounded Nelson and West with a perfect cast of complementary players. Individually, none of Nelson and West’s teammates would be mentioned as an All-American candidate. Put all of the Hawks together, however, and you had a practically unstoppable force. Not only did the players accept their roles, they relished them. And each one’s contribution, from Nelson and West all way the down to former cheerleader and walk-on Robert Hartshorn, was crucial to the entire team’s success.
The Hawks, spurred on by a mascot who never stopped flapping its wings and a never-quit school mantra that The Hawk Will Never Die, played their games in a gym that wasn’t even as modern as many high schools. Not much about the Hawks’ home felt big-time — not much, that is, except their team. It was this low-budget, mom-and-pop men’s basketball program that overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to complete a perfect regular season, rise to the unanimous No. 1 ranking in the country, and become the envy of the blue bloods of the sport. St. Joe’s provided hope then and today by reminding everyone that you don’t have to be the biggest to beat the biggest or have the best to be the best.
Here’s a look at the front cover:
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Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for nearly 30 years. He was a sportswriter and editor for the Trenton Times, Courier-Post, and The Trentonian. Bracy began his journalism career as a freelancer for the Associated Press while still an undergraduate at Saint Joseph’s University and has contributed regularly to the AP since 2008. Bracy also spent 11 years as a classroom teacher and has worked as a content creator and editor in educational publishing since 2020. His website, Big5Hoops.com, is devoted to covering the Philadelphia Big 5. A Soaring Season is his first book. Contact him at bracymedia@gmail.com.
Upcoming Book Talks/Signings/Events
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Feature Stories/Book Reviews
-8/10/25: True Baller Books
“So maybe that’s why I found A Soaring Season so refreshing. It’s a step back, just long enough ago, to remember what we had. And to celebrate a true David, when it seems like everyone today wants to be Goliath.”
Click HERE to read the full review.
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-5/9/25: A Daily Dose of Hoops
A Soaring Season flies high in reliving St. Joe’s dream run of 2003-04
By Jaden Daly
True college basketball fans know that some of the best stories in the game are told at the mid-major level, away from the spotlights and marquees that the power conferences command on a nightly basis. Other more casual observers will take interest in these smaller-scale tales if and when they play out on the national stage of March and the NCAA Tournament.
If you’re of a certain age, there is a nonzero chance you know of Saint Joseph’s University, and—regardless of whether you were introduced to the Hawks before or during their undefeated regular season escapade and run to a regional final in 2004—remember the journey the Philadelphia school went on, skippered by Phil Martelli and willed by the veteran leadership of Jameer Nelson.
Click HERE to read the full review.
Bracy uses his institutional knowledge and unrivaled storytelling to craft a powerful and interactive account of a time on Hawk Hill that is impossible to forget for those who experienced it firsthand, but also makes the reader who did not know about life between the ropes at St. Joe’s feel as if he or she were on press row as well.
-4/3/25: Catholic Star Herald
Journalist, local parishioner pens book on Hawks’ soaring season
By Peter G. Sánchez
As the madness of March’s NCAA tournament rolls on, a new book looks back to when a talented and determined basketball squad on Hawk Hill reached unimaginable heights.
“A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks,” by longtime area sports journalist Aaron Bracy, chronicles the talented and determined cast from “the little school that’s beating everyone,” as Sports Illustrated put it at the time.
“The excitement around that team during that time – in the fieldhouse, on the campus – there was nothing like it,” noted Bracy, a parishioner of the Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill.
Click HERE to read the entire story.
-4/1/25: Delaware County Times
‘A Soaring Season’ relives glory days of 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s season
By Matthew DeGeorge
Aaron Bracy’s book, “A Soaring Season,” is an in-depth exploration of the people and pieces that made 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks men’s basketball team so special.
Click HERE to read the entire story.
-3/20/25: Saint Joseph’s University News
An Underdog Story
Written by: Madeline Marriott, MA ’26
As a sports journalist, Aaron Bracy, BS ’98, MS ’99, has long been covering the Big 5 and Philadelphia sports for publications from Hoops HQ to the Associated Press. This month, he published “A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks,” the story of the team led by Coach Phil Martelli and point guard Jameer Nelson, that finished the regular season undefeated.
What is special about the 2003-04 team that inspired you to write this story?
The team inspired so many people 20 years ago, and I wanted to go back and see why their story was so captivating. The curiosity on my part was if it could be the same thing for people today, and I don’t think you have to be a St. Joe’s fan or a basketball fan — it’s a human interest story, and it’s really an underdog story. It’s a story of people who were cast aside, and then they came together, put any sort of self-interest or personal agendas aside, and they played for each other.
Click HERE to read entire Q&A.
Soaring to New Heights: Alum writes book on the 2003-04 men’s basketball team
Aaron Bracy Q&A with Mia Messina
Sportswriter Aaron Bracy ’98, M.S. ’99, is seeing his lifelong dream of writing a book come to life with ‘A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks,’ a book about St. Joe’s 2003-04 men’s basketball team. As a criminal justice major at St. Joe’s, Bracy covered women’s basketball for The Hawk, worked for the sports information office and was involved with the student-run radio station, Radio 1851. Bracy now works full-time as an academic designer for McGraw Hill, freelances for the Associated Press and Hoops HQ, and runs Big 5 Hoops and Bracy Sports Media.
After starting his research in late November 2023, Bracy conducted over 90 interviews for the book before shifting to writing. Bracy began the writing process in May 2024 and finished the book by August 2024, to be released March 1. The Hawk spoke to Bracy about his process and what it was like to achieve this long-held goal.
I love reading. I love books. And to have a book with my name on it, there are no words that can describe the feeling.” – Aaron Bracy
2/23/25: Philly Sports Network
“A Soaring Season”: Book Recommendation
By Kyle Fisher
Bracy’s new book is called A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks and spans more than 200 pages. I attended the official book launch on Saturday, February 22, at the Wynnefield Public Library that sits right on the edge of the university’s campus. Members of the team, like Pat Carroll, Tyrone Barley, and Dave Mallon (among others), along with their head coach, Phil Martelli, joined Aaron to celebrate the regaling of that magical run to the Elite Eight.
As Aaron read the prologue, it was clear that the format was enticing—the entire room rumbled about wanting to hear the author deliver the next words while applauding. Without giving anything away, the format is Tarantino-esque, describing in great detail the final moments of that historic season before leaving those who don’t know the result with a cliffhanger before going through the important moments leading up to and during the season.
Click HERE to read the full review.
…it truly is an exceptional read from a wonderful author. … I can’t recommend the book enough …” -KYLE FISHER, Philly Sports Network
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Review: Book Recommendation: “A Soaring Season, The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks”
By Kevin Kinkead
One of the things about the top-heavy nature of Philly sports is that when the four major pie is eaten, there’s not much left for everyone else. That’s a stupid way of saying that when we write all of our stories about the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers, the other teams don’t get a lot of attention. That goes for the Union, Wings, Big 5, high school sports, and whatever else is out there.
So it was good to see local sportswriter and hoops aficionado Aaron Bracy dive into the 2003-2004 St. Joe’s Hawks, who went on one of the most enjoyable runs in Philadelphia sports history. His new book is called A Soaring Season, The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks, and spans more than 200 well-written pages.
What’s cool about the book is the way it’s structured.
Click HERE to read the full review.
It’s an enjoyable book. Would recommend, even if you’re not a Big 5 fan or a basketball fan.” — KEVIN KINKEAD, Crossing Broad
Review: ‘A Soaring Season,’ by longtime Philly sports journalist Aaron Bracy
By John Foley
You may think you know the story of Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Phil Martelli, and the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks men’s basketball team. But Aaron Bracy’s meticulous work for A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks, fills in details that will surprise even the most ardent St. Joe’s fan.
“They can’t round out the characters, tug at your heartstrings, and keep a reader turning pages the way this book does. Bracy’s attention to detail is matched only by his expert storytelling.”. — JOHN FOLEY, On Pattison
Bracy, who has covered Philadelphia sports for nearly 30 years, conducts the deepest of dives into the Hawks’ magical run to a 27-0 regular season record and unanimous No. 1 ranking. Though the team dropped a game in the Atlantic 10 tournament and ultimately suffered a heartbreaking finale in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament, the season was a ride for the ages.
Click HERE to read the full review.
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Local journalist captures St. Joe’s spirit in book about its winningest time in basketball
By Dan McCarty
The 2003-2004 season was a memorable one for the St. Joe’s University Hawks men’s basketball team. Two decades later, readers will be able to relive the era and learn more about it in Aaron Bracy’s A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-2004 Saint Joseph’s Hawks.
Bracy’s work is slated to be published on March 1, just in time for March Madness. It did not happen overnight. When working on his piece, Bracy conducted more than 100 interviews with 90 people all sharing various thoughts on how this Hawks basketball team went 27-0 that year and nationally ranked No. 1.
“All were key to the telling of the story,” said Bracy.
Click HERE to read the full story.
Book Reviews
Dan Baker’s Review
Of A Soaring Season, longtime Phillies PA announcer and former Big 5 Executive Secretary Dan Baker says it is “masterfully detailed.” “You can’t put it down once you pick it up.”
Click HERE for my story on Baker’s review.
Read Baker’s full review below:
“In the quickly changing world of college basketball, take a moment to enjoy this Philadelphia treasure masterfully detailed by sportswriter/author Aaron Bracy. A Soaring Season tells the magnificent story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks, led by All-American guard Jameer Nelson. The team was coached brilliantly by Phil Martelli, whose close working relationship with athletic director Don DiJulia accomplished so much! The Hawks were undefeated in the regular season and ranked #1 in the country! What else did it take for all of this to come to pass? What place does it hold in Saint Joseph’s basketball history? Aaron tells you all about it. You won’t put the book down!”
Select Book Interviews
-7/18/25: I joined Sorgi & Friends. Click HERE to watch on YouTube.
-5/23/25: I joined Jaden Daly of Daily Dose of Hoops to talk about A Soaring Season. Click HERE to listen on Apple podcasts.
-3/28/25: I joined the Natalie Pantaleo Podcast to talk about A Soaring Season, writing, and college basketball. Click HERE to listen or watch below.
-3/20/25: I joined the Mike Missanelli Show on 97.5 The Fanatic to talk about A Soaring Season and the NCAA tournament. Click HERE to listen.
-3/14/25: I joined the guys from WWDB (860-AM) to talk A Soaring Season and college hoops. Click HERE to listen or watch below.
-3/12/25: I joined Gordon Jones’s After the Buzzer podcast to talk about A Soaring Season. Click HERE to listen.
-3/11/25: I joined Alex Reich of Hoop Talk Fanatics to talk A Soaring Season. Click HERE to listen or watch below.
-3/6/25: Make a Difference with Phil Martelli Podcast: I joined Phil Martelli and Jared Phillips to talk about A Soaring Season. Click HERE or below to listen/watch on YouTube.
–2/28/25: The Steve Jones Show: I joined The Steve Jones Show to talk about the book. Click HERE or below to listen to the interview.
–2/7/25, The Maza Musings Podcast: I joined The Maza Musings Podcast to talk about The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks. Listen to the full episode on YouTube by clicking HERE or below.
–1/1/25, Hawk Talk Podcast: I joined the guys from the Hawk Talk Podcast to talk about the book and the state of the current Saint Joseph’s Hawks. Click HERE to listen on Spotify.
–9/4/24: Big 5 Podcast
-8/13/24: Bracy Sports Media Podcast interview with Jeanne Bracy
A Soaring Season is currently available for purchase. Use the button below to order a copy!.