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La Salle lands third transfer this offseason

07/04/2015, 12:00pm EDT
By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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La Salle's opened the transfer pipeline once again, landing a former SEC post on the nation's birthday.

Former Miami (Fl.) forward Demetrius Henry announced on Saturday that he would be playing out his final two years of eligibility in North Philadelphia, becoming the third transfer to commit to head coach John Giannini this offseason.

Henry, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward, averaged six points and 3.6 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per game this past season, as the Gamecocks went 17-16 (6-12 SEC). He started 19 of 21 games, but was suspended in February for conduct detrimental to the team.

After sitting out the 2015-16 season, he'll be a much-needed addition to a La Salle frontcourt that just lost a pair of three-year starters to graduation in Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack. The Explorers will still be thin up front this year, though, with 6-10 redshirt sophomore Tony Washington likely to step into a starting role after playing a total of 37 minutes a year ago.

Nobody else on La Salle's current roster is taller than 6-7 wing forward Yevgen Sakhniuk, who sat out last season and will be a sophomore this year in his first season of eligibility. 

Earlier this offseason, Giannini got commitments from former Memphis point guard Pookie Powell, who will have three years of eligibility left after also sitting out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer regulations, plus former Lower Merion wing B.J. Johnson (Syracuse), who will have two years remaining.

Giannini and his staff have utilized the transfer market more than any other program in the city over the last few seasons, and it certainly hasn't been a bad strategy for the Explorers.

While Zack, Wright and former point guard Tyreek Duren were all local recruits, the Explorers made it to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 thanks to large contributions from Ramon Galloway (South Carolina) and Tyrone Garland (Virginia Tech); Earl Pettis (Rutgers) made a good impression in his two years at 20th and Oleny. 

The current roster boasts three more transfers in Jordan Price (Auburn), Khalid Lewis (Delaware) and Cleon Roberts (Georgia Southern) in the backcourt.

Henry's commitment means that La Salle has two scholarships remaining for 2016-17.

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