Philadelphia, PA – The La Salle men's basketball team will take on Villanova in a Big 5 showdown at John E. Glaser Arena on Wednesday at 7 pm on CBSSN.

Walker Continues To Impress

Freshman Ashton Walker continues to have a strong start to his collegiate career. Walker's assist/turnover ratio of 3.14 leads all players in the Atlantic 10, while his 22 assists on the season are 50^th in the nation. Amongst La Salle players with 20 or more field goal attempts, Walker leads the way with a shooting percentage of 50% (15-30).

Getting To The Line

La Salle's 19.8 made free throws per game are good for 59^th in the country. The Explorers convert on 77.5% of free throw attempts, which is 49^th nationally. Under Darris Nichols, Radford was 20th in the country in free throw attempts in 2024-25.

Acker Heating Up

After one point in the first two games of the season, junior Eric Acker is averaging 10 points per game in the last two games. Acker converted on 2-3 attempts from distance against Penn State and added five assists.

The Villanova Connection

Wednesday's game features familiar faces on both sides. La Salle Vice President of Athletics & Recreation and Director of Athletics Ashwin Puri served as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Athletics Operating Officer at Villanova prior to his arrival at 20^th and Olney and was the sport administrator for the Wildcats' men's basketball program. Four other members of the Explorers' athletic leadership teams previously worked at Villanova. Current Wildcats assistant coach Ashley Howard served as an assistant and as the head coach at La Salle.

The Fortress

The Explorers are 2-0 on the year at home and 12-5 overall at John E. Glaser Arena, which opened last year.

The Magic Formula

The Explorers are 2-0 on the season when leading at halftime and committing fewer turnovers than their opponent.

Rebound That Jawn

The Explorers have outrebounded their opponents in three of their first four games. La Salle's 20 offensive rebounds against Monmouth were the most since January 9, 2013 against Charlotte.

Success From Long Range

At 39.7%, La Salle's three-point percentage is second in the Atlantic 10 and 40^th in the country.

Scouting The Wildcats

Villanova enters Wednesday's contest with a 3-1 record. This marks the Wildcats' first Big 5 game of the season and first true road game of the season.

The Series

Wednesday's game marks the 72^nd all-time meeting between the two teams and first at La Salle since 2014. The Explorers are seeking their first win over the Wildcats since 2012. Villanova leads the all-time series 44-27.

Next Up

The Explorers will play host to Lancaster Bible on Saturday, with tip-off set for 5:00 pm at John E. Glaser Arena.