PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will begin Atlantic 10 play on Thursday evening when it hosts George Washington at 8 PM. The game will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network.
George Washington Colonials (12-2, 0-0 A-10) at La Salle Explorers (7-6, 0-0 A-10)
Thursday, January 9, 2013 | 8 PM | Tom Gola Arena
Buy Tickets
TV: NBC Sports Network (Steve Schlanger, Stan Van Gundy)
NBCSN Channel Finder | NBC Sports Live Extra video stream (Free)
| Live Extra mobile app download
Radio: 990 AM WNTP (
Kale Beers, Steve Degler)
Audio Stream: Click Here (Free)
Live Stats | Media Stats | Text Alerts
Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay
La Salle Alumni Pre-Game Reception, 6 PM, Hall of Athletes
Game Notes
La Salle |
George Washington
Last Time Out
The Explorers kicked off the New Year with a strong performance against Penn. The Blue and Gold controlled play from the opening tip, easily dispatching the Quakers 76-57 at The Palestra to even their Big 5 record at 1-1. Junior
Jerrell Wright paced the Explorers with a career-high 21 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Seniors
Tyreek Duren and
Tyrone Garland both added 14 points, each knocking down three three-pointers apiece.
All-Time Series
The Blue and Gold swept the season series against the Colonials last season and has won four straight. Six players scored double-figures, with
Ramon Galloway and
D.J. Peterson each pouring in 15, in the Explorers 80-71 victory at Charles E. Smith Center on February 20. Galloway topped that performance with 29 points, while
Tyreek Duren added 19 points and seven assists, in the Explorers 84-70 victory at Tom Gola Arena on March 6. GW leads the series 20-14.
Coach's Corner
Head Coach
Dr. John Giannini on…
...his team's progress:
We've been practicing well. We've been working hard. I think we've been getting healthy. I think we've been getting better. But that was absolutely necessary because we're pretty disappointed in our non-conference record. We have a lot of work to do if we want to become a postseason team. We're extremely glad and unsurprised that the A-10 is so strong once again. I think it gives us a chance to rebound I think it gives all the teams a chance to really contend for postseason berths because every game you're playing is a top-100 or top-50 game and there's no way you're going to finish high in this league and not be strongly considered for postseason play. Of course, the challenge is a very good team is going to finish in 10th 11th, too. So, things are about to get harder but we're excited about the opportunity.
...the role of
Tyreek Duren:
We only lost one key player last year in Ramon Galloway but yet our team's very different. And we really didn't expect losing one player, even though he was a truly outstanding one like Ramon, would impact us so much. But as we thought more about it, we almost lost Ramon and Tyreek. Tyreek had plantar fasciitis since May and it's really only been in the last two, three weeks that he's been anything near his normal self. So, I think not having Tyreek, who was a preseason first-team all-Atlantic 10 guy, playing at his usual level really hurt us. We all need our best players to play well and Tyreek's one of those rare players that he helps everyone else play well too. He gets people open shots and gives them confidence so we're really optimistic about our team right now largely because we see Tyreek getting better. And you're right, when you have not only a leader like him but a player like him and he's performing well, it just makes a huge difference.
...what to expect from GW:
They're tremendous. The quality of their wins and their record speak for themselves. They're big, they're really big at every position. That size helps them in terms of rebounding and defense. They use their length, they use their size well. It's hard to score against them inside. They're an outstanding rebounding team. So, the size, strength, and toughness they have really weighs in their favor. Offensively, they play very smart. They have great role definition, everyone does what they do well. And I think adding Maurice Creek is a huge addition because not only is he an outstanding player but his shooting stretches the defense. I think he's a big upgrade for them.
...the strength of the A-10:
It's really balanced. I don't think anyone's established themselves as a dominant team but there's no question there's a large number of very, very good teams and teams like us that have very good potential even though we haven't played that well yet. But it's not any different than recent years, honestly.
Scouting the Explorers
La Salle will see the hardwood for only the second time in 17 days when it takes on GW on Thursday evening. With the Colonials, the Explorers open up a stretch of three conference games in seven days.
The Blue and Gold rank third in the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage (.705), third in offensive rebounds/game (13.8), fifth in offensive rebound percentage (.361), and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.2). The Explorers have ridden the strength of junior
Steve Zack on the glass who comes in second in the conference in rebounds/game (9.3). He has amassed double-figure rebound outings in six of his last eight games.
Frontcourt partner, junior
Jerrell Wright continues to be a force inside, ranking second on the team in points/game (13.7) and rebounds/game (6.3). He ranks seventh in the A-10 in field goal percentage (.571) and offensive rebounds/game (2.7). Wright is averaging 17.4 points/game over his last five.
Senior
Tyrone Garland continues to pace the squad in scoring at 13.8 points/game. He has been in double figures in 10 of 13 games this season. Senior
Tyreek Duren ranks third in the league in minutes/game (35.4) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.3). Duren's activity on defense has aided the Explorers on the perimeter, averaging a team-high 1.7 steals/game. His 13.0 points/game are third-most on the team while his 46 assists lead the squad.
Scouting the Colonials
George Washington has gotten off to a fast start this season, entering Thursday night's matchup with a record of 12-2. The Colonials have performed well against their non-conference slate, with marquee wins over Creighton, Miami and Maryland on its non-conference resume. Like La Salle, George Washington is already 1-0 in 2014, thumping Georgia 73-55 last Friday.
The Colonials rank middle of the A-10 pack in most offensive categories, but have shown to be a potent perimeter offense. While they rank only seventh in three-point field goals, averaging 5.9 per contest, they are second in the conference in three-point percentage. The Colonials knock down shots from beyond the arc at a 38.5% (82-of-213) clip, which could prove lethal if the Colonials are able to find a hot stroke from long range.
Defensively, the Colonials have proved to be stout this season. Led by A-10 Preseason All-Defensive Team and A-10 Preseason Second Team selection Isaiah Armwood, the Colonials rank second in the conference in both blocks/game (5.6) and steals/game (8.1).
Graduate guard Maurice Creek paces the Colonials backcourt. He ranks seventh in the Atlantic 10 in scoring average, netting 16.0 points per contest. He has been especially lethal from range, ranking third in the conference in three-point makes (37) and seventh in three-point percentage (42.5%).
Kethan Savage and Joe McDonald join Creek to form a formidable backcourt. Savage ranks second on the team and 14
th in the Atlantic 10 with a scoring average of 14.1 points/game. Beyond just scoring, Savage's presence is felt all over the stat sheet as he averages 4.5 rebounds/game, 2.6 assists/game, and is fifth in the Atlantic 10 averaging 1.9 steals/game.
McDonald does not light up the scoreboard with regularity, but has been a prudent facilitator and distributor for the George Washington attack. He ranks seventh in the conference averaging 4.3 assists/game, while ranking sixth in the conference with a 2.2:1 assist/turnover ratio. Like Savage, McDonald has been a terror on defense; he ranks third in the A-10 swiping 2.0 steals/game on average.
Armwood paces the frontcourt for the Colonials. The 6-9 senior forward is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.1 points per contest. He leads the conference with 37 blocked shots, while ranking second with a 2.6 blocks/game average. He ranks sixth in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 7.4 boards per contest.
Up Next
The Explorers will head west to Pittsburgh, Pa for their Atlantic 10 road opener at Duquesne on Sunday January 12. Opening tip is scheduled for 2:30pm with the game be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network.
