PHILADELPHIA, PA – The 12th-seeded La Salle men's basketball team (9-22, 5-13 A-10) travels to Pittsburgh, PA, to battle No. 13 seed St. Bonaventure (15-16, 4-14 A-10) in the first round of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
What's Up, Dock?
During A-10 play, redshirt sophomore guard Rob Dockery is averaging a team-high 15.4 points, a team-high 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and a team-high 1.7 steals per game while shooting a team-best 49.7% from the field.
Against Saint Joseph's, Dockery delivered his sixth 20+ point performance of the season, finishing with a game-high 25 points while adding seven rebounds. It also marked his fourth game with 25 or more points. All six of Dockery's 20+ point performances this season have occurred during A-10 play.
In his last five games, Dockery is averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. He is also shooting 81.8% (44-of-54) from the free-throw line during that span.
On Monday afternoon, Dockery was named Big 5 Rookie of the Week after a pair of 25-point outings against Saint Joseph's and Fordham.
Walker Continues To Impress
Freshman guard Ashton Walker leads all A-10 freshmen in minutes played (840), assists (94), assists per game (3.0), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9).
During his rookie season, Walker has been named Big 5 Rookie of the Week twice. He is averaging 10.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over his last seven games, while shooting 44.4% (12-of-27) from 3-point range. Walker will look to regroup against St. Bonaventure after being held scoreless in 34 minutes against Saint Joseph's.
Harris Hitting His Stride
Graduate student guard Truth Harris has scored at least 13 points in four straight contests. Over his last four games, he is averaging 14.5 points and 2.5 assists compared to his season average of 6.3 points per game. He also has 32 3-point field goal attempts in the four-game span. Harris will look to flip the script against St. Bonaventure after being held scoreless against the Bonnies in 16 minutes of action earlier this season.
Injury Bug
La Salle has had 146 games missed by 10 players this season, trailing only Boston U (197 games) and Binghamton (175 games).
Strength of Schedule
This season, La Salle had the strongest strength of schedule (#86 KenPom) in the A-10. In nonconference play, La Salle faced Big South champion High Point, LIU, the NEC's automatic qualifier, No. 3 Michigan, and Villanova, all of whom are projected to compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. As of March 9, Hofstra, Merrimack, Monmouth, Penn, Penn State, and Temple are currently competing in their respective conference tournaments. LIU and Merrimack are in their championship games, while Hofstra, Monmouth, and Penn are in the semifinals.
Starting Shuffle
Through 30 games, the Blue and Gold have rolled out 23 different starting lineups, which is among the highest in the nation. 14 different players have started in a game this season. Only two players (Dockery and Johnson) have started in all 18 conference games. Walker is the only other player to appear in all 18 league games this season.
Floor General
In league play, sophomore guard Jaden Johnson is tied for second in the A-10 with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.8. He also ranks seventh with 74 assists and 4.1 assists per game during A-10 play. Against Saint Joseph's, Johnson finished with 12 points, two assists, and two steals. He has tallied at least five assists in eight different games this season.
La Salle In A-10 Tournament
The Explorers are searching for the their first A-10 championship since joining the league during the 1995-96 season. La Salle reached the semifinals in 2002 and has made 11 quarterfinal appearances. (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2023).
The Series
La Salle leads the all-time series 22-18. The Explorers have won four of the last five meetings, but the Bonnies' last win in the series was a 75-73 victory at the 2024 A-10 tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y. (March 13, 2024).
Last Meeting vs. St. Bonaventure
Earlier this season on Jan. 17, La Salle earned a 78-74 home victory over the Bonnies in a tense matchup at John E. Glaser Arena. La Salle shot 8-of-14 (57.1%) from 3-point range and a perfect 20-for-20 at the free throw line.
Redshirt junior forward Jerome Brewer Jr. had a perfect performance, pouring in a season-high 27 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting night from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range and a 6-for-6 effort at the charity stripe.
Graduate student guard Jaeden Marshall added 23 points and hit a season-high five 3-pointers, including four in the first half.
The Explorers and Bonnies traded the lead 10 times, with the score tied on four occasions. With just under five minutes remaining, Dockery's driving layup pushed La Salle ahead by nine, but St. Bonaventure battled back to close the gap in the final minutes. The game's defining moment came with 36 seconds left when Brewer Jr. drilled a clutch 3-pointer to secure the victory.
Scouting The Bonnies
Senior forward Frank Mitchell leads the A-10 and is 10th in the nation with 10.5 rebounds per game. Mitchell's 4.5 offensive rebounds per game lead the NCAA this season. He ranks third in the A-10 in points per game, averaging 16.4. Mitchell tallied 26 points (12-of-17 FG) and seven rebounds in the first meeting against the Explorers.
Junior guard Darryl "Buddy" Simmons II leads the A-10 with 35.2 minutes per game and 86 3-point field goals. He also ranks fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per contest. La Salle held Simmons II to just four points in 34 minutes back on Jan. 17.
Daniel Provides Spark Off The Bench
Junior forward Edwin Daniel provided a spark off the bench, finishing with seven points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in 19 minutes in the win against Fordham last Wednesday. Against Saint Joseph's, Daniel had six points and five rebounds in 16 minutes. He has blocked at least three shots in six different games.
Kastrat To Coach For Kosovo in FIBA U18 Tournament
La Salle men's basketball assistant coach and general manager Safet Kastrat will be an assistant coach on Kosovo's FIBA U18 team this summer. Kosovo will compete in Division C from July 21-26, 2026, at the U18 EuroBasket Tournament in Shkodra, Albania. The tournament serves as a qualifying event for the FIBA U17 and U19 Basketball World Cup.
Next Up
With a victory, the Explorers will face the No. 5 seed, George Mason, in the second round on Thursday at 2 p.m. Earlier this season, the Patriots escaped Philadelphia with an 80-75 win in the A-10 opener on New Year's Eve.
