2003-04
La Salle Explorer Articles
2003-04
Season in Review
3/16/04
Exclusively from La Salle Explorers.com
High
Expectations Were Deflated Due to Injuries.
The
season started on a downer with 3 losses in the Paradise Jam.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal was injured
in the second game of the year and missed all of the next two
games. Despite a 0-4 start the coaches and players battled back.
They won the Dr. Pepper Classic in hostile territory against the
host Chattanooga Mocs. They reached .500 at 7-7 with a win against
Richmond on January 10. Flo Larkai had a leg
injury in early January and did not return to action for the remainder
of the season. Center Roman Narmbaye was lost
for the year when he broke his foot prior to the season. Jermaine
Thomas missed two games due to a concussion. Steven
"DD" Smith was hobbled with a knee injury for
the last month of the season.
The injuries and illnesses continued to hamper the team throughout
February. Exhaustion had finally caught up to the Explorers as
they closed a disappointing campaign with a seven game losing
streak to finish at 10-20. However, the team never quit due to
the dedicated work of Coach Hahn and his staff.
The good news is that reinforcements are on the way. Roman will
be able to contribute immediately with his shot blocking presence.
And incoming freshman Tabby Cunningham will provide
exciting quickness on defense and some spectacular assists at
the offensive end. Two additional top notch recruits are expected
to sign in the spring signing period.
Coach Billy Hahn has faith in both Jermaine Thomas
and David "Bones" Bell that they will
be more confident and ready to go at the start of next season.
Both will be working with NBA players over the summer. Mike
St. John will continue to improve after a very good freshman
year. Mike Cleaves will provide the senior leadership.
Two of La Salle's players were among the top 15 in the Atlantic
10. Gary "The Silencer" Neal was named
to the 2nd team and Steven "DD" Smith
was on the 3rd team.
The Explorer faithful are looking forward to a healthy and winning
2004-05 season.
Disappointing Season Ends With Loss to Rams
by Hoops Tick 03/10/04
Explorers Finish Injury Plagued Season at 10-20
With 55-42 Loss to Rhode Island Rams.
It was a season no one could have
envisioned. With a healthy squad everyone predicted at least 15
wins in the regular season. Injuries and inconsistent play (was
it the coaching?) prevented the Explorers from winning a handful
of games that would have made it a successful season. This was
only the second ever 20 loss season in Explorer history. We will
recap the season in a future article.
In the game against Rhode Island, Gary "The Silencer"
Neal was only able to hit one of 11 shots (2 points)
as his wrist still is not 100%. Steven "DD"
Smith, also hampered by an injury (knee) was only able
to connect on 3 of 13 shots for 9 points to go with 11 boards.
David "Bones" Bell was the only Explorer
in double digit scoring with 15 points. The Explorers shot a horrible
12 for 49 (24.5 percent) from the field. If The Silencer had a
normal game and scored 18 points then it would have been an easy
win.
Brian Woodward led the Rams with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
"We were really pumped about this year, but it didn't go
the way we wanted," said Steven Smith after the game. Coach
Billy Hahn realizes that next season is a new beginning
and that he must produce a winning season that takes the Explorers
at minimum to the NIT but the goal is the NCAA.
The Reality Is A Nightmare
by Explorer Steve 03/06/04
Explorers Finish Season With Loss and First
Ever Last Place Standing in A10 West.
The George Washington Colonials scored at will
against an Explorers team that failed to play good defense. The
final score was 87-72. Steven "DD" Smith
finished with 26 points and 12 boards and should be on the All
A10 First Team. Gary "The Silencer" Neal,
still experiencing wrist pain was able to score 14 points.
J.R. Pinnock had 23 points for the Colonials.
Coach Billy Hahn knows that his Explorers can
play better despite the injuries. Hahn said "I am very disappointed
right now. It is my responsibility; it is all on me. I have not
done my job." Hopefully Hahn will have his team prepared
to pull the upsets in Dayton. The first test will come against
Rhode Island on Wednesday.
The Nightmare Turns Into Reality
by
Explorer Steve 03/03/04
Lowly Fordham Rams Beat Explorers 83-75 With
Long Range Accuracy.
Steven "DD" Smith had
17 points and 7 boards while Gary "The Silencer"
Neal added 15 points and 7 rebounds. Both played
the game with injuries. Rasheed Quadri pumped
in 16 points and Mike St. John added 12 points
and 6 boards. However, it was not quite enough on this night.
Michael Haynes of Fordham had a career game on "Senior
Night" as he scorched the Explorers for 34 points in 37
minutes.
After the game, Explorer coach Billy Hahn said,
"we could not stop Michael Haynes, we just could not stop
him. The contested, guarded shots fell." Fordham shot 45%
from outside the arc on 13 for 29 shooting.
The Explorers nightmare season (due mainly to injuries and some
inconsistent play) continues with a must win on Saturday against
GW. The Explorers need to avoid the basement of the A10 West.
Be sure to come out for Senior Day on Saturday as the Explorers
will honor Rasheed Quadri, Kurt Simmons, Joel Jean-Baptiste
and Matt Thornton.
Frustration Against Flyers Continues
by Explorer Steve 02/28/04
Explorers Fall to Dayton Flyers 72-58
as Smith was only Explorer in double digit scoring.
There were far too many second chance opportunities
for Dayton in the game. Dayton got second chance opportunities
on their offensive end due to lack of rebounding by the Explorers.
The Flyers had 13 offensive rebounds and nearly doubled La Salle
in rebounds 40 to 22.
Monty Scott of Dayton, who was averaging 6.8 points, somehow
scored 18 points in 23 minutes against the Explorers.
The
Explorers offense never got started. Mike Cleaves, Gary
"The Silencer" Neal and Jermaine Thomas combined
for just 21 points. Next season the story should be different
as Dayton loses 3 key seniors after this year. Steven
"DD" Smith (27 points, 3 boards) and the
Explorers will look for revenge against Dayton then.
More Anger Management Required
by Hoops Tick 02/25/04
Gary "The Silencer" Neal reaches
1,000 career points in 74-70 Overtime Loss to Temple Owls.
In a bizarre game, both Mike's
had a double-double for the Explorers.
Mike Cleaves with 15 points and 10 boards and Mike
St. John with 10 points and 10 boards.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal reached 1,000 points
with his first basket in overtime. He finished with 19 points,
2 steals and only 1 turnover.
Costly lapses in final minutes of both the first and
second half cost the Explorers a victory. The Explorers somehow
managed to turn a 12 point lead with 5:55 remaining in the half
to turn into a one point halftime deficit as Temple went on
a 15-2 run. The Explorers seemingly had the game in hand with
a 59-51 lead with 3:57 remaining in the second half. Temple
closed the half on a 8-0 run to force overtime. In overtime,
The Explorers were up 63-59 with 4:03 remaining. Temple took
the lead with Antywane Robinson's 3 pointer with 2:55 remaining
and never trailed after that.
David Hawkins finished with 26 points and 5 assists for the
Owls. The Explorers end the Big 5 season without a win. The
Explorers make a quick trip to Dayton and then return for a
contest at Fordham before closing the end of a frustrating regular
season at home against GW.
Sloppy Play Costly Against Wall Crawlers
by
Hoops Tick 02/21/04
Cleaves and The Silencer combine for
14 TOs and only 6 assists and 25 points in 66-50 loss to Richmond
Spiders.
It was not a good night for the
Explorers as they turned the ball over consistently and failed
to play good defense. The result was a 16 point loss to a mediocre
Richmond team.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal was held
to just 5 points but his 9 turnovers and 2 for 10 shooting were
among the main reasons for the loss. Mike Cleaves
contributed 20 points but his 5 turnovers were also costly.
Steven "DD" Smith played another
solid game with 14 points and 9 boards, 2 assists and a steal.
Jermaine Thomas missed the game due to symptoms
following his concussion last Saturday.
Tony Dobbins led Richmond with 20 points.
Unless the Explorers pull a miracle and win the rest
of their regular season games and pull a couple of upsets in
the A10 tourney, this will mark another losing season at 20th
and Olney. I predict the losing streak will
end next season... this year the slow start and early season
injury to Gary "The Silencer" Neal
put a damper on the entire season.
No Snickers From Musketeers This Time
by Explorer Steve
02/18/04
Explorers Fight Xavier Musketeers But
Come Up Short 78-68.
The
Explorers battled the entire game and even led for most of the
first half. Jermaine Thomas (JT) did not dress
for the game due to precautionary measures (possible concussion
in last game). Mike Cleaves led the way, in
a balanced Explorers' attack, with 16 points. Gary "The
Silencer" Neal added 15 points while David
"Bones" Bell stepped up to drain 14 points.
The Explorers MVP Steven "DD" Smith
had 15 points and 10 boards.
Dedrick "Huckleberry" Finn had 20 points for Xavier
even though he only averages 8.7 for the season.
It
is a tough season for the Explorers and their fans. The bad
news is that La Salle lost a handful of "winnable"
games that really kept them from reaching the NIT as some had
predicted. The good news is that 2004-05 is officially declared
as the "Season of the Explorers".
With a strong defensive center and a great ball distributor
at guard, the team will be much better defensively and be able
to run more complex offensive schemes.
I had the pleasure of sitting near Mascot Tim in the stands
along with some other very nice alums. I promised Mascot Tim
that I would not write anything badly about the officials but
did notice that all 3 officials had Cintas logos on their shirts!
The Silencer Wins Big 5 Weekly Award
02/17/04
Explorers' Gary Neal
earns his second Philadelphia Big 5 Award of the season after
scoring 51 points, adding 12 rebounds and dishing seven assists
in a pair of victories. His 30-point effort against St. Bonaventure
gives him 965 career points. Gary will go for the 1,000 point
plateau on Wednesday against Xavier.
Explorers Show Heart and Desire In Beating Bonnies
by
Hoops Tick 02/14/04
La Salle Wins Against St. Bonaventure
Bonnies 89-78.
The Explorers are playing like a team that everyone
had expected since the start of the year. The assists are up
and the shooting percentages are much better in the past couple
of games for the Explorers.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal scorched
the Bonnies for 30 points and 7 rebounds while Steven
"DD" Smith scored 26 points and pulled down
12 boards to go with 5 assists and 4 steals. Jermaine
Thomas had 5 points and 5 assists in 22 minutes. Rasheed
Quadri provided some senior leadership with 9 points
off the bench.
Maurice Young led the Bonnies with 21 points and 8 boards.
The
Explorers look forward to a struggling Xavier team coming to
town on Wednesday as the La Salle players have revenge on their
minds.
Dukes Swept Away by Balanced Explorer Attack
by
Hoops Tick 02/11/04
La Salle takes season series from Duquesne
Dukes with 71-55 win.
A balanced offensive attack and
defensive intensity were keys to the victory. Duquesne was forced
into 18 turnovers which led to 19 Explorer points. The Explorers
had 3 players scoring in double figures and everyone shared
the ball at the offensive end as 3 players registered 4 assists.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal pumped in
21 points to go with 4 assists. Steven "DD"
Smith contributed 16 points and 9 boards. Jermaine
Thomas is getting consistent and scoring like he did
last year as he added 11 points and dished out 4 assists. David
"Bones" Bell added 7 points.
Bryant McAllister scored 11 points for Duquesne.
"We hung tough on the defensive end", coach Billy
Hahn said after the game. The Explorers need to win all their
remaining home games to give themselves a chance to reach .500
for the season.
Hawks Flap To 20-0 With Win Over Explorers
by Explorer Steve 02/07/04
Nelson, West and the Rest Beat Explorers
89-63.
In a Big 5 showdown, The Explorers played with passion
and purpose at least for most of the first half. A huge mistake
by David "Bones" Bell with one second
remaining in the half put the Explorers down by 14 at the half
instead of going in at 10 down. Bell fouled Pat Carroll taking
a trey, instead of denying Carroll the ball. The trey connects
and Carroll hits the free throw. That shifted the momentum to
the Hawks for the second half.
Steven "DD" Smith had a great game
in scoring 24 points and grabbing 8 boards and dishing out 3
assists. Jermaine Thomas pumped in 15 points
and had 3 assists.
Delonte West had 22 points, 7 rebounds plus 5 assists. Jameer
Nelson pumped in 20 points and 5 assists. La Salle coach Billy
Hahn mentioned after the game that this is the best
back court he has ever seen and that both guys are going to
the NBA.
La Salle has set the bar high for all Philadelphia Big 5 schools
(30 win season in 89-90) and (#2 final ranking in 1969) in addition
to the NIT and NCAA championships. La Salle fans hope that Saint
Joseph's does well in their quest to go undefeated in the A10
regular season.
Rough Rhodey For Explorers
by LSU Mascot 02/04/04
Explorers Shooting Hands Rhode Island
Rams 58-54 Win.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal
had 18 points while Steven "DD" Smith
had 13 points and 9 rebounds. No
one else did much for the Explorers.
La Salle battled back but a 13 minute scoring
drought prevented any chance at a win.
Dawan Robinson scored 21 points for the Rams.
The fans at Gola left the building very disappointed
because of 58-54 final score was not in the Explorers' favor.
The
next game is on Saturday against 3rd ranked Saint Joseph's.
The goal is to somehow pull out a win against the Hawks. Go
La Salle !
Explorers Squeak By Dokes and Dukes
by Explorer Steve 01/28/04
74-70 Victory Evens Explorers A10 Record
at 3-3.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal
had 26 points (22 in the second half) while Steven "DD"
Smith had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Rasheed
Quadri added 8 points off the bench and David
"Bones" Bell contributed 7 points.
La Salle battled back from a couple of 8 point
deficits. They also shot poorly (28%) in the first half but only
trailed by 5.
Mike Cleaves injured his knee
late in the game but assistant
coach John Gallagher said right after the game
that Cleaves should be ready for the next game on Wednesday.
Mike hobbled off the court wincing in pain.
Ron Dokes scored 15 points for the Duquesne Dukes.
Favorable Schedule Stretch... After returning
home from Xavier on January 21, the Explorers do not leave the
state of Pennsylvania until February 21. And after tonight they
will not leave the city of Philadelphia until February 21.
Some of the volunteers here at LaSalle-Explorers.com are taking
a much needed vacation to Cancun from January 31 to February 7.
The message board will continue to be monitored.
Desire, Passion and Fire Return as Explorers Fight to End
by
Hoops Tick 01/24/04
Explorers fought Dayton Flyers to the end in
77-75 loss.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal was
simply awesome for most of the game as he scored 30 points,
had 3 assists and played great defense. Steven "DD"
Smith added 20 points and 5 boards to go along with
5 steals. Mike Cleaves had 14 points, 3 assists,
3 steals and 3 boards but missed a clutch free throw that would
have tied the game with 19 seconds remaining. Rasheed
Quadri and Joel Jean Baptiste saw
some action as David Bell saw reduced time
and Lewis Fadipe did not play. Jermaine
Thomas played well defensively.
Steven Smith (#30) cuts to the
basket.
Photo Courtesy of: Explorer Steve
The 1954 NCAA Champion Explorers were honored at halftime. A
standing ovation for several minutes marked the 50th anniversary
celebration.
Charley Greenberg (center) of 1954 Champs receives recognition.
Photo
Courtesy of: Explorer Steve
Ramod Marshall had 24 points for Dayton.
The Explorers need to build on this momentum and know that they
can play with every team in this league. They battled back from
12 and 15 point deficits.
Corrupt A10 Officiating...Anyone who was at
the game saw the horrendous officiating by Gene Crawford,
Bernard Clinton and Paul Faia. In
the first half Gary Neal was thrown to the floor and no call
was made. There were at least 12 calls that were not made against
Dayton that were clear cut (including four 3 second lane violations
in the first half; Finn was standing in the lane for over 5
seconds on each instance). If you want to write the A10 Office,
to file a grievance, the address is 230 S. Broad Street, Suite
1700 Philadelphia, PA 19102.
Sickening Loss
by
Hoops Tick 01/21/04
Billy Hahn missed game with "Flu"; Roland Houston
runs team in Blowout Loss.
In another poor showing by the
Explorers... there was very little intensity or fire in the
Explorers and they lost 84-45 in a gym named after that "dirty
uniform company" in Cincy.
Shooting 28% from the field will not win any ball games. Xavier
shot a sizzling 53% from the field.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal (7 points),
Jermaine Thomas (8 points) and Steven
"DD" Smith (10 points) were not able to get
by double and triple teams and got little scoring help from
their mates.
Lionel "Superintendent" Chalmers
of Xavier schooled the Explorers in 3 point shooting as he was
5 for 6. He scored 22 points for the Xavier Musketeers.
It may be almost time to state "wait until next year"
but one concern some have is that not everyone wearing a La
Salle uniform is taking pride each and every second they wear
that special uniform. That means giving 100% effort 100% of
the time. From Tom Gola to Ken Durrett
to Michael Brooks to Lionel Simmons
to Rasual Butler the La Salle uniform has been
a great source of pride, history and winning tradition. That
legacy will never fade. The players must go out and give Dayton
everything they have, executing the game plan flawlessly, on
Saturday.
The Explorers have some very good talent on the way
next season but must still play with passion and desire the
rest of this season.
Another Disgrace
1/17/04
by Explorer Steve
George
Washington Colonials 74, La Salle 57
It is one thing to play tough, hard basketball and
lose. It is another to lack the four main ingredients to a winning
team: Heart, Intensity, Desire and Energy (HIDE).
Coach Hahn and his staff have done a poor job of scouting both
Penn and GW. You can tell by the lack of Swagger,
the lack of Hustle, the lack of Interaction,
the lack of Toughness on the Explorers part.
Both of these games, against Penn and GW, should have been easy
wins. The coaching staff failed us for the second straight game.
GW had 22 assists for the game. The Explorers had only 9. The
score could have been much worse had GW not missed 10 free throws.
GW made an unheard of 60% of their shots from the field! You
certainly can not blame those cheesy yellow hats that they gave
away at the game on this loss either!
Steven "DD" Smith had 24 points and
3 rebounds. Gary "The Silencer" Neal
added 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.
J.R. Pinnock added 21 points for GW.
The
Explorer fans need to see offensive sets designed for David
Bell, Jermaine Thomas and Mike St. John.
Also, defensive intensity each and every trip is a must. This
must be taught by the coaches.
Billy Hahn sold many in the Explorer Club on
his plan. Frustrating many of us and to this point his plan
has not worked. The possibilty of a much needed .500 season
is slipping away.
Explorers Buried by Weaker Penn Team
by
Hoops Tick 01/14/04
Penn Crushes Explorers 71-47 in Afternoon Big
5 Fright Fest.
Certainly some of the Explorer
faithful believed a double digit margin was possible but not
for the Quakers to be on the winning end. It was a game the
Explorers needed to win.
This
has to be one of the most disturbing losses in years and raises
more questions. Did the coaches scout Penn at all? If so, what
was the game plan? Why did the Explorers play with no passion
and little intensity? How did a slower Penn squad get to most
of the lose balls and have open looks at 3 pointers? How did
the Explorers only shoot 25% from the field? Is this how our
team is going to play the rest of the season or was this just
"a very bad day that will not happen again"?
Steven
"DD" Smith carried all of the weight as he
scored 20 points and had 15 boards. Gary "The Silencer"
Neal was only able to score 12 points on a very poor
3 for 15 shooting day. Most disheartening is that David
Bell (2 points, 2 turnovers, 1 rebound and 1 foul in
20 minutes) and Jermaine Thomas (no points,
no assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and one foul in 20
minutes) never got into the flow of the game.
Tim Begley tossed in 20 points for the Penn
Quakers.
The team needs to regroup in a hurry. They must find a way to
pull out a win in the Smith Center on Saturday against an "up
and coming" GW squad.
Spiders
Can't Hang With Explorers
by
Hoops Tick 01/10/04
Explorers
Never Trailed in 66-55 Win. The Explorers are 7-7 and 2-0 in Atlantic
10.
La Salle led 10-0 and were never caught by the Richmond
Spiders. The Explorer defense held Richmond to 13 first half points
while scoring 23. 2,800 Explorer faithful witnessed a very entertaining
second half at the Gola Arena as the Explorers exploded for 43
points.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal scored 21
points and reached 800 points for his career. Steven "DD"
Smith had another double-double with 15 points and 11
boards. Jermaine Thomas pumped in 8 points.
As for Richmond... Tony Dobbins, the Atlantic
10 defensive player of the year last season, could not stop Gary
Neal and only contributed 5 points. Mike Skrocki
was held to 14 points.
Coach Billy Hahn and the coaches have the Explorers
playing team basketball and this team is not conceding the division
to Dayton or Xavier. They believe they can beat anyone in the
conference. Hahn said after the game "we need to beat Penn
on Wednesday and keep the momentum going."
The Silencer Earns A10 and Big 5 POW Honors
01/04/04
Gary
"The Silencer" Neal earned his first Player of the
Week award by averaging 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists
in three games for the Explorers. He was the driving force behind
La Salle's Championship in the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga,
TN.
Explorers Dig Out Victory Over UMass
by Hoops Tick 01/07/04
La Salle Triumphs 78-64 With Team Effort
Gary "The Silencer" Neal scored
23 points in the second half. Rasheed Quadri
(13 points), Lewis Fadipe (8 points, 4 boards,
2 blocks) and Mike St. John (3 points, 3 boards
and one awesome assist to Smith) teamed up to give the Explorers
a much needed boost in their A10 opener.
Steven Smith added 13 points and 3 boards while
Jermaine Thomas continued to progress with
10 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Anthony Anderson threw
down 20 points for UMass.
The
Explorers can taste .500 on Saturday for the first time in too
long with a win against Richmond at home.
Injury Update: Flo Larkai will be out of action with
a stress fracture in his leg. He will not return until February.
Explorers Fail to Rebound Against Pirates
by
Explorer Steve 01/03/04
Seton Hall 86, La Salle 74
Too many second chance points is the story of this
one. The Explorers failed to rebound Seton Hall's missed shots.
Seton Hall converted these rebounds into points.
Mike St. John had his best game
ever with 15 points. Jermaine Thomas had his
best game in a long time. He scored 11 points. The big men struggled
as David Bell (6 points) and Steven Smith
(10 points and 5 fouls) did not play well against Seton Hall.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal
had a quiet 19 points.
Kelly Whitney, not Andre
Barrett, is the best player for Seton Hall. Both had
25 points but Whitney dominated at times.
At 5-7 the Explorers closed out a very disappointing pre-conference
schedule. The team must play better during A10 play.
Officiating Update: If you thought it was a poorly
and strangely officiated game then you will not be surprised to
learn that Reggie Greenwood was one ref. The
idiot Greenwood called Billy Hahn for a technical with one minute
remaining when Billy Hahn was telling his guys
to keep playing. Greenwood also failed to make obvious calls during
key moments of the game - most to Seton Hall's advantage. We can
only hope that La Salle does not see this guy for a long time.
Kale Beers and Steve Degler
also pointed out, during the radio broadcast, a problem with ref
Fran Connelly who was allowing Seton Hall players
to pull the shirts out of Explorers players.
Explorers
Mock Mocs in Classic
by
Explorer Steve 12/30/03
Neal and Smith on All Tourney Team in Dr. Pepper
Classic Win.
The La Salle Explorers beat the
host Chattanooga
Mocs 71-65 in the Dr. Pepper Championship game. This is the
Explorer team many expected to see all season. Hahn and his
staff deserve credit for getting the team back on track.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal pumped in
30 points (53 over 2 games) and was named to the all tourney
team. Gary silenced the Chattanooga crowd with his 3 pointers
and clutch free throws down the stretch.
Steven "DD" Smith had another double-double
and was named the tournament's MVP. Steven added 24 points and
cleared 10 boards.
Ashley Champion of Chattanooga was limited
to 16 points and was not much of a factor at the end of the
game.
Seton Hall is the next opponent and this one should be a classic.
The Explorers have a lot of confidence and momentum. Seton Hall
will provide the Explorers with a good test prior to the A10
season opener. With a win La Salle can climb back to .500 and
set themselves up for a winning season. The Palestra will be
the place to be this Saturday at 2pm.
Explorers
Take Bite Out of Bulldogs
by
Explorer Steve 12/29/03
Explorers win 76-63 in First Round of
Dr. Pepper Classic
The coaches finally have gotten through to the
players... play like a team and good things will happen. The
players responded with a drubbing of the South Carolina State
Bulldogs. Only the officials kept this one from being a blow
out as they whistled the Explorers for 14 second half fouls.
All 8 Explorer players who played scored in the first half.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal led the
Explorers with 23 points and a career high 6 assists and 7 boards.
Steven Smith and David Bell
each added 14 points. If the Explorers had played this way all
season they would be at least at 8-2 instead of the current
4-6.
T. Zimmerman led the Bulldogs with 23 points.
Tuesday's game is now a "must win" for the Explorers
as they need an upset win over what will most likely be the
host team Chattanooga. The Explorers put themselves into this
situation by losing all 3 games in the Virgin Islands. Now they
must come out and win the next 2 games. Seton Hall visits the
Palestra on Saturday.
Refs Give VCU Early Present
by Hoops Tick 12/22/03
Illegal
Pick by VCU's Troy Godwin Not Called With 6 Seconds Remaining
It was an obvious call to everyone in the building
except to the 3 guys wearing the striped shirts and whistles
(Bryan Kersey, Sean Hull and James Haney). The call had to be
made as Godwin extended his arms in what is called an illegal
pick from the CYO league and up. This one was blatant. The lack
of the call gave VCU a 55-54 win. I guess earning over $250
each for less then 2 hours of work is not enough to call anything
in the last 6 seconds!
And of course, it never should have come down to the final seconds
but it did. The coaches have not produced the offensive game
plan that we need to see. There is hardly any dribble penetration
and the inside guys are not in a position to catch the ball.
So we settle for 3 pointers.
This is the type of loss that can cost the Explorers a winning
season. Gary "The Silencer" Neal
and Steven Smith had 14 points each. Domonic
Jones for VCU was held to 16 points.
Explorers Level Mountaineers
by The Oz
Special to LaSalle-Explorers.com 12/20/03
The Silencer Creates Avalanche on Legends' Day
Explorers Defense Key To Win.
Photos by Explorer Steve
It was a day that was dedicated to a 1951 La Salle alum and
1954 assistant coach on the NCAA championship team. A year later
Jim Phelan went to a college in Emmitsburg,
Maryland to be the head coach for what he thought would only
be a couple of years. When he called it a career 49 years later
he coached more games then anyone (over 1,300 games) and compiled
an impressive 830 victories. As far as coaching legends go,
Jim has to rank right up there with another Philadelphia legend
Connie Mack (50 years as baseball manager of
the Philadelphia A's) for coaching the same team for the longest
amount of time. As someone who graduated high school in 1954
and La Salle College (night school) in 1966, I want to thank
Jim for making the La Salle Community even stronger. Unfortunately
Jim Phelan could not make the 3 hour trip to Philadelphia due
to severe flu symptoms.
Kiel
Butler led Mount Saint Mary's with 12 points and 4
rebounds.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal (#14 left)
took care of the scoring. He torched The Mount for 30 points
on 10 for 14 shooting. He added 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2
steals. The team still has some work to do on the offensive
end of the floor. The defensive intensity was good for most
of the game in the 74-55 victory over the Mount Saint Mary's
Mountaineers.
The Explorers need to put the next two games in the win column
to get back on track.
Explorers Saved by D. Bell
by
Hoops Tick 12/13/03
Explorers Finally Win Game on Road
David "Bones" Bell
had a season best 18 points to go along with 5 rebounds and
a team high 4 assists. La Salle beat Florida International Golden
Panthers 64-55 in Miami.
The offense still is not where it needs to be but players other
then Gary "The Silencer" Neal (15
points) and Steven Smith (9 points) are getting
involved in the scoring. Mike Cleaves had 9 points and 8 boards.
The players that most expected to see playing against Villanova
played in this game (Rasheed Quadri with 2
points in 11 minutes and Lewis Fadipe with
1 block in 11 minutes). Mike St. John played
7 minutes and was 2 for 2 from the line. Hopefully Coach Hahn
will stick with a similar consistent lineup throughout the season
which would include mixing in Sean Neal when
necessary.
Carlos
Morban led the Golden Panthers
with 21 points.
Jermaine Thomas must be going through some
type of injury as his play has not been the same as last season.
He had almost as many turnovers (4) as points (5) and only contributed
3 assists.
Hopefully we will see the next couple of games in the win column.
But the team needs to continue improve as they need to strive
for a .500 record prior to conference play in January.
Nova Beats Explorers Via Long Distance!
by
Hoops Tick 12/06/03
Better Exterior Defense Could Have Made
Difference in 74-61 Loss.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal (32 points and a
steal) and Steven Smith (17 points and 9 boards)
played great games but unfortunately received no support
from the rest of the team.
The Explorers led for most of the game but with less then 11
minutes to go the defensive intensity was not there. David
Bell and Jermaine Thomas need to contribute
much more on the offensive end and more plays need to be designed
for them.
Randy Foye, who was scoreless in the first
half, torched the Explorers for 19 second half points (4 for
5 on treys). The Wildcats shot 10 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Villanova only had 9 players available for the game. However,
it seemed like the Explorers were playing with a short bench.
It seemed strange to me that freshman Mike St. John
played 22 minutes (5 rebounds and 2 points) when Rasheed
Quadri could have played. Why did the freshman get
so much time in a "must win" city series game?
Also, why was Lewis Fadipe not in the game
at all? Could Joel Jean Baptiste have been
put in for a few minutes to clog up the middle on the defensive
end?
Unfortunately, at 1-5, we have more questions then answers.
This loss was very disappointing but we have to move on.
Explorers Finally Win!
by Explorer Steve 12/03/03
79-71 Victory Over James Madison
The Explorers were desperate
for a win and they were able to get it. Steven Smith
had a monster game with a career high 27 points along with 13
rebounds and a blocked shot.
Despite
a 14-0 lead to start the game, the Explorers had to fight back
from a 4 point deficit with 5:23 to go in the game. Dwayne
Broyles scored 20 points for the James Madison Dukes.
Gary "The Silencer" Neal, the Explorers
leader on the court, returned to the lineup and played 27 minutes,
19 points and 5 assists. David "Bones" Bell
played 18 minutes and scored 13 points (on 4 of 6 shooting).
But it was Mike Cleaves who scored the key
basket and converted the 3 point free throw that put the Explorers
ahead to stay with 4:12 remaining. La Salle shot an unbelievable
60% from the field but a discouraging 56% from the line!
The Explorers have to play the next game against Villanova as
a "must win" because, even this early in the season,
it is.
Lowly
Leopards Leap by Lackluster La Salle
by
Hoops Tick 11/29/03
Coach Billy Hahn's team creates Inferno for faithful
Explorer fans.
The first rule in college hoops is that
you must play with passion and beat the low-level opponents
even if your leading scorer is injured. Instead, the Explorers
got torched by 20 points!
What is going on? The Explorers are now 0-4 and are playing
without any enthusiasm or purpose. The final score was Lafayette
Leopards 83, La Salle 63. Lafayette shot an unheard of 61% from
the floor!
The coaching staff needs to find a way to beat James Madison
on Wednesday or the fans may not be too happy for quite some
time at Gola Arena. After four games, some Explorer fans are
looking for divine intervention. Saint John Baptist de La Salle,
pray for us. Please.
Wipe Out at PJ Tourney
by Explorer Steve 11/24/03
Gary Neal did not play; Hahn disturbed and disgusted
The Explorers return home with an unimaginable
0-3 record after such high expectations. Gary Neal did not play
(due to injury) but this cannot be used as excuse for not beating
an Appalachian State team that was blown out by Boston College.
Hahn did not comment after the game on the post-game radio show
following the 59-48 loss.
After
the first 2 games in which La Salle could have easily won (had
they converted 40% from the floor or hit a handful of more free
thows), it was expected that the Explorers would come out strong
today against a weaker opponent. However, the players did not
respond and now Hahn and his coaches have to get them back to
the basics.
The Explorers made less then half of their free throws (11 for
23). Jermaine Thomas had 15 points; Steven
Smith had a bad game but threw in 11 points. A better
offensive game plan needs to be designed as we cannot settle
for an outside shot on the majority of possessions.
Hahn
and Explorers Take Vaca Against Hampton
by Hoops Tick 11/22/03
Honeymoon for Hahn is Over
Coach Billy Hahn has a lot of explaining
to do. The Explorers lost to a team they had to beat.
The Hampton Pirates won 68-64, dropping the Explorers
to 0-2 for the season. Another bad shooting night (34%
from the floor) prevented La Salle from winning. The Explorers
are not playing with the desire and passion a winning
team must have. The talent level is not the problem.
This is the Explorers second and what will
be their last visit to the Paradise Jam in the Virgin
Islands. This is not a paid vacation for the student-athletes
and coaches but somehow our team is making it look like
one. The loss to Wichita State was disappointing while
this loss is disturbing. A loss on Monday to Appalachian
State would be a disaster.
Steven Smith scored 17
points. David Bell contributed with a
team high 7 rebounds and scored 11 points. However,
Gary Neal spent a huge portion of the game on
the bench.
Jeff Granger of Hampton, who had 7.1
ppg last season, somehow pumped in 20 points against our
defense.
Billy needs to turn this around immediately as there is no more
room for excuses as everyone associated with our program had expected
at least 2 wins in this tournament. The season is not lost but
the coaches and players must take one game at a time and show
the passion and desire to get us to the post-season. The Explorers
cannot win with "scrambling helter-skelter defense"
or selfish players on offense.
Paradise
Loss to Shockers
by Mascot 11/21/03
La Salle took an early 7-4 lead but never held
the lead the rest of the game. The Explorer offense was slow
to get started as they shot only 24% from the field in the first
half. The Wichita State Shockers had 17 turnovers for the game
but the Explorers failed to convert many of these into points.
Also, La Salle only shot 65% from the free throw line (17 for
26).
Gary "The Silencer" Neal led all
scorers with 22 points. Mike Cleaves chipped
in with 15 points and looked like he has regained his freshman
form. Steven Smith contributed 13 points and
eight rebounds.
Rob Kampman had 12 points and eight boards
to lead the Shockers to the 74-71 victory.
Did you notice Shockers star Jamar Howard,
picked by many to be conference player of the year in the MVC,
was called for 5 fouls - including a phantom call on his 5th
and final foul? Also, toward the end of the first half, Explorers
star Gary Neal was pushed into the bench after
a 3 point shot and there was no call.
Pre-season Preview and Picks -
11/12/03
Exclusively from La Salle Explorers.com
The
season is set to kick off with a Jam. The Explorers open the
season with 3 games in St. Thomas at the Paradise Jam. The team
travels to Tennessee for the Dr. Pepper Classic and also visits
the Miami area (Florida International) prior to the start of
the new year. A game at the Palestra against Big East foe Seton
Hall kicks off 2004. The Explorers open the A10 season at UMass
and finish the regular season at home against GW. Philadelphia
Big 5 city series matchups are as follows: Villanova at the
Palestra on December 6; Penn at the Gola Arena on January 14;
St. Joe's at the Palestra on February 7 (ESPN); and Temple at
the Gola Arena on February 25. This season marks the 50th Anniversary
of the 1954 NCAA Champion Explorers. La Salle was the first
in Philadelphia to win championships in men's basketball (1952
NIT and 1954 NCAA).
The
team has added 3 freshman this season. 6-8 center Mike
St. John and 6-2 guard Sean Neal will
be in the rotation. An injury to shot blocking 6-10 center Roman
Narmbaye could cause him to be redshirted. There is
a slight possibility he could be ready to play in January.
Atlantic
10 and Big 5 Rookie of the Year Gary "The
Silencer" Neal will lead the scoring attack.
Gary scored 540 points last season. Gary will have more open
looks with the inside presence of Steven Smith.
Steven had an amazing 8.1 rpg and 14.5 ppg last season. Jermaine
Thomas had plenty of experience running the point last
season and his assists should only increase this year. David
Bell had an outstanding off season in summer league
play and should be a larger part of the offense this season.
6-10 forward/center Lewis Fadipe is looking
to contribute with more rebounds this season.
A healthy Mike Cleaves looks to regain the
magic he brought to the team his freshman year. Mike's dribble
penetration is among the best in the league. Forward
Flo Larkai will also provide valuable minutes off the
bench. Jeff Farmer and Rasheed Quadri
should see some time off the bench as well.
This
team has more depth then last year's squad which should allow
the starters to be fresher for the stretch run late in the close
games.
Where
will La Salle finish in the competitive A10 West? The A10 coaches
say the same as the last 2 years - fourth place. Our La Salle-Explorers.com
contributors are a little more optimistic…
| LaSalle-Explorers.com
Contributor: |
Hoops
Tick |
MJL
Pics |
Explorer
Steve |
Mascot |
| Explorers
Finish in A-10 West: |
3rd |
3rd |
2nd |
3rd |
| Regular
Season Record: |
18-11 |
15-14 |
19-10 |
16-13 |
| Post
Season: |
No |
No |
Yes
- NIT Champs |
Yes
- NIT |
And
new contributors for the upcoming season...
| LaSalle-Explorers.com
|
Neubauer |
Glory
Days |
LSUHoops
Fan |
A.L. |
| Explorers
Finish in A-10 West: |
3rd |
3rd |
3rd |
3rd |
| Regular
Season Record: |
15-14 |
18-11 |
17-12 |
17-12 |
| Post
Season: |
No |
Yes
- NIT |
Yes
- NIT 2nd Rd. |
Yes
- NIT |
