PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team will begin its much anticipated 2013-14 season on Saturday, November 2 vs. Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an exhibition game. Admission is free to the game for all fans. The Explorers will begin their regular season a week later at home vs. Manhattan.
IUP Crimson Hawks vs. La Salle Explorers
Saturday, November 2, 2013 | 2 PM | Tom Gola Arena
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Exhibition Rewind
The Explorers opened the 2012-13 season with an exhibition contest against Carleton University. The Blue & Gold outlasted the Ravens 61-58, with senior guard Ramon Galloway icing the victory on a contested runner in the lane with thirteen seconds remaining. Galloway posted 28 points and five rebounds on the evening, foreshadowing what would be a dazzling final season for the graduated Explorer in which he averaged 17.2 ppg and 4.6 rpg, leading La Salle to a berth in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
All-Time Series
The Explorers have never matched up against IUP in program history. However, La Salle is 58-8 all-time against current PSAC members. The Explorers' last matchup against a current PSAC opponent came in 1982, with the Blue & Gold scoring a victory over West Chester 71-56.
Coach's Corner
Head coach Dr. John Giannini on...
...moving forward after last season's successes:
You can never live in the past. I'm tired of talking about last year just because I know how important this year is. We'll always have those memories but it's not going to help us win a single game this year.
...handling high expectations:
It doesn't matter. I don't think one season bears on the next at all. The reason that I think we've progressed is because we have been focused and motivated.
...how practice is going and keys to the season:
They show up and work hard. They listen and want to be good. It's pretty much the same group. The keys are simple – stay healthy and win close games. We're veteran, talented, and motivated but our competition is tremendous.
...replacing Ramon Galloway:
Khalid was with us last year. He'll play a lot. He's hurt right now but we're hopeful of getting him back soon. He gives us the same level of defense that Ramon did and the same level of playmaking. We think Tyrone [Garland] can pick up some of that and Jerrell Wright is on the verge of being an elite player and we think Steve Zack can do a little more for us offensively.
Scouting the Explorers
La Salle returns 76 percent of its scoring from last season's 24-win team that reached the Sweet 16. Picked to finish third in the A-10 preseason poll, the Blue and Gold will be anchored by senior point guard Tyreek Duren, a preseason first-team all-conference choice. Duren averaged 14.3 points/game and 3.3 assists/game last season and enters the year ninth in La Salle history in assists (392) and steals (176) and 27th in points (1,259).
Senior Tyrone Garland will look to fill the shoes of Ramon Galloway, who led the squad in scoring last season (17.2 ppg). Garland poured in 13.0 points/game a season ago and led the team in points per 40 minutes (21.2). His "Southwest Philly Floater" propelled the Explorers over Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament and into the Sweet 16. Garland was a third-team all-A10 preseason selection.
Juniors Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack will provide the size for La Salle this season, both coming off breakout sophomore years. Wright averaged 10.8 points/game and led the Explorers in rebounding (6.7 rpg) last year. He enjoyed a coming-out-party in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.0 points/game including a 21 & 8 outing in La Salle's victory over K-State in the second round. Wright was tabbed an A-10 preseason third-team choice. Zack led the team in blocks (36) and finished second in rebounds/game (6.4) last year. The Red Land product pulled down double-digit rebounds four times and chipped in 6.4 points/game as well.
Senior Sam Mills and junior D.J. Peterson will augment the Explorer backcourt with their staunch defense and pinpoint accuracy from long range. Peterson ranked second on the team last year in three point field goal percentage (40%) while Mills came in fourth (38%). Peterson ranked in the top-five nationally in assist/turnover ratio. Mills logged the second-most minutes/game on the team (33.6) and averaged 8.0 points/game.
Redshirt sophomore Khalid Lewis, redshirt sophomore Rohan Brown, redshirt senior Taylor Dunn, and redshirt freshman Jermaine Davis will each play big roles off the bench. Lewis, a Delaware transfer, redshirted last year and will look to spell Duren at times with his ability to handle the ball. He started 32 games for Delaware as a true freshman in 2011-2. Brown was one of La Salle's defensive specialists last season, showing his versatility in the post as well as the perimeter. Dunn played in 24 games and sports one of the team's smoothest strokes from behind the arc. Davis redshirted last year provides the Blue and Gold with much needed front court depth.
Head coach Dr. John Giannini is in his tenth season as the head coach at La Salle. Giannini guided last year's team to a #24 national ranking in the final USA Today/Coaches Poll. Giannini is two wins from tying Ken Loeffler for second-most among La Salle coaches in program history.
Scouting the Crimson Hawks
Coach Joe Lombardi will make his long awaited return to Tom Gola Arena on Saturday afternoon. He will enter his eighth season as head coach of the Crimson Hawks at a site where he developed the skills that have translated to an extremely successful head coaching career. Lombardi was an assistant coach for the Explorers from '01-'03, one stop on a long road of positions that have landed him at the helm of the Crimson Hawks. Lombardi has enjoyed an extremely successful tenure at IUP since his hiring in April of 2006. Taking over a team that was hit with crippling sanctions, he quickly turned the program into a perennial national power. In '09-'10 season he led the program to a school record 33 wins and the Division II National Championship game, only the second time a PSAC member had participated in the finals. He was named '09-'10 Division II National Coach of the Year by Basketball Times. He has led IUP to the Division II NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons.
The Crimson Hawks enter the 2013-14 season with lofty expectations, following an extremely successful 2012-13 campaign. They went 26-6 a season ago, en-route to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title and a Division II Sweet 16 appearance, finishing the season ranked 10th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 poll. The PSAC title was the Crimson Hawks third in the last four seasons. IUP enters the 2013-14 campaign ranked 15th in the NABC preseason pool and are the favorites to repeat as PSAC champions.
While the Crimson Hawks have lost some significant contributors from last year's squad to graduation, they do return 48% of the team's scoring and 45% of the team's rebounding from a season ago.
Star senior guard Mathis Keita headlines the group of returning players. The Gonzaga transfer did it all for the Crimson Hawks a season ago, pacing the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg) and assists (3.3 apg). He was named to the All-PSAC West first team and earned PSAC Tournament MVP honors. Keita enters his senior year a preseason All-American honorable mention.
Complimenting Keita in the backcourt is the return of junior guard Devante Chance. He led the Crimson Hawks in both steals (42; 1.35 spg) and assists (103; 3.3 apg) in 2012-2013, while also contributing 6.6 ppg.
IUP also returns their biggest frontcourt presence in senior forward Marcel Souberbielle. The Uruguay native averaged 10.8 ppg, while chipping in 4.5 boards per contest. He led all returning Crimson Hawks, shooting 46.2% from the field and a solid 78.8% from the charity stripe a season ago.
Up Next
The Explorers will host the home opener to their 2013-14 regular season schedule, a 2:00 pm matchup against the Manhattan Jaspers on Saturday, November 9. Tickets still remain for this match-up by visiting www.goexplorers.com/buytickets.
