City of Basketball Love

Ryan Coyle (@ryancoyle35)
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As we reach the midpoint of August and near the return of students to college campuses around the country, programs have started to release non-conference college basketball schedules and matchups. La Salle’s men’s basketball program, entering its fourth year under head coach Ashley Howard, released its non-conference schedule Wednesday afternoon, though it might not be the finalized version.

Right now, La Salle’s non-con only has 10 games on it; combined with the 18-game Atlantic 10 schedule yet to be released, that puts the Explorers at 28 games. NCAA regulations allow teams to play in exactly that amount plus a multi-team tournament which includes up to three games, for a grand total of 31; if they don't play in an MTE, they can add a 29th game.

Considering La Salle’s release both includes the words “so far” and has an “as of August 11” notification at the bottom, don’t be surprised to see the Explorers’ included in a to-be-announce tournament or event field.

No matter what gets added, the Explorers — coming off a 9-16 (6-11 A-10) season — will open up their non-conference slate on Tuesday, November 9 against Sacred Heart from the NEC inside Tom Gola Arena. 

On Saturday, November 13 Albany will travel to Olney as the Explorers celebrate homecoming weekend. First-year head coach — as well as former Temple assistant — Dwayne Killings' program has Philadelphia connections throughout it.

The Great Danes’ coaching staff includes Matt Griffin, a St. Joseph’s Prep grad, as well as Roman Catholic head coach for the past five years. The roster includes a trio of PCL alumni in Matt Cerutti (Archbishop Wood), Paul Brown (Roman), and Tairi Ketner (Archbishop Carroll). The roster also includes Temple transfer De’Vondre Perry and incoming freshman Aaron Reddish, who is a Norristown native, as well as Friends’ Central grad Chuck Champion. 

La Salle’s next three games are away from Gola, as they first travel to Delaware on Wednesday, November 17 for their first road game.

Howard’s squad will then face two Big 5 opponents with a neutral-site game at the Palestra against Villanova on Sunday, November 28 during Thanksgiving weekend. 

Villanova is coming off a year that saw them go 18-7, win the Big East regular season title and advance to the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national champion Baylor. Jay Wright’s Wildcats figure to be a top-five preseason team nationally after returning Co-Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie, as well as fifth-year senior Jermaine Samuels and a bulk of their rotation. 

Then La Salle will travel to the Liacouras Center on Wednesday, December 1 to face Temple and head coach Aaron McKie as he enters the third year of his head coaching tenure on North Broad Street. The Owls’ will be young this year, with Neumann-Goretti grad Hysier Miller likely to push for early playing time as a rookie.

The Explorers then return to Tom Gola Arena to face Holy Cross on Saturday, December 4 and Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday, December 7, and then will wrap up their non-conference portion of their Big 5 schedule when Penn travels 20 minutes north to Tom Gola Arena.

To wrap up their announced non-conference schedule, La Salle will make the trip out to the middle part of the Keystone State to face Bucknell, the second matchup in the non-conference against a Patriot League opponent. The Explorers are currently slated to wrap up their non-conference matchups on Tuesday, December 21 as they face “City 6” foe Drexel for their second matchup against a CAA opponent. As always, they’ll finish up Big 5 play during the A-10 season against St. Joe’s.

The Explorers lost David Beatty (8.8 ppg), Scott Spencer (7.0 ppg, 44% 3PT), and Jared Kimbrough (5.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) all to the transfer portal, but return the rest of their rotation.

Amongst the notable returnees are leading scorer and redshirt junior forward Jack Clark (9.9 ppg), junior guard Sherif Kenney (9.6 ppg), and A-10 All-Rookie team selection Jhamir Brickus (8.8 ppg), as well as team captain Christian Ray (7.5 ppg/6.0 rpg). Josh Nickleberry, a Louisville transfer, also figures to be a part of the lineup this year for La Salle. 

La Salle 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule
As of Aug. 11, 2021
Tues., Nov. 9 vs. Sacred Heart (8 PM, ESPN+)
Saturday, Nov. 13 vs. Albany (4 PM, ESPN+)
Weds., Nov. 17 @ Delaware (7 PM)
Sun., Nov. 28 vs. Villanova (TBD)

Weds., Dec. 1 @ Temple (TBD)
Sat., Dec. 4 vs. Holy Cross (2 PM, ESPN+)
Tues., Dec. 7 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (7 PM, ESPN+)
Sat., Dec. 11 vs. Penn (2 PM, ESPN+)
Sat., Dec. 18 @ Bucknell (2 PM)
Tues., Dec. 21 vs. Drexel (7 PM, ESPN+)