La Salle Explorers men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The La Salle Explorers
Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University
.
's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.
La Salle has won one National Championship, one National Invitation Tournament
Championship, and advanced to two Final Four
s. The Explorers have also made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, won eight Philadelphia Big 5
city championships, and four Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Championships. The program is one of only two schools (Houston) to have two players in the top 25 in all-time NCAA scoring - Lionel Simmons and Michael Brooks
. It's also had three National Players of the Year - only Duke University
and Ohio State have had more.
, Class of 1955
#22 Lionel Simmons, Class of 1990
#32 Michael Brooks
, Class of 1980
#33 Ken Durrett
, Class of 1971
previously coached at Rowan College, where he won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1996, and the University of Maine, where he left with the Black Bears' best winning percentage in school history.
Coaching Staff:
Past Head Coaches
La Salle Explorers
La Salle Explorers is the name of the athletic teams from La Salle University. The school's 23 varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and are a member of the Atlantic Ten Conference. The American football team previously played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football...
Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
.
History
The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & SmithStreet & Smith
Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as pulp fiction and dime novels. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks...
's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.
La Salle has won one National Championship, one National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
Championship, and advanced to two Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
s. The Explorers have also made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, won eight Philadelphia Big 5
Philadelphia Big 5
The Philadelphia Big 5 is an informal association of college athletic programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It is not a conference; indeed the five schools that are members of the Big 5 are members of three separate conferences: the Atlantic 10, the Big East, and the Ivy League.The five...
city championships, and four Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
Championships. The program is one of only two schools (Houston) to have two players in the top 25 in all-time NCAA scoring - Lionel Simmons and Michael Brooks
Michael Brooks (basketball)
Michael Anthony Brooks is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'7", he played as forward.-La Salle:...
. It's also had three National Players of the Year - only Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and Ohio State have had more.
Explorers in the NBA
La Salle has a rich history of players who played professional basketball, including:- Michael BrooksMichael Brooks (basketball)Michael Anthony Brooks is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'7", he played as forward.-La Salle:...
, 1980 College Player of the Year - "Jellybean" Joe BryantJoe BryantJoseph Washington "Jellybean" Bryant is a retired American professional basketball player, current coach, and the father of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Bryant was the head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks from August 22, 2005 until April 4, 2007...
, father of current pro Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school... - Rasual ButlerRasual ButlerRasual Butler is an American professional basketball player who plays for CB Gran Canaria in Spain. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in the Point Breeze area of south Philadelphia.-La Salle:...
, currently playing with the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center... - Larry CannonLarry Cannon (basketball)Lawrence T. "Larry" Cannon is a retired American basketball player, a former 6'4" guard .-La Salle:...
- Ken DurrettKen DurrettKenneth L. Durrett was an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Kansas City Kings and Philadelphia 76ers. A 6'7 Forward, Durrett was a star at La Salle University from 1968-71.-La Salle:...
- Bobby Fields
- Tom GolaTom GolaThomas Joseph Gola is a retired American basketball player.-Early Life:Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship...
, NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Hall of Famer, 1955 College Player of the Year - Tim LeglerTim LeglerTimothy Eugene Legler is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst.-La Salle:...
, current basketball analyst for ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, 4th all-time in NBA three-point shooting percentage - Gary NealGary NealGary Neal is an American professional basketball guard for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Neal attended Aberdeen High School and Calvert Hall College High School in Maryland then played college basketball at La Salle University before tranfserring to Towson University...
, currently playing with the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association .... - Doug OvertonDoug OvertonDouglas M. Overton is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA Draft. A 6'3" point guard from La Salle University, Overton played in 11 NBA seasons for 8 different teams...
- Jim Phelan
- Lionel Simmons, 1990 College Player of the Year
- Steven SmithSteven Smith (basketball)Steven Alexander Smith is an American professional basketball player. He played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. He is a 6'9" 250 lb...
, currently playing in Greece's A1 EthnikiA1 EthnikiThe Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA... - Fatty Taylor
- Randy WoodsRandy WoodsRandolph Woods is a retired American professional basketball player.-La Salle:...
- Bernie Williams
Retired numbers
#15 Tom GolaTom Gola
Thomas Joseph Gola is a retired American basketball player.-Early Life:Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship...
, Class of 1955
#22 Lionel Simmons, Class of 1990
#32 Michael Brooks
Michael Brooks (basketball)
Michael Anthony Brooks is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'7", he played as forward.-La Salle:...
, Class of 1980
#33 Ken Durrett
Ken Durrett
Kenneth L. Durrett was an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Kansas City Kings and Philadelphia 76ers. A 6'7 Forward, Durrett was a star at La Salle University from 1968-71.-La Salle:...
, Class of 1971
Coaches
Current head coach Dr. John GianniniJohn Giannini
Dr. John Giannini is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the La Salle University men's basketball team. He was a graduate assistant for the 1988–89 Illinois Fightin' Illini, a Final Four team featuring Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, Stephen Bardo and...
previously coached at Rowan College, where he won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1996, and the University of Maine, where he left with the Black Bears' best winning percentage in school history.
Coaching Staff:
- Walt Fuller
- Horace Owens
- Harris Adler
| Name | Years | Won-Lost | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| James J. Henry | 1931 | 15-4 | .789 |
| Thomas Conley | 1932-33 | 28-11 | .718 |
| Leonard Tanseer | 1934-41 | 90-59 | .604 |
| Obie O'Brien | 1942-43 | 25-21 | .543 |
| Joe Meehan | 1944-46 | 28-30 | .483 |
| Charles McGlone | 1947-49 | 61-17 | .782 |
| Ken Loeffler Ken Loeffler Kenneth D. Loeffler was an American collegiate and professional basketball coach. He was mostly known for guiding the La Salle University men's basketball team to the 1954 NCAA Championship and the 1952 National Invitation Tournament Championship.After earning a Bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania... |
1950-55 | 145-30 | .829 |
| Jim Pollard | 1956-58 | 48-28 | .632 |
| Dudey Moore | 1959-63 | 79-37 | .681 |
| Bob Walters | 1964-65 | 31-17 | .646 |
| Joe Heyer | 1966-67 | 24-27 | .471 |
| Jim Harding | 1968 | 20-8 | .714 |
| Tom Gola Tom Gola Thomas Joseph Gola is a retired American basketball player.-Early Life:Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship... |
1969-70 | 37-13 | .740 |
| Paul Westhead Paul Westhead Paul Westhead is a basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Oregon women's team... |
1971-79 | 142-105 | .575 |
| Lefty Ervin | 1980-86 | 119-87 | .578 |
| Speedy Morris Speedy Morris William "Speedy" Morris is a retired college basketball coach. He was head coach at La Salle University from 1986 to 2001. He led the Explorers to four NCAA tournament appearances... |
1987-01 | 238-203 | .540 |
| Billy Hahn Billy Hahn Billy Hahn is a basketball assistant coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers under head coach Bob Huggins. During his head coaching and assistant coaching career, Hahn has coached and recruited 19 future NBA players and set various school records at Maryland with numerous NCAA Tournament... |
2002-04 | 38-53 | .418 |
| John Giannini John Giannini Dr. John Giannini is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the La Salle University men's basketball team. He was a graduate assistant for the 1988–89 Illinois Fightin' Illini, a Final Four team featuring Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, Stephen Bardo and... |
2005- | 61-71 | .462 |
Year-by-Year Records
| Season | Overall Record | Conference Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-32 | 15-8 | ||
| 1932-33 | 13-3 | ||
| 1933-34 | 14-3 | ||
| 1934-35 | 15-6 | ||
| 1935-36 | 4-13 | ||
| 1936-37 | 12-7 | ||
| 1937-38 | 13-6 | ||
| 1938-39 | 13-6 | ||
| 1939-40 | 12-8 | ||
| 1940-41 | 11-8 | ||
| 1941-42 | 12-11 | ||
| 1942-43 | 13-10 | ||
| 1943-44 | 8-8 | ||
| 1944-45 | 11-8 | ||
| 1945-46 | 9-14 | ||
| 1946-47 | 20-6 | ||
| 1947-48 | 20-4 | NIT | |
| 1948-49 | 11-8 | Cincinnati Invitational Tournament | |
| 1949-50 | 21-4 | NIT | |
| 1950-51 | 22-7 | NIT | |
| 1951-52 | 25-7 | NIT Champions | |
| 1952-53 | 25-3 | NIT | |
| 1954-55 | 26-5 | NCAA Finalist | |
| 1955-56 | 15-10 | ||
| 1956-57 | 17-9 | ||
| 1957-58 | 16-9 | ||
| 1958-59 | 16-7 | ||
| 1959-60 | 16-6 | ||
| 1950-51 | 22-7 | ||
| 1960-61 | 15-7 | ||
| 1961-62 | 16-9 | ||
| 1962-63 | 16-8 | NIT | |
| 1963-64 | 16-9 | ||
| 1964-65 | 15-8 | NIT | |
| 1965-66 | 10-15 | ||
| 1966-67 | 14-12 | MAC Tournament | |
| 1967-68 | 20-8 | NCAA Tournament | |
| 1968-69 | 23-1 | *Suspended from Postseason | |
| 1969-70 | 14-12 | ||
| 1970-71 | 20-7 | NIT | |
| 1971-72 | 6-19 | ||
| 1972-73 | 15-10 | ||
| 1973-74 | 18-10 | MAC Tournament | |
| 1974-75 | 22-7 | NCAA Tournament | |
| 1975-76 | 11-15 | ||
| 1976-77 | 17-12 | ECC Tournament | |
| 1977-78 | 18-12 | NCAA Tournament | |
| 1978-79 | 15-13 | ECC Tournament | |
| 1979-80 | 22-9 | NCAA Tournament | |
| 1980-81 | 14-13 | ECC Tournament | |
| 1981-82 | 16-13 | ECC Tournament | |
| 1982-83 | 18-14 | NCAA Tournament | |
| 1983-84 | 20-11 | 11-3 | NIT |
| 1984-85 | 15-13 | 8-6 | MAAC Tournament |
| 1985-86 | 14-14 | 8-6 | ECC Tournament |
| 1986-87 | 20-13 | 10-4 | NIT Finalist |
| 1987-88 | 24-10 | 14-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 1988-89 | 26-6 | 13-1 | NCAA Tournament |
| 1989-90 | 30-2 | 16-0 | NCAA Tournament |
| 1990-91 | 19-10 | 12-4 | NIT |
| 1991-92 | 20-11 | 12-4 | NCAA Tournament |
| 1992-93 | 14-13 | 9-5 | MCC Tournament |
| 1993-94 | 11-16 | 4-6 | MCC Tournament |
| 1994-95 | 13-14 | 7-7 | MCC Tournament |
| 1995-96 | 6-24 | 3-13 | A10 Tournament |
| 1996-97 | 10-17 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 1997-98 | 9-18 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 1998-99 | 13-15 | 8-8 | A10 Tournament |
| 1999-00 | 11-17 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 2000-01 | 12-17 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 2001-02 | 15-17 | 6-10 | A10 Tournament |
| 2002-03 | 13-16 | 6-10 | A10 Tournament |
| 2003-04 | 10-20 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 2004-05 | 10-19 | 5-11 | A10 Tournament |
| 2005-06 | 18-10 | 10-6 | A10 Tournament |
| 2006-07 | 10-20 | 3-13 | |
| 2007-08 | 15-17 | 8-8 | A10 Tournament |
| 2008-09 | 18-13 | 9-7 | A10 Tournament |
| 2009-10 | 12-18 | 4-12 | |
| 2010-11 | 14-16 | 6-10 | A10 Tournament |
| 2011-12 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
See also
- 2004 La Salle University men's basketball scandal2004 La Salle University men's basketball scandalThe 2004 La Salle University men's basketball scandal was an incident that began in June 2004, in which three members of the La Salle University men's basketball team were accused of rape in two separate incidents.One allegation related to an encounter in April 2003 where one men's basketball...
- Former La Salle Head Coach Ken LoefflerKen LoefflerKenneth D. Loeffler was an American collegiate and professional basketball coach. He was mostly known for guiding the La Salle University men's basketball team to the 1954 NCAA Championship and the 1952 National Invitation Tournament Championship.After earning a Bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania...
- NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coachesNCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coachesThis is a list of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Regional Championships by coach. The current names of the NCAA Tournament regions are the East, Southeast, Southwest, and West...
- NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by schoolNCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by schoolThis is a list of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Final Four appearances by school. Schools whose names are italicized are no longer in Division I and can no longer be included in the tournament. Several teams have vacated Final Four appearances and are marked with an * with...