When freshman Aaric Murray took the court for his first few days of La Salle's preseason basketball practice, he discovered a big difference in Explorers coach John Giannini.
"He's more demanding than he was when he was recruiting me," the 6-foot-10 center out of the Glen Mills School said yesterday. "I'm trying to get where I fit in and work hard and just be a positive help and a positive impact to the team."
Murray, regarded as the nation's sixth-best high school center in his senior year by ESPN Insider, brings abundant big-man skills to the veteran-laden Explorers. He's a versatile offensive player, a shot-blocker and someone who runs the floor well.
Given all that, Giannini has no intentions of bringing him along gradually. His goal is for Murray to be "a really good player from Day 1."
"It's more of a mental challenge for someone as talented as he is than a physical one," Giannini said. "He's capable of being really good. It's just not allowing yourself to take a break. It's going after every rebound and never watching. It's sprinting the floor every time instead of jogging.
"The average fan doesn't necessarily realize how mentally alert and intense an elite player is in terms of constant effort. That's really what he needs to learn."
Murray, who only started playing organized basketball at the start of 2007, averaged 17.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.1 blocked shots last season for Glen Mills. He understands he needs to work harder to make the transition to college ball, particularly on his conditioning.
He realizes there is much expected of him as the Explorers attempt to have a good season that they hope extends to the postseason.
"It's a lot of pressure, a lot of hype," Murray said. "A lot of people know what I was ranked in high school, and they expect me to be real great. That's where the working hard comes in, so I don't fall off. I want to be ready."
Contact staff writer Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com.
