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Quick Scouting Report on LaSalle!!
By
Andy Mac Williams,
2/1/2008
Xavier (17-4, 5-1 in the A-10, tied for first with St. Joe's and rated 15th in both National Polls with an 11 RPI) should be a double-digit favorite over the La Salle Explorers (8-11, 3-3 in the A-10, 216 RPI) Saturday night at Cintas. The Muskies sure playing well (3 straight wins - 2 of those on the road). They're rested (off since last Sunday at UMass). They're healthy and playing at home. La Salle looks pretty ordinary on paper, but the Explorers have won as many league games so far this season (3) as they did all last year still with 10 A-10 games to play.
LU missed a trip to Atlantic City last March along with St. Bonnies by finishing in the conference's bottom two. They should play in the postseason this time around. La Salle also has managed two road victories in A-10 play (at SBU and at Richmond) which shows some pluck.
XU played the Explorers in the final regular season game at Tom Gola Arena in Philly last March. LU was eliminated from the postseason already. X needed to win to tie UMass for the regular season title and cement the top seed in the tourney. La Salle played X tough and led well into the second half before succumbing 76-65. Almost everybody except for hard working center Mike St. John is back from that team.
Dr. John Giannini (4th year) always has LU well prepared and playing hard. They change defenses a bunch and can be uncomfortable to play against. Giannini has seen it all, winning a Division III NCAA Title with Rowan University in New Jersey, transforming hockey power Maine into an American East basketball contender, and rebuilding La Salle after the unfortunate Billy Hahn debacle.
His guards are pretty good. Senior Darnell Harris (#11) (16 PPG) is 6th nationally in 3 point FG% (51%). He's made 76 shots from outside the arc and canned all 7 he tried against St Bonnies last Wednesday. The point, Soph Rodney Green(#10) - is 6-5 and posted up Drew Lavender last season. He averages 13 PPG but has a bad assist to turnover ratio. Soph Ruben Guillandeaux (#34) scores 7PPG off the bench.
La Salle does not have a true back-to-the-basket center. Who does these days?? They still outrebound the opposition by 6 per game using a bunch of 6-6, 6-7, 6-8 players. Jerrell Williams (#20) is a three-time choice already as A-10 Rookie of the Week. He averages 10 PPG and 8 REB. His twin brother Terrell comes off the bench. (#12) Yves Mekongo Mbala and (#31) Paul Johnson are the other front court starters. All three are athletic quick jumpers and hard to box out. (#5) Kimmani Barrett comes off the bench to score 8.5PPG with 4 rebounds.
La Salle scores 74 PPG and gives up 76. They are an average free throw shooting team (70%), but 3-pointers are a strength at 40%. The Explorers have had trouble with turnovers. If LU zones and XU settles for the outside shot and misses the lion's share (see West Virginia against UC), it could be competitive.
This is a "must" win for Xavier with 4 of the next 6 games away in some trying locales (St. Louis, Charlotte, Rhode Island and Dayton).
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