St. Joseph's Hawks

1. They Were Nearly "The Bomb." The famed Hawk mascot turned 50 this year, but the team nickname has been around since 1929, when a student yearbook editor started a contest for naming the athletic teams. "Hawks" just barely beat out "Grenadiers," the name of World War I soldiers who specialized in tossing grenades. "Hawks" was chosen in part to symbolize the aerial attack of the football team. Ten years after the name was chosen, football was discontinued and the Hawks haven't fielded a varsity team on the gridiron in more than six decades.

2. They Are So Smart ... S-M-R-T. Senior G/F Chet Stachitas is a perennial Academic All-American candidate, and his fans follow suit. Chet has his own customized cheer in which students spell and chant his name (imagine the New York Jets). Four students even wore "C," "H," "E," and "T" shirts during the 2003-04 undefeated season, and before the Hawks' Sweet 16 victory over Texas Tech, they wandered over to the Red Raiders' fan section, rearranged themselves, and chanted "T-E-C-H Sucks! Sucks! Sucks!" Who needs cheat sheets on being a fan?

3. Those Jesuits Know Their Basketball. Saint Joseph's is one of a slew teams from Jesuit-run schools who are always in the mix for NCAA tournament play. This year alone, the Hawks join Gonzaga, Boston College, Marquette and Georgetown in the tourney. The smaller schools are known for playing spoiler for big-conference teams. Of course, one of the biggest upsets in memory was over a Jesuit team ('Nova over G'town in '85). But Hawks fans don't like to talk about Villanova. That's a tidbit that everyone already knows. — Jeff Martin