La Salle beats Fordham as L-Train & Co. honored at halftime

Courtesy of La Salle athletics

Philadelphia, PA -- Sophomore Jordan Price finished with 15 points to lead the La Salle Explorers to a 60-49 victory over the Fordham Rams in an Atlantic 10 Conference battle at Tom Gola Arena.

It was a fortuitous result for a program which decided to dip into its glorious past on Saturday afternoon, honoring the mythical 1989-90 team which saw its memorable season come to a swift halt early in the NCAA Tournament. 

For the Explorers (10-8, 2-3 A-10), Cleon Roberts added 12 points with six rebounds and Jerrell Wright chipped in with 11 points. The hosts' defensive prowess can't be overlooked, as the 49 points marked the fewest La Salle has allowed since giving up 44 in a win over UMass in February of 2006.

Eric Paschall led all scorers with 25 points to pace the Rams (5-11, 0-5), while Ryan Rhoomes finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Explorers opened the game on a 17-2 run thanks to eight points from Price, and went into halftime holding a 30-21 advantage. They hit on 44 percent of their shots from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. The Rams shot just 32 percent from the field, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range.

In the break, the school paused to recognize former head coach William "Speedy" Morris along with Lionel Simmons, Doug Overton, Randy Woods and the rest of the team which took the MAAC playoff title against the current squad's Saturday opponent.

Morris' team, playing out of the now-demolished Convention Hall, went 30-1 in the regular season with their sole loss coming to Loyola Marymount by a 121-116 count. The Explorers were a #4 seed in the East Regional but fell in the second round, 79-75, to Clemson after beating Southern Miss by 13 in their first contest.

The Rams scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the deficit to just five points but never got closer than that, as the Explorers held them off to secure the win and keep the Rams winless in league play. La Salle connected on 36.8 percent of its shots in the period, but made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line to stay ahead. Fordham hit 31.4 percent of its attempts in the frame.

The Explorers finished the game with a 19-8 scoring advantage at the free- throw line. The Rams did have a slight rebounding edge, 38-36.

La Salle tops struggling Penn in 2014 Big 5 finale

Philadelphia, PA -- Jordan Price led the way with 18 points as the La Salle Explorers defeated the Penn Quakers, 84-67, in the final Big 5 contest of calendar year 2014 on Tuesday night in North Philly.

For the Explorers (8-5), Steve Zack added 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Amar Stukes and Jerrell Wright each scored 13 and Cleon Roberts chipped in with 12 points as the hosts recorded their fourth win in five outings. 

Darien Nelson-Henry paced the Quakers (3-7) with 15 points while Tony Hicks finished with 10 points.

Both teams shot the ball well in the opening stanza, but it was the Explorers who led at the break, 47-35. La Salle shot 58.1 percent from the field in the half, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Penn connected on 56 percent of its field goal tries, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

In the second half, the Explorers continued to knock down their shots, hitting on 50 percent from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. 

The Quakers tried to keep pace, shooting 48 percent from the field and 2-of-5 from 3-point distance. Penn was never able to seriously challenge La Salle in the second half, as the Explorers' lead grew to as many as 22, giving them the easy victory over their crosstown rival.

La Salle dominated down low, outscoring Penn in the paint, 48-34. The Explorers also finished with a 35-21 rebounding edge for the game. They'll open up Atlantic 10 play this Saturday at George Mason then come home to face UMass on Jan. 7. 

The Quakers have 11 days off before commencing their Ivy League slate, Jan. 10 on the road against Princeton.

Big Five makes headway in Big Dance, as La Salle beats Boise State

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Magazine


Dayton, OH -- Tyrone Garland led four players in double figures with 22 points on 9-of-11 from the field, as La Salle used a hot- shooting performance to dispatch Boise State, 80-71, in first-round action of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," Garland said. "When I came here, coach told me I could help him win games and get him to the next step."

Ramon Galloway totaled 21 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Explorers (22-9), who waited 21 years for another crack at the NCAA Tournament and didn't disappoint thanks to a 63.3 percent effort from the floor.

Sam Mills drained five 3-pointers en route to 15 points and Jerrell Wright added 13 with six rebounds.

The first of three Philadelphia-based programs to take the floor became the first to advance, winning their first tourney game since 1990 and earning a shot at fourth-seeded Kansas State in the West Region on Friday.

"Unbelievable tradition here," head coach Dr. John Giannini said. "I think people have tended to have forgotten what a basketball power La Salle was for over four decades. So it's a big deal. It's a big deal to re-establish that. It's a big deal for people who attended La Salle and love La Salle, who had great basketball, and certainly they've longed for that." 

Anthony Drmic's game-high 28 points -- including five shots from beyond the arc -- wasn't enough for the Broncos (21-11). Derrick Marks had 14 points, seven boards and five assists, while Ryan Watkins contributed 10 points in defeat.

Garland and Mills connected on back-to-back treys to give the Explorers a 68-56 margin with 7:15 to play, and a runner from Galloway pushed the edge to 72-58 less than two minutes later.

Mikey Thompson hit two free throws and Kenny Buckner added one more to pull the Broncos to 74-66 with 2:36 remaining, and after Wright bricked a pair from the line, a Barnes bucket made it a six-point spread with 1:51 left.

Tyreek Duren then missed a layup, and Buckner missed the front end of a 1- and-1 after being fouled when pulling down the rebound.

Garland hit both of his attempts for a 76-68 game, and a tip from Marks after a pair of missed three-pointers by Drmic made it a six-point spread once more.

But Galloway made his last shot and Duren sank a pair from the charity stripe to seal it.

"'We didn't shoot the ball that bad,'' Drmic said. ''Give them credit. But it starts with defense. We didn't come to play defense. We couldn't stop them driving, so I'm not very happy with that.''

La Salle led 10-6 in the early stages, and the Explorers stretched their advantage to 25-12 thanks to a 12-1 run, ending on a Galloway trey -- the last of his five points in the surge -- with 9:12 on the clock.

Boise State reeled off five straight points, but two baskets from Garland and a slam off the break by Galloway provided a 31-17 lead with under 5 1/2 minutes before intermission.

It's a blessing. I mean, I never thought that we'd be in the NCAA Tournament playing and making a statement for La Salle, but here we are,and I'm happy as can be because I've never been here," Galloway admitted. "It's my last year. So it's every college player's dream."

The Broncos pulled within 35-27 at the break on a Drmic three-point play.

Galloway's shot from long distance opened up a 44-34 edge for La Salle early in the second half, and when Garland and Mills were true from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions, it was a 52-38 game.

Boise State managed to answer triple for triple in the next several minutes, but was unable to reduce its deficit to any meaningful number.

Notes: La Salle dropped a 78-76 decision to Seton Hall on March 19, 1992 in first- round action of the East Region, and last tasted victory in the NCAAs on March 15, 1990 in a 79-63 triumph over Southern Miss in the East Region ... Boise State shot 49.1 percent, but only 7-of-18 from beyond the arc, while the Explorers connected on 11-of-21 tries from long distance ... Duren posted just four points and five assists with two steals ... Buckner finished with six points and seven rebounds ... The Broncos fell to 0-6 all-time in the premier March tournament.

Temple's Jackson headed to Big 5 Hall of fame

PHILADELPHIA  - Former Temple University standout Marc Jackson will be one of five members that will be inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame on February 21. Jackson will become the 23rd men’s basketball player in TU history to be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. 

Jackson, who was named the 1997 A10 Player of the Year, was a two-time all-A10 and all-Big 5 first team honoree (1995-96, 1996-97).  Also a two-time NABC first team all-District performer, he scored 1,059 career points and grabbed 567 rebounds in his three-year collegiate career, including 1,001 points (15.9 ppg.) in his two seasons (1995-96, '96-97) at Temple.  The Owls center led the team in scoring and rebounding his final two seasons with his best season coming as a junior in 1996-97 when he averaged 16.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.  His Temple teams posted a 40-14 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament both seasons.

Jackson decided to forego his senior season and was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft by Golden State.  After playing overseas to start his professional career, he joined Golden State for the 2000-01 season where he was named to the NBA all-Rookie team.  In all, he played seven seasons in the NBA, compiling 3,238 points and 1,655 rebounds.  He now serves as a studio analyst for Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame Class of 2012 is comprised of Saint Joseph's Melissa Coursey, Jackson, Penn's Matt Maloney, La Salle's Kelly Greenberg and Jenn Beisel of Villanova. The induction ceremony will begin 11:30 a.m. at The Palestra on February 21. For ticket information, please contact the Philadelphia Big 5 at 215-898-4747 orbig5@philadelphiabig5.org.

Temple installed as A-10 favorites

NEW YORK, N.Y* – Three-time defending Atlantic 10 Conference champion Temple is the favorite to  claim the 2011 A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., as voted on by the league’s head coaches and selected members of the media.  The announcement comes during
A-10 Media Day at the CBS College Sports Network Studio in Chelsea Piers on Thursday, October 21.

The Owls, who will bid for their 10th A-10 title this year, received 19 first place votes to lead all schools with 350 points.  Xavier (325) and Richmond (311) each received three first place votes and were picked to
finish second and third in the league, respectively.  Dayton was listed first on one ballot and finished with 310 points to place fourth in the preseason poll.

Rhode Island (233) was selected fifth followed by Saint Louis (223), Charlotte (218), Duquesne (172) and La Salle (133).  George Washington (130) placed 10th in the voting followed by Massachusetts (126), Saint Joseph’s (91), St. Bonaventure (80) and Fordham (28).

Four of the five student-athletes represented on last year’s A-10 All-Conference First Team were named to this year’s Preseason First Team including the reigning A-10 Player of the Year in Richmond’s Kevin
Anderson.  The senior guard averaged 17.8 points in 35 games a season ago to lead all Spider players.  Anderson is joined on the preseason first team by Temple’s Lavoy Allen (11.5 ppg), Dayton’s Chris Wright (13.7 ppg), Damian Saunders (15.0 ppg) of Duquesne and St. Bonaventure’s Andrew Nicholson (16.4
ppg).  Allen, Saunders and Wright earned A-10 first team honors last year. Saunders was named the Defensive Player of the Year after finishing first in the league in steals (2.8 spg) and blocked shots (2.9 bpg) and second in rebounding (11.3 rpg).

The A-10 Preseason Second Team consists of Temple’s Juan Fernandez (12.6 ppg), Tu Holloway (12.1 ppg) of Xavier, Rhode Island’s Delroy James (13.2 ppg), Charlotte’s Shamari Spears (16.0 ppg) and last year’s Rookie of the Year in Fordham’s Chris Gaston (18.0 ppg).

The Third Team was also represented by five different schools with La Salle’s Aaric Murray (12.2 ppg), Dayton’s Chris Johnson (11.9 ppg), Chris Braswell (9.5 ppg) of Charlotte, Cody Ellis (10.5 ppg) of Saint Louis and George Washington’s Lasan Kromah (11.8 ppg).  Johnson is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he was named the 2009-10 Chris Daniels Most Improved Player of the Year.

The Preseason All-Defensive team consists of Anderson, Allen, Nicholson and Saunders - all members of the Preseason First Team – as well as Xavier’s Dante Jackson.  The five members of the A-10 Preseason All-Rookie team include Dayton’s Juwan Staten, Xavier’s Jordan Latham, Saint Louis’ Rob Loe
and Saint Joseph’s teammates C.J. Aiken and Langston Galloway.

The 2010-11 season tips off on November 8 as Rhode Island visits Pittsburgh in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.  For the fifth year in a row, the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship will be held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., with quarterfinal action beginning Friday, March 11.

* *

*2010-11 Atlantic 10 Preseason Accolades*
*
*

* *

*First Team*

Lavoy Allen, Temple

Kevin Anderson, Richmond

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

Damian Saunders, Duquesne

Chris Wright, Dayton



*Second Team*

Juan Fernandez, Temple

Chris Gaston, Fordham

Tu Holloway, Xavier

Delroy James, Rhode Island

Shamari Spears, Charlotte



*Third Team*

Chris Braswell, Charlotte

Cody Ellis, Saint Louis

Chris Johnson, Dayton

Lasan Kromah, George Washington

Aaric Murray, La Salle

* *

*All-Defensive Team*

Lavoy Allen, Temple

Kevin Anderson, Richmond

Dante Jackson, Xavier

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

Damian Saunders, Duquesne



*All-Rookie Team*

C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s

Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s

Jordan Latham, Xavier

Rob Loe, Saint Louis

Juwan Staten, Dayton



*Preseason Poll (# first place votes), Total Points*

1 – Temple (19), 350

2 – Xavier (3), 325

3 – Richmond (3), 311

4 – Dayton (1), 310

5 – Rhode Island, 233

6 – Saint Louis, 223

7 – Charlotte, 218

8 – Duquesne, 172

9 – La Salle, 133

10 – George Washington, 130

11 – Massachusetts, 126

12 – Saint Joseph’s, 91

13 – St. Bonaventure, 80

14 – Fordham, 28

La Salle hires assistant coach

La Salle has named Will Bailey an assistant men’s basketball coach.

Bailey formerly worked under La Salle head coach John Giannini at Maine in 2002-03 and spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State.

“Having worked with coach Bailey at Maine, I have first-hand knowledge of his work ethic, professionalism, teaching ability, character and relationships,” Giannini said in a statement. “Without exaggeration, he is outstanding in all areas. He will help our recruiting. He will strive to make our players better and be a quality role model. He will also add to the positive chemistry on our staff.”

Sixers add La Salle's Goodridge to Summer League roaster

The Sixers have announced today that forward Vernon Goodridge has replaced DeVon Hardin on the team's roster for the Orlando Pro Summer League (OPSL) which begins Monday, July 5.

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Goodridge began his collegiate career at Mississippi State before transferring to La Salle.  His final season with the Explorers came in 2008-09

Sixers to work out Turner on Thursday

The Sixers will be working out Ohio State guard Evan Turner, the presumptive No. 2 overall pick in next week's NBA Draft, on Thursday.

The team will also look at a couple of local players --La Salle's Rodney Green and Villanova's Reggie Redding.

Overton leaves St. Joe's for Nets assistant job

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's assistant basketball coach Doug Overton has resigned in order to become an assistant coach with the New Jersey Netsi.

Overton, the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Famer and former Sixers player, had just completed his second year on Martelli's staff at Saint Joseph's.

"This opportunity came and was hard to pass up because it's the NBA and the chance to coach at the highest level. It's always been a goal of mine to coach at that level," said Overton. "I believe the time I spent here at Saint Joseph's has definitely prepared me for this. The things Phil allowed me to do here really honed my skills and I am very appreciative".

"I am delighted for Doug and his family. His impact on our program with his excellent teaching ability, and unmatched class and dignity, will
allow our program to grow and prosper," Martelli added. "Doug has made many friends in his short time on Hawk Hill and he will be missed".

He came to SJU in May of 2006 after working as the director of player development for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he assisted the coaching and scouting staffs and was involved with the team's community outreach programs.

Overton enjoyed an 11-year career in the NBA, playing for eight different teams, including the Nets, while concluding his career with the Los
Angeles Clippers in 2003-04. Originally a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 1991 NBA Draft, Overton began his career with Washington in 1992 and also played for Denver, Orlando, New Jersey, Boston, Charlotte Hornets and the 76ers (1996-98, 1998-99).

The point guard played in 499 games, averaging 4.5 points and 2.1 assists during his career.

Overton was a standout at La Salle University, earning All-Big 5 and All-MAAC first team honors for three consecutive years from 1988 to 1991. The 6-3 guard helped the Explorers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, while averaging a team-high 22.3 points per game during his senior season in 1991. He is the Explorers' all-time leader in career assists (671) and steals (277) and ranks 11th on the school's career scoring list with 1,795 points.

A native of Philadelphia and graduate of Dobbins Tech, he was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1997. He is also a member of La Salle's
Hall of Athletes.

Calathes, Tyndale share Big 5 Player of the Year Award

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's senior Pat Calathes has been named the Philadelphia Big Five's Co-Outstanding Player of the Year by the Herb Good Basketball Club, sharing the award with Mark Tyndale of Temple. He will receive the Robert V. Geasey Trophy at the Club's 63rd annual banquet on Monday, April 21.

Calathes becomes the 11th player in Hawk history to earn the Geasey Award, whether outright or shared. The last SJU player to do so was Pat Carroll in 2004-05.

Fellow Hawks Ahmad Nivins and Rob Ferguson were each named to the All-Big Five Second Team.

Calathes led the Hawks with a career-best 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season, while also earning All-A-10 First Team honors. Nivins, an All-Conference Third Team selection, averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, while topping the league in field goal percentage (64.7). Ferguson also had his best season and scored 11.9 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds.

The trio of Hawks each surpassed the 1,000-point mark and 500-plateau for their careers.

Joining Calathes and Tyndale on the All-Big Five first team are La Salle's Darnell Harris, Temple's Dionte Christmas and Villanova's Scottie Reynolds.

The second team consists of Ferguson and Nivins, along with La Salle's Rodney Green, Penn's Brian Grandieri and Villanova's Dante Cunningham.

The banquet will be held at Colleen's in the Philadelphia Holiday Inn, 900 Packer Avenue. Tickets for the banquet can be reserved by calling the Big Five office at 215-898-4747.

LaSalle, Zoldy embrace Cup

By Steven Lienert
Sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA – For Perkasie native Kyle Zoldy, what a difference a year makes.
On March 22, 2007, Zoldy and the top-seeded LaSalle ice-hockey team were stunned by Holy Ghost Prep in the Flyers Cup Tier AAA semifinals. Their once promising season had come to a crashing end.

A year to the day later, Zoldy and the top-seeded Explorers faced Holy Ghost Prep in Flyers Cup tournament again, only this time in the finals.

Zoldy and the other three seniors back from last year’s team made sure last year’s debacle wasn’t going to happen again.

Zoldy tallied a goal and two assists to help get the Explorers over the hump as LaSalle defeated Holy Ghost, 4-1 at the Spectrum on Saturday to win its first Flyers Cup championship since 1998.

“My first three years (on the team) we got knocked out in the semifinals,” Zoldy said. “It was the worst feeling in the world. To get it done my senior year, it feels great.”

LaSalle will skate against Pine Richland for the state championship at Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown on Saturday

“(Zoldy’s) been the heart and soul of the team for the past two years,” LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner said. “They were a determined group this year. Fortunately, things worked out.”
Last year’s loss to Holy Ghost may have been terrible, but it became the catalyst for this season’s Flyers Cup run.

“I think our loss to them last year gave us a lot of incentive on how we played this year,” Muehlbronner said. “The guys have been determined throughout the year. I think they’ve proven they are one of the top teams in the area. I think they looked forward to playing Holy Ghost Prep again because of what happened last year.”

Muehlbronner put together a difficult schedule and, after the Explorers traveled to New England and Western Pennsylvania to test their mettle against stiff competition early in the season, LaSalle knew it was ready to win the Flyers Cup this season.

“That’s when we knew we could compete with the western teams,” Zoldy said.

In the Meadville Invitational tournament south of Erie, the Explorers took on some of the top teams from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Not only did LaSalle win the tournament for the third time in the past four years, it defeated North Allegheny, the defending state champions, by a 10-0 count.

“I think that gave the guys a lot of confidence,” Muehlbronner said. “And winning the Mount St. Charles tournament over Christmas really got the guys believing they can do good things this year.”

To the disappointment of some of the Explorers, however, Pine Richland attended a different tournament that same weekend. After hearing how good Pine Richland was in December, LaSalle can’t wait to finally see it in person.

“I think the state championship is the ultimate prize,” Muehlbronner said. “Winning the Flyers Cup is a tremendous accomplishment because you have to beat the best teams in the area. We’ve accomplished a lot of great things.

“Would it mean our season wasn’t successful if we don’t win the state championship? Absolutely not. Would it be icing on the cake? You better believe it.”

Calathes, Christmas named first team A-10

-Courtesy of the Atlantic 10

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Massachusetts senior swingman Gary Forbes, who enters this week’s Championship tied for the Atlantic 10 lead in scoring, has been tabbed the 2007-08 men’s basketball Player of the Year in voting conducted among the Conference’s 14 head coaches.

The A-10 coaches also selected Kevin Anderson of Richmond as the Rookie of the Year, Massachusetts’ Ricky Harris as the Chris Daniels Award recipient as the league’s most improved player, Josh Duncan of Xavier as Sixth Man of the Year, teammate Stanley Burrell
as Defensive Player of the Year and Xavier’s Sean Miller as Coach of the Year. For the second consecutive season, Kieron Achara of Duquesne garnered Student-Athlete of the Year honors in voting among the league’s sports information directors.

Forbes enters this week’s Atlantic 10 Championship (Mar. 12-15) in Atlantic City tied with Temple’s Dionte Christmas with an average of 20.3 ppg., up from 13.0 ppg. a year ago. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has registered a Conference-best 18 performances of at least 20
points and leads the Minutemen in rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and double-doubles (nine). He is the second Minuteman in as many seasons to earn the league’s Player of the Year honor as Stephane Lasme took the award in 2006-07.

A two-time Player of the Week selection, Forbes is joined on the All-Conference first-team by Christmas, Pat Calathes of Saint Joseph’s, Rhode Island’s Will Daniels and Brian Roberts of Dayton. Daniels is the first URI standout to be named to the first-team in successive years since Tyson Wheeler (1997-98).

The All-Conference second-team consists of Duncan and teammate Drew Lavender, Fordham’s Bryant Dunston, Darnell Harris of La Salle and Temple’s Mark Tyndale. The third-team includes Burrell, Dan Geriot of Richmond, Charlotte’s Leemire Goldwire, Kevin Lisch of Saint Louis and Saint Joseph’s Ahmad Nivins.

A program-best seven-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection, Anderson ranks third on the Spiders with an average of 10.5 ppg. and scored at least 20 points on two occasions in Conference play. The Duluth, Ga., resident leads the team in assists (88) and steals (52) while leading the Spiders to nine league victories and the fourth seed in the 2008 A-10 Championship, equaling their best-ever finish.

Anderson is joined on the All-Rookie team by Lavoy Allen of Temple, Duquesne’s Damian Saunders, An’Juan Wilderness of Charlotte, La Salle’s Jerrell Williams and Chris Wright of Dayton. Accepting his role as a defensive stopper while guarding the opposing team’s top perimeter player, Burrell led a Xavier defense that leads the A-10 in field goal percentage defense (.402) and ranks second in scoring defense (62.3 ppg.). The senior guard has recorded 20 steals and has not fouled out of a game while averaging 31.5 minutes of action.

The All-Defensive team is comprised of Burrell, Dunston, Lisch, Rhode Island’s Parfait Bitee and Shawn James of Duquesne.

Ricky Harris garnered the Atlantic 10's Chris Daniels Award, presented to the Conference’s most improved player. A year ago, the sophomore guard averaged 4.5 points while averaging just 10.8 minutes of action. This season, the Baltimore, Md., native ranks sixth in the league in both scoring (18.1 ppg.) and three-pointers made (82). The lone sophomore to be twice named A-10 Player of the Week this season, Harris scored 20 or more points in eight of the third-seeded Minutemen’s 16 Conference tilts.

The versatile Duncan flourished coming off the bench for the Musketeers during his senior campaign, leading the team in scoring (11.6 ppg.) while shooting 52.3 percent (114-of-218) in just 21.7 minutes per game. In A-10 contests, the Cincinnati, Ohio, resident averaged a
team-high 12.8 points and shot 51 percent (25-of-49) from beyond the arc.

Achara is the third individual to be twice named the Student-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball, joining Saint Joseph’s Bill Phillips (2001-02) and Brian Thornton of Xavier (2005-06). The forward/center is averaging 11.4 points and ranks second on the team with 45
blocks while leading the Dukes to their highest win total (17) since the 1993-94 season. In the classroom, the Stirling, Scotland, native boasts a 4.0 grade-point average as a graduate student in Duquesne’s sports leadership program.

One of 30 nominees for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, Achara is a three-time All-Academic Team selection. He is joined on the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team by Saint Louis teammates Lisch and Luke Meyer, Rhode Island’s Jimmy Baron and Yves Mekongo Mbala of La Salle.

Miller earns his first A-10 Coach of the Year honor after guiding eighth-ranked Xavier to a 14-2 mark in league play and the top seed in this week’s Championship. At 26-5 overall, the Musketeers are tied for the second-most single-season wins in program history and claimed
their second consecutive A-10 regular season crown. Now in his fourth season at XU, Miller boasts a career record of 89-37 and has led the Musketeers to three straight 20-win seasons. A four-year standout at Pittsburgh, Miller graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in communications.

2007-08 ATLANTIC 10 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

First-Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown PPG RPG Asts Stls Blks
Pat Calathes Saint Joseph’s Sr. G/F 6-10 Casselberry, Fla. 17.8 7.7 77 39 36
Dionte Christmas Temple Jr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa 20.3 6.2 77 41 7
Will Daniels Rhode Island Sr. F 6-8 Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 18.8 6.7 36 31 31
Gary Forbes Massachusetts Sr. F/G 6-7 Brooklyn, N.Y. 20.3 7.9 93 29 22
Brian Roberts Dayton Sr. G 6-2 Toledo, Ohio 19.0 2.6 107 11 4

Second-Team
Josh Duncan Xavier Sr. F 6-9 Cincinnati, Ohio 11.6 4.6 46 14 19
Bryant Dunston Fordham Sr. F 6-8 Queens, N.Y. 15.5 10.0 56 28 76
Darnell Harris La Salle Sr. G 6-1 Baltimore, Md. 16.4 2.2 61 32 8
Drew Lavender Xavier Sr. G 5-7 Columbus, Ohio 10.8 2.6 131 33 2
Mark Tyndale Temple Sr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 16.1 6.8 124 47 20

Third-Team
Stanley Burrell Xavier Sr. G 6-3 Indianapolis, Ind. 9.9 2.1 118 20 3
Dan Geriot Richmond So. F/C 6-9 Springfield, Pa. 14.2 5.6 53 22 10
Leemire Goldwire Charlotte Sr. G 5-11 Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 18.8 4.4 49 64 3
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Jr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. 14.7 3.8 96 37 4
Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph’s Jr. F/C 6-9 Jersey City, N.J. 14.5 5.7 12 20 36

Rookie Team
Lavoy Allen Temple Fr. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 8.1 5.5 45 16 45
Kevin Anderson Richmond Fr. G 5-11 Duluth, Ga. 10.5 2.6 88 52 5
Damian Saunders Duquesne Fr. F 6-7 Waterbury, Conn. 6.7 5.2 47 45 37
An’Juan Wilderness Charlotte Fr. F 6-6 Dunwoody, Ga. 8.4 4.9 36 25 3
Jerrell Williams La Salle Fr. F 6-8 Patterson, N.J. 9.3 6.6 37 17 22
Chris Wright Dayton Fr. F 6-8 Trotwood, Ohio 10.4 6.0 5 5 11

Defensive Team
Parfait Bitee Rhode Island Sr. G 6-2 Yaounde, Cameroon 12.0 2.5 148 25 6
Stanley Burrell Xavier Sr. G 6-3 Indianapolis, Ind. 9.9 2.1 118 20 3
Bryant Dunston Fordham Sr. F 6-8 Queens, N.Y. 15.5 10.0 61 32 8
Shawn James Duquesne Jr. F/C 6-10 Brooklyn. N.Y. 12.8 6.9 29 9 107
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Jr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. 14.7 3.8 96 37 4

Academic Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown Major
Kieron Achara Duquesne Sr. F/C 6-9 Stirling, Scotland Sports Leadership
Jimmy Baron Rhode Island Jr. G 6-2 East Greenwich, R.I. Communication Studies
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Jr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. Business Administration
Yves Mekongo Mbala La Salle So. F 6-7 Elizabeth, N.J. Integrated Science &
Business Technology
Luke Meyer Saint Louis Gr. F/G 6-5 Washington, Mo. MBA

Player of the Year: Gary Forbes, Massachusetts

Rookie of the Year: Kevin Anderson, Richmond

Defensive Player of the Year: Stanley Burrell, Xavier

Chris Daniels Most Improved Player of the Year: Ricky Harris, Massachusetts

Sixth Man of the Year: Josh Duncan, Xavier

Student-Athlete of the Year: Kieron Achara, Duquesne

Coach of the Year: Sean Miller, Xavier

La Salle's Harris is A-10 Player of the Week

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Darnell Harris - La Salle

Senior, Guard, 6-1, 165 lbs.

Baltimore, Md./St. Francis HS

Harris averaged 23.5 points and shot 13-of-25 from three point range in leading La Salle to wins over Saint Joseph’s (90-89) on Feb. 18 and Dayton (81-78, OT) on Feb. 21...scored 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added four assists versus the Hawks...tied his career high with eight three-pointers against Dayton...did not commit a turnover in 73 minutes of action.

St. Joe's Calathes and Temple's Christmas earn A-10 Player of the Week honors

Pat Calathes - Saint Joseph’s
Senior, Forward, 6-10, 210 lbs.
Casselberry, Fla./Lake Howell HS

Calathes averaged 20 points and 9.5 rebounds in leading Saint Joseph’s to a pair of victories...scored 24 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining in the Hawks’ 68-67 win at Temple on Jan. 26...was 8-of-14 from the field and added nine rebounds versus TU...scored 16 points, grabbed ten rebounds, dished out five assists and added three steals on Jan. 23 as Saint Joseph’s edged Massachusetts, 81-77...named the A-10 Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Dionte Christmas - Temple
Junior, Guard, 6-5, 190 lbs.
Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Lutheran Christian Academy

Christmas averaged 21.7 points and knocked down five three-pointers in each of Temple’s three contests on the week...scored a game-high 20 points on Jan. 20 in the Owls’ 54-53 (OT) victory at Saint Louis...scored 24 points and added four rebounds and four assists as Temple downed Pennsylvania on Jan. 23, 80-64...scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Owls’ 68-67 loss to Saint Joseph’s on Jan. 26...earns his sixth career A-10 Player of the Week award and second of the season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Jerrell Williams - La Salle
Freshman, Forward, 6-8, 210 lbs.
Patterson, N.J./Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) HS

Williams earns his third A-10 Rookie of the Week award after registering a pair of double-double efforts on the week...scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in La Salle’s 84-78 loss to Charlotte on Jan. 23..scored 14 points and pulled down 11 boards on Jan. 26 in the Explorers’ 81-74 setback to Saint Louis...made 6-of-11 field goal attempts versus the Billikens...leads all A-10 freshmen with six double-doubles.

St. Joe's Calathes A-10 Player of the Week

Calathes recorded his second double-double performance of the year with 20 points and 10 rebounds on Dec. 31 as Saint Joseph’s turned aside Drexel, 69-51...shot 7-of-9 from the field and 5-for-7 from the line...added five assists, three blocks and a pair of steals...had just one turnover in 33 minutes of action...leads the Hawks with four games of 20 or more points this season.

Meanwhile, La Salle's Jerrell Williams was the A-10 Freshman of the Week. Williams scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in 25 minutes of action on Jan. 5 as La Salle dropped an 81-76 decision at Florida State...also dished out a pair of assists...leads the Explorers and is tied for second in the Conference with three double-doubles...earns his second consecutive A-10 Rookie of the Week honor.

La Salle drops football

PHILADELPHIA, PA - La Salle University has announced that it will discontinue its football program effective immediately.

"This was a very difficult decision, and I announce it with a real sense of disappointment," stated Director of Athletics, Dr. Thomas Brennan. "La Salle instituted a non-scholarship football program in 1997 and subsequently joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Football League. However, the steady dissolution of the MAAC Football League and the changing landscape of collegiate football have negatively affected our program and led us to this decision."

"It is important to note that this decision was not the result of the performance of our team, nor is it a reflection on the team and the young men who have competed for La Salle," Brennan added. "We admire the dedication and manner with which our football players represented La Salle University. We are proud of the hard work these student athletes have exhibited on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Their passion and dedication to La Salle football only makes this announcement that much more difficult to make."

In a statement to the University community, La Salle President Br. Michael J. McGinniss, F.S.C. said: "I assure you that we will do everything possible to help the coaches and student-athletes affected by this decision. They are valued members of the La Salle family."

Football was brought back to La Salle in 1997 after a 56-year hiatus. Two years later, La Salle joined the MAAC Football League which consisted of 10 schools with similar academic and athletic profiles. Over the last eight years, Georgetown decided to change conferences, while
Fairfield, Canisius, Siena, St. John's, and St. Peter's dropped their football programs.

Last spring Duquesne announced plans to compete at the limited scholarship level by joining the Northeast Conference effective with the 2008 season. This would leave only three remaining teams for 2008--Iona, Marist and La Salle, not enough for a league.

Keefe leaves Explorers

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine

Freshman center Jameson Keefe announded that he is leaving the La Salle University men's basketball team Thursday.

The 7-foot-4, Troy, NY native cited a desire to be closer to home and will leave the university after he completes the fall semester.

"I just want to be closer to home," Keefe said.

La Salle had planned to redshirt Keefe for the upcoming season.

"Jameson has worked hard in his classes and with his conditioning," Explorers coach John Giannini said. "However, he is missing home. He wants to go to school in the Troy area next semester and possibly beyond. We support him in doing what makes him happy."

La Salle to play in San Juan Shootout

La Salle will open the annual San Juan Shootout in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico against Clemson on December 20.

The Explorers will also face Mississippi on December 21 and DePaul on December 22.

La Salle locks up Lochner for three more years

La Salle University signed women's basketball coach Tom Lochner to a contract extension on Thursday that will keep him at 20th and Olney for the next three years.

"The women's basketball program at La Salle has been very successful both on the court and in the classroom and that is a great reflection of Tom's character. commitment and vision for the program," said La Salle athletic director Thomas Brennan. "I'm very pleased he will be with us for at least another three seasons."