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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Explorers excited about season
I have been very pleased with our team on and off the court since the end of last season. This is a year of many firsts for us. It is the first time we have experience and are not relying heavily on freshmen. It is the first time we have a true big man. It is the first time the roster has been recruited by our staff. With young players, like Devon White and Karon Burton and our recent recruiting commitments we feel good about our long-term stability and opportunities.

We hope to be good enough to be a postseason team this year. Many people do not understand the RPI, which is a key factor for consideration for the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. Fifty percent of the RPI is your opponent's winning percentage. It is not based on the name, conference, or reputation of your opponents, but is solely based on their record. For that reason we scheduled defending conference champions like Morgan State, Cornell, Rider, and Mount St. Mary's .

Most of the teams on our non-conference schedule are picked at or near the top of their conferences. We also play Florida State, UConn, and Villanova in some attractive games. The start of our schedule is especially tough. If we beat good teams early, that puts us on a fast track. If we lose to good teams early, it could make us a lot better and position us for a great run in December and the A-10. We have some big games at home early and hopefully our players and the La Salle faithful will propel us to a great start....
Posted by John Giannini @ 2:25 PM  Permalink | File Under: La Salle | 1 comment
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Posted by BFlint 03:30 PM, 11/14/2008
Keep up the great work. Your work ethic is unmatched in the city. The dividends will be seen this year and next year and for the future.
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About The DN's College Hoops Blog

Philly is a hoops town and Phillyhoopsinsider.com provides complete coverage of the Big 5 and Drexel with news and commentary from the people inside the game and those who cover it. Look for regular contributions from the Daily News team of college hoops reporters and from many of Philly’s coaches.

FRAN DUNPHY, Temple
He begins his third season on North Broad with nearly 350 career victories after a long tenure at Penn. The Owls won the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

BRUISER FLINT, Drexel
He begins his eighth season with the Dragons after returning to the city where he played collegiately at St. Joe’s. The Dragons have advanced to the postseason in four of the last six years and have won at least 17 games four times under Flint.

DR. JOHN GIANNINI, La Salle
He begins his fifth season at the school after successful tenures at the University of Maine and Rowan, where teams made two trips to the Division III Final Four. At LaSalle two seasons ago, he engineered an 18-win season and third-place finish in the Atlantic 10, the school’s best finish since joining the league for the 1995-96 season.

PHIL MARTELLI, Saint Joseph’s
He begins his 14th season on Hawk Hill, having won more than 250 games. He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has taken the Hawks to the postseason in seven of the last eight years.

GLEN MILLER, Penn
He begins his third season at the school after moving within the Ivy League from Brown. In his first season, he led the Quakers to an Ivy League championship and their third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.

JAY WRIGHT, Villanova
He begins his eighth season at ‘Nova, having amassed 148 wins at the school. Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance. Wright came to Villanova following his tenure at Hofstra and has 270 career victories.

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