La Salle Explorers
Atlantic 10 (21-9, 11-5)
Last season La Salle reached the postseason for the first time since 1992. This year they will try and win their first postseason game since 1990. In an extremely tough Atlantic 10 conference, few expected La Salle to head into March competing for a conference title. The Explorers, for the most part, defended their home floor against some quality teams and beat lower level teams on the road. They also beat VCU on the road for one of their signature victories on the season.
Big Wins: 11/25 Villanova (77-74), 1/23 Butler (54-53), 1/26 at VCU (69-61)
Bad Losses: 11/18 Central Connecticut State (74-81), 1/9 at Charlotte (65-74), 1/19 at Xavier (63-70)
Coach: John Giannini (9 seasons at La Salle)
Why They Can Surprise:
La Salle has one of the most underappreciated backcourts in the nation. Ramon Galloway is a stat-sheet stuff who leads the team in points, assists and steals. Galloway will take a lot of three-pointers and he usually knocks down quite a few of them. But he can use his size and speed to get to the basket as well. Tyreek Duren is still overshadowed by Galloway, but the junior guard is finally getting the accolades he deserves. Duren has been a great passer during the last two seasons, but now he is also a great scorer. Duren’s ability to knock down the long ball has opened up the entire offense, allowing him to get to the basket easier and either finish himself or find an open teammate. Sam Mills will join Galloway and Duren in the starting lineup. Mills is pretty much a sharpshooter offensively, but he is a good glue guy who Coach John Giannini wants on the floor as much as possible. The backcourt strength continues with Virginia Tech transfer Tyrone Garland and sophomore D.J. Peterson. Garland is a tough slasher who can hang right with Galloway and Duren when it comes to scoring. Peterson is not much of a scorer at this point in his career, but he is tough and has some size.
Why They Can Disappoint:
La Salle needs size on the perimeter so they can run a four guard offense. Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack are the only big men who see any significant playing time. Wright, a 6-7 sophomore, is a tough and rugged forward who has developed into a quality scorer in the paint. Zack stands at 6-11 and will occasionally start beside Wright in the frontcourt. Even when Coach Giannini starts Wright and Zack, they are not on the floor at the same time very often. That leaves the Explorers very vulnerable on the glass and defensively against a team that has more than one dangerous interior scorer.
Probable Starters:
Tyreek Duren, Junior, Guard, 15.0 ppg, 3.3 apg
Sam Mills, Junior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 2.3 apg
Ramon Galloway, Senior, Guard, 17.0 ppg, 3.8 apg, 4.6 rpg, 2.0 spg
Jerrell Wright, Sophomore, Forward, 10.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Steve Zack, Sophomore, Center, 6.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Tyrone Garland, Sophomore, Guard, 12.9 ppg, 2.0 apg
D.J. Peterson, Sophomore, Guard, 4.1 ppg, 1.5 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.9 (55th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.9 (158, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.0 (88, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 45.4 (295, 16)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.6 (49, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.3 (48, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.1 (38, 2)
Rebound Margin: -2.4 (266, 14)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (71, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.7 (53, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NIT First Round loss to Minnesota
1992 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Seton Hall
1991 NIT First Round loss to Massachusetts
1990 NCAA Round of 64 win over Southern Mississippi
1990 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Clemson
1989 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Louisiana Tech
1988 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kansas State
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
