Philadelphia, PA – The La Salle men's basketball team will open the 2025-26 season against Coppin State at John E. Glaser Arena on Wednesday at 6:30 pm on ESPN+.
A New Era
Wednesday's lid-lifter marks the first game under new head coach Darris Nichols, the 21
st head men's basketball coach in La Salle history.
Nichols most recently served as the head coach at Radford University, where he amassed two 20-win seasons in four years (68-63), including a 20-13 record during the 2024-25 season.
Nichols shined as a student-athlete in the Big East as a four-year standout at West Virginia. His coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach at Florida, Louisiana Tech, Wofford, and Northern Kentucky. He was named to ESPN.com's prestigious 40 Under 40 list in the summer of 2020 as one of the most influential people in the game of college men's basketball.
Last Time Out
While Wednesday marks the official start of the regular season, fans got to see the Explorers in action for the first time in an exhibition game last Wednesday. Four Explorers scored in double figures, led by redshirt sophomore
Rob Dockery and graduate student
Jaeden Marshall, who scored 17 points apiece, as La Salle cruised to a 99-68 victory over Ursinus. Graduate student
Josiah Harris added 13 points, while redshirt junior
Jerome Brewer Jr. contributed 11 points. Graduate student
Justin Archer led the Explorers with seven rebounds, with Dockery adding a team-leading six assists.
A Unique Schedule
The first schedule of the Darris Nichols era has an emphasis on local games, as the Explorers will not leave the city of Philadelphia until December 13. Non-conference action features two games at Xfinity Mobile Arena and three games at the Palestra for the Cathedral Classic.
La Salle will have a 39-day gap between home games against Lancaster Bible (11/22) and George Mason (12/31), which is believed to be the longest gap between home games in the country.
An (Almost) Entirely New Squad
Junior
Eric Acker is the lone returner on the La Salle roster, which features 16 newcomers. This year's roster features five graduate students and two seniors, giving the Explorers veteran leadership. Overall, La Salle's veterans have scored 4,793 collegiate points.
Among the newcomers, graduate students
Josiah Harris,
Truth Harris, and
Justin Archer all previously played for Nichols at Radford.
The 2025-26 Explorers feature eight players who are listed at 6'7" or taller.
The Magic Formula
The winning strategy for the Explorers is no secret – "Rebound That Jawn" and get to the free throw line.
Under Darris Nichols, Radford was 20
th in the country in free throw attempts in 2024-25, with 25% of fouls drawn coming from offensive rebounds.
Against Ursinus, La Salle held a 55-24 edge on the glass, grabbed 22 offensive boards, and attempted 40 free throws.
Opening The Season
The Explorers are 4-1 in their last five home openers and 2-3 in their last five season openers.
A season ago, La Salle opened its new home, John E. Glaser Arena, taking the victory over the American Eagles, 65-52.
Head Coach Darris Nichols is 1-3 as a head coach in season-opening games, but won all four of his home openers at Radford.
The Series
The Explorers and Eagles will met for the third time in history on Wednesday, with the all-time series tied at 1-1. The last time the two teams met, Fran Dunphy earned the 600th win of his illustrious career as the Explorers defeated Coppin State, 81-62, in 2023. In 2006, Coppin State earned a 69-68 victory over the Blue and Gold.
Scouting The Eagles
Coppin State finished the 2024-25 season with a 6-24 record and opened the season on Monday at Maryland, falling 83-61. The Eagles were picked to finish eighth in the MEAC preseason poll Coppin State's Khali Horton was named to the MEAC Preseason All-Conference First Team while Taj Thweatt earned Second Team recognition.
Up Next
La Salle will host Monmouth on Saturday at 3:30 pm as part of La Salle University's homecoming festivities.
