PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will play its first home game in nearly three weeks on Saturday as the Explorers play host to Big 5 rival Temple at John Glaser Arena. Both teams are 1-0 in Big 5 play, meaning the winner will face the Saint Joseph's Hawks in the Big 5 Championship game next weekend. Additionally, John Giannini, who coached La Salle from 2004-18, will be honored before the game. Giannini is set to be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame at the Big 5 Classic.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The game audio will also be streamed with Kale Beers and Richie Tarr providing play-by-play and color commentary. Additionally, Explorers fans can follow the team on X/Twitter @LaSalle_MBB and Instagram @LaSalleMBB.
LAST TIME OUT – THE BOARDWALK BATTLE
- After an explosive start to the season, La Salle had mixed results at the Boardwalk Battle in Daytona Beach, earning a 1-2 record in the tournament.
- The Explorers fell in contests to tournament champion UC San Diego, as well as UIC, but scored 92 points in a win over Stetson to close the event out.
- Several members of the Blue and Gold put together career-best outings in the three games. Mac Etienne set a new career-high in both points (12) and rebounds (9) in the victory over Stetson while playing in front of his father for the first time in his college career.
- Standout freshman guard Deuce Jones set a new benchmark in rebounds in the opening game against UCSD, with eight. He followed up the next day against UIC with a career-high 21 points and tied his best in assists with four.
- Corey McKeithan saw the star of the tournament for La Salle. The guard scored 17.7 points per game over the three contests, including setting new career-highs in points (27), three-pointers made (5) and free throws made (6) in the win over Stetson. It is the highest-scoring performance since guard Jhamir Brickus set a Big 5 single-game scoring record against Temple last season.
NEWS AND NOTES
- There are several Temple connections across the Explorers. Most notable in forward Jahlil White. White, who ranks second in scoring for La Salle (12.6) and leads the squad in rebounding (6.1), spent four years at Temple before moving up Broad Street.
- Between La Salle men's and women's basketball, the Explorers have yet to lose in John Glaser Arena, clocking in at a perfect 6-0.
- McKeithan is firmly on the path to establishing himself as a star in the Atlantic-10. The transfer guard checks in in the top ten in points (17.7/7th), 3 point FGs (2.4/8th), and minutes (33.7/7th) and while ranking in the top 15 in several other areas.
- The Explorers have established themselves as a premier ball control team. La Salle ranks third in the league in turnovers per game (10.9) and have flipped the script in a major way from a season ago, grabbing 39.6 per game, also third in the conference.
- A pair of starters, Andres Marrero and Daeshon Shepherd, have found their rhythm as of late. After a slow start to the season, Marrero scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time since December of last year in Daytona. The guard tied his career-high in rebounds as well against Stetson.
- Similar to Marrero, Shepherd has found his rhythm recently after a slow pair of games. The four-year Explorer has posted season-high in nearly every statistical category in the last two games. He is averaging 10.9 points per contest.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
- Temple is 4-2 on the year following last season's epic run to the AAC title game after starting the tournament as a 13 seed.
- The Owls have dropped 2 of its last 3 games, albeit, in close games to a pair of ACC opponents in Boston College and Florida State. Most recently, Temple defeated A-10 foe UMass, 87-80. It was the first of at least four A-10 games this season.
- The story of the Owls so far this season has without question been the performance of Jamal Mashburn Jr. Mashburn, whose father was an NBA All-Star, is 7th in the nation in points per game (23.3). He is one of three Owls scoring in double figures alongside returners Steve Settle III and Philly native Zion Stanford.
- Adam Fisher coaches Temple in his second season overall as a head coach. Fisher, a native of nearby Bucks County, Pa., is 20-22 on North Broad.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST TEMPLE
- Temple and La Salle, two original Philadelphia Big 5 members, began the series in 1899.
- Temple leads the series, 81-42.
- The two sides in one of the greatest games in Big 5 history last season at Liacouras Center, with the Owls claiming victory in a triple overtime duel, 106-99. It was just the third triple overtime in Big 5 history, and the first since 1980, and was the second-most combined points in a Big 5 game behind only La Salle-Villanova's triple-overtime battle in 1958.
- Guard Jhamir Brickus set the Big 5 single-game scoring record of 41 points in the affair.
