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....