The La Salle Explorers will take the bus trip to the Pavilion and take the Villanova Wildcats this Monday evening on FS1. Villanova leads the cross-town Big 5 series 21-5, after winning eight matchups in a row.
La Salle went 11-19 (5-13) last season, and finished tied for 12th in the Atlantic 10 standings. The Explorers defeated St. Joe’s in the A10 tournament, but after losing to Saint Louis, they missed the postseason for the ninth year in a row. This summer, La Salle called on longtime PA head ball coach Fran Dunphy to return to his alma mater and get things turned around. Dunphy has extensive experience within the Big 5, with standout terms at Penn and Temple under his resume, compiling a 580-325 record along the way.
The Explorers only scored 67.5 points per game last season, and they lost their top two scorers from last season in Jack Clark and Christian Moore. Josh Nickelberry (11.2 ppg) returns as the veteran of the group after transferring over from Louisville last season, and will likely have a bigger role offensively. La Salle will also look for more from guards Khalil Brantley (7.9 ppg) and Jhamir Brickues (9.2 ppg, 3.5 apg), with the former set to enter a starting role. The Explorers were able to add some size with Hassan and Fousseyni Drame, with both former St. Peter’s Peacocks likely to start up front.
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