Athletics

2007-08 La Salle Men's Basketball Preview

After a rebuilding season in 2006-07 (10-20) that featured five freshmen who accounted for over 50% of La Salle's points and minutes played, the Explorers return its top six scorers from last season and will add another impressive recruiting class to continue its building process.

The team's top six scorers will return for the upcoming season including 6-1 shooting guard Darnell Harris (Baltimore, MD/St. Frances), whose 82 made three-pointers was fourth-most in the Atlantic 10.  Harris will become a fourth-year starter after leading the team in scoring with14.0 points per game during his junior season.  He started 27 of 30 games - missing just three starts due to a severe ankle sprain at season's end.

The only other senior is forward Sherman Diaz (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago/Life Center - NJ) who has averaged 4.1 points per and 14.0 minutes per game during his career.  Diaz started six games for the Explorers a season ago. 

This will be the second season that the team has a senior class of just two.

The junior class of Explorers offers even less experience with only one scholarship contributor in Paul Johnson (Washington, DC/Gonzaga).  Johnson averaged 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 29 games including two starts.

The aforementioned "freshman five" will become a sophomore four with the transfer of Brian Grimes, leaving Rodney Green (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) and Kimmani Barrett (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic), the team's second and third leading scorers respectively to carry much of the offensive load.  Green was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team member after averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 30 games and 28 starts while Barrett was the team's most consistent freshman down the stretch with averages of 10.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in Atlantic 10 play.  He played in all 30 games with five starts.  Also back are Yves Mekongo Mbala (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Patrick) who is the leading returning rebounder with 5.6 boards per game, just one-tenth off of the team lead in the category, and Ruben Guillandeaux (Brooklyn, NY/St. Patrick) who assumed most of the team's point guard duties, logging 26.3 minutes and averaging 10.1 points in conference play.

Six new players will be added to the roster including highly-touted 6-8 twin forwards Jerrell and Terrell Williams from Paterson, NJ after earning their diplomas and prepping one season at Northfield -Mount Hermon Academy in Massachusetts.  Also signing during the early period was 6-4 guard Kyle Griffin (Allentown, PA) who earned Inter-Ac Player-of-the-Year (Philadelphia Area) honors his senior season while playing for Explorer alum Craig Conlin at Germantown Academy.

Joining the squad out of Charis Prep in Goldsboro, NC is Seattle native Darryl Partin.  Partin is a 6-4 guard who averaged 28.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and 7-3 center Jameson Keefe (Troy, NY/Troy) who will become the tallest player in La Salle University history.  Keefe averaged 9.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game during his senior year at Troy High.  A final addition who will not be able to compete until the 2008-09 season is Mississippi State transfer Vernon Goodridge who played at Philadelphia Lutheran Christian and was rated the top center in America by HoopScoop in 2004.