Phil Martelli moment resurfaces: 10-year anniversary of the Spokane exchange
phil martelli is trending again on the 10-year anniversary of a quirky Spokane exchange that took place during St. Joe’s NCAA tournament trip. The moment is being revisited today as a snapshot of the Hawks’ run that started with a first-round win over Cincinnati. The anniversary chatter is also pulling fresh attention back to what that season meant for St. Joe’s—and how long it has been since the program returned to the tournament as of this writing at 8: 30 PM ET.
What happened in Spokane and why it is back now
The resurfaced exchange centers on a postgame media moment in Spokane, where a reporter had his feet up on a chair and the interaction took a turn that people still describe as memorable a decade later. The anniversary post being circulated frames it as a “quirky” archive find, the kind of clip that lives on because it caught an unguarded, human beat rather than a rehearsed sports cliché.
What is clear from the record: St. Joe’s traveled to Spokane for the NCAA tournament seeded eighth in the West, then advanced by beating Cincinnati in the first round. The anniversary revisiting emphasizes the contrast between that peak and the drought that followed, noting that St. Joe’s has not been back to the NCAA tournament since that moment.
phil martelli and the season that produced the run
Beyond the Spokane exchange, the anniversary recap points directly to the quality of that St. Joe’s team. It finished 24-7 in the regular season and went 13-5 in the Atlantic 10, placing fourth in the conference standings. The Hawks then went on a conference tournament surge, beating George Washington, Dayton, and VCU to win the Atlantic 10 tournament and secure their second March Madness bid in three seasons.
In the NCAA tournament, St. Joe’s beat Cincinnati in what was described as a thriller, then played Oregon tough before losing by five in a game framed as being effectively in Oregon’s backyard. The roster details highlighted in the anniversary look-back included DeAndre Bembry, Isaiah Miles, Shavar Newkirk, and Aaron Brown, along with “decent role players. ” Bembry later went into the NBA as a first-round pick, while Miles was credited with 18. 1 points per game and 38. 5% shooting from three, followed by a career in Europe and continued playing.
The renewed focus on phil martelli is less about a single line in a press setting and more about the broader memory it triggers: a specific tournament week, a specific team arc, and a reminder of how quickly a defining season can slide into history.
Immediate reactions and named voices connected to the moment
The reporter involved in the Spokane exchange is identified as Sean Kramer. The anniversary recap says Kramer is now living in Taiwan and teaching English, and it references his past work experience that included a stint as a sports desk clerk at The Seattle Times and later freelance work tied to a rugby publication before moving overseas. No new on-the-record comment from Kramer was provided in the context available as of 8: 30 PM ET.
The anniversary post also includes biographical information about Kevin Kinkead, who is described as having written about Philadelphia sports since 2009, spending seven years in the CBS 3 sports department, and working with the Union during the team’s 2010 inaugural season. Those details are presented as part of the archival framing around why the moment was being unearthed and reshared now.
Quick context
The Spokane exchange is being marked specifically as a 10-year anniversary tied to St. Joe’s 2016 tournament trip and Atlantic 10 title run. The resurfacing also lands in a broader March sports window where conference tournaments and postseason memories compete for attention.
What’s next
Expect the anniversary clip and related screenshots to keep circulating through the night as fans revisit the Spokane setting, the Cincinnati win, and the Oregon loss that followed. For St. Joe’s supporters, the conversation is likely to keep returning to the same pivot point—how that run has stood for a decade—while phil martelli remains at the center of the remembered moment as this anniversary cycle continues beyond 8: 30 PM ET.
