LutherRackleyRulez
10-09-2009, 10:21 AM
Per Jeff Goodman/FoxSports....
LA SALLE ADDS STUD FRESHMAN TO CORE SENIORS
La Salle coach John Giannini realizes that this year’s team has a chance to make some serious noise in the A-10 with the return of his top four scorers and the addition a Top 50 big man. However, he doesn’t want the focus to remain on just this year.
Giannini, who came over from Maine, wants to make sure the program remains competitive – even after a senior cl**** that includes Rodney Green, Kimmani Barrett, Yves Mekongo Mbala and Ruben Guillandeaux has moved on.
Freshman big man Aaric Murray and Rutgers transfer Earl Pettis, who is sitting out this season, certainly helped ensure the future would stay bright.
Murray is the highest-rated freshman to enter the A-10 this season. Scout.com had him at No. 31 in the entire country.
``He’s a high-major player,” Giannini said. ``Is he an NBA player? Time will tell. Could he play just about anywhere in the country? Yes.”
Giannini was hoping that he’d have a two-headed monster up front of Murray and athletic big man Vernon Goodridge. However, Goodridge, who spent his first two years at Mississippi State, was ruled ineligible to play this season by the NCAA.
Basically, since Goodridge didn’t began playing basketball until late, his NCAA clock began ticking his final season in prep school because he had already turned 21.
Luckily for the Explorers, though, Murray will help ease the loss of Goodridge (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
While Murray comes in with all the accolades, he won’t have to shoulder a huge burden with the return of four double-figure scorers: Green (17.8 ppg, 5 rpg), Barrett (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg), Mekongo Mbala (10.4 ppg, 6 rpg) and Guillandeaux (10.1 ppg).
``Those four are our core kids, the guys we built this program with,” Giannini said. ``They’ve changed the culture of the program and have established us as legitimate A-10 contenders.”
``There’s no question I’m excited about this year,” he added. “We have the combination of experience and talent to make a run.”
What people don’t realize is that La Salle has finished in the top half of the A-10 three of the past four years. The Explorers won 18 games last season and were 9-7 in league play – just the second time that the school has finished over the .500 mark in league play since joining the A-10 in 1995.
``For us to take the next step, we’ve got to make the NCAA tournament,” Giannini said.
That hasn’t happened since 1992 when Speedy Morris was at the helm.
http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/
LA SALLE ADDS STUD FRESHMAN TO CORE SENIORS
La Salle coach John Giannini realizes that this year’s team has a chance to make some serious noise in the A-10 with the return of his top four scorers and the addition a Top 50 big man. However, he doesn’t want the focus to remain on just this year.
Giannini, who came over from Maine, wants to make sure the program remains competitive – even after a senior cl**** that includes Rodney Green, Kimmani Barrett, Yves Mekongo Mbala and Ruben Guillandeaux has moved on.
Freshman big man Aaric Murray and Rutgers transfer Earl Pettis, who is sitting out this season, certainly helped ensure the future would stay bright.
Murray is the highest-rated freshman to enter the A-10 this season. Scout.com had him at No. 31 in the entire country.
``He’s a high-major player,” Giannini said. ``Is he an NBA player? Time will tell. Could he play just about anywhere in the country? Yes.”
Giannini was hoping that he’d have a two-headed monster up front of Murray and athletic big man Vernon Goodridge. However, Goodridge, who spent his first two years at Mississippi State, was ruled ineligible to play this season by the NCAA.
Basically, since Goodridge didn’t began playing basketball until late, his NCAA clock began ticking his final season in prep school because he had already turned 21.
Luckily for the Explorers, though, Murray will help ease the loss of Goodridge (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
While Murray comes in with all the accolades, he won’t have to shoulder a huge burden with the return of four double-figure scorers: Green (17.8 ppg, 5 rpg), Barrett (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg), Mekongo Mbala (10.4 ppg, 6 rpg) and Guillandeaux (10.1 ppg).
``Those four are our core kids, the guys we built this program with,” Giannini said. ``They’ve changed the culture of the program and have established us as legitimate A-10 contenders.”
``There’s no question I’m excited about this year,” he added. “We have the combination of experience and talent to make a run.”
What people don’t realize is that La Salle has finished in the top half of the A-10 three of the past four years. The Explorers won 18 games last season and were 9-7 in league play – just the second time that the school has finished over the .500 mark in league play since joining the A-10 in 1995.
``For us to take the next step, we’ve got to make the NCAA tournament,” Giannini said.
That hasn’t happened since 1992 when Speedy Morris was at the helm.
http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/