Final Statistics: Leading scorer Damion Lee (17.1 points per game), leading rebounder Daryl McCoy (8.6 rebounds per game), leading assists Frantz Massenat (4.2 assists per game).

The Skinny: The Drexel Dragons were popular preseason selection to run away with the CAA and make their first NCAA tournament since 1996.  Drexel ended up experiencing a turbulent up-and-down season, never winning or losing more than three straight games at a time.  After losing to George Mason in the first round of the CAA tournament, the Dragons were sent back to Philadelphia without any tournament appearances for the year.

Highlight #1: With the struggles mounting and nearing the midway point of their conference schedule, Drexel needed something, anything, to provide a spark and source of inspiration to build upon.  On Jan. 23, it looked like the Dragons had found the magic it was looking for when Massenat knocked down a buzzer-beating half-court prayer to break a 52-all tie on the road versus Hofstra. The shot garnered national media attention and, at the time, looked to be just what the doctor ordered to get Drexel back on the winning side of the ball.

Highlight #2: It was the middle of January and the Dragons still had not won consecutive yet.  They were down, but they certainly were not out of the wide-open CAA.  After three straight losses – their longest losing streak of the year – Drexel needed to string together some victories to remain in the conference conversation.  While on the road, Bruiser Flint’s squad reeled off a double-digit victory over William & Mary before stunning Hofstra at the buzzer (Highlight #1).  Returning home with back-to-back wins, the Dragons pulled off another double-digit victory over Georgia State.  The three game win streak was not just Drexel’s longest winning streak of the season; it was a source of hope and proof that despite the injuries this team can win basketball games.

Highlight #3: On Senior Night of the 2011-12 season, the crowd packed the Daskalakis Athletic Center and saw then-senior Samme Givens become the third player in Drexel University history to reach the 1,000 point, 1,000 rebound milestone. This season, it was Daryl McCoy who took advantage of the time to shine.  With the Dragons hopes of winning the CAA regular season title long gone, they were left to look forward to a run in the upcoming conference tournament.  McCoy, one of three Drexel seniors honored that night, took matters into his own hands.  Searching for momentum, McCoy posted a monster 13 point, 17 rebound double-double to push the Dragons to back-to-back wins a momentum heading into the CAA tournament.

Chris Fouch is honored on senior night. Fouch’s injury set the tone for Drexel’s disappointing season.

Lowlight #1: 2012-13 was a season of struggles for the Dragons and no loss characterized those struggles quite like Feb. 7’s 12-point home loss to Old Dominion.  On the surface, this loss may not look so egregious.  The Monarchs have been a solid CAA team over the past decade with some NCAA tournament experience to boot.  But this season was much different for Old Dominion.  Travelling to Philadelphia in the first week of February, the Monarchs were 2-20.  Oh, and they had fired their longtime head coach, Blaine Taylor, just 48 hours prior to their tilt with the Dragons.  When the dust settled inside the DAC, Drexel had lost by a dozen in a game where they allowed the most points in regulation of the season and Lee was held scoreless for the first and only time in his career.

Lowlight #2: Heading into the season, there were two things at Flint’s practices that were markedly different than that past couple of seasons.  1) Givens was no longer present as he had graduated and is now playing professional basketball in Holland, and 2) Chris Fouch was fully healthy and ready to contribute right away from the season’s onset.  Fouch came out firing too, with 40 points in the first two games knocking down almost 50-percent of his three-point shot attempts.

It was the third game of the season against Penn, Drexel’s neighbor and rival, where Fouch’s health caught a bad break.  Literally.  Early in the second half of a tight ballgame, Fouch went up for a contested layup in transition.  With his momentum carrying him deep underneath the basket, Fouch came down, took a step, and then stepped on a photographer’s foot.  Fouch went down in a heap and, when finally up, not able to put any pressure on his foot.  It was a broken ankle for the fifth-year senior and an end to his once-promising season.  The Dragons were never able to replace his scoring prowess and ultimately could not recover from the blow.

Lowlight #3: As the Dragons have surged to the attention of the national media over the past few seasons, they have had the privilege of receiving invitations to some of the early season national tournaments.  In the 2011-12 season, Drexel put on a poor showing at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands dropping their first two games before salvaging the final.  This past season, the team travelled to Anaheim, Calif. for the DIRECTV Classic.  Unfortunately for the Dragons, the result was quite similar to the previous year’s Paradise Jam.  After dropping their first two games to St. Mary’s and Xavier (two NCAA tournament teams), Drexel was able to pull out their final game against Rice.  It was another disappointing showing of the national stage for Flint’s squad.

Turning Point: Although the Dragons were up and down all year long, even when they were down, there seemed to be a collective gut feeling that they could turn it all around at any moment.  That was until Feb. 7 when the 2-20 Old Dominion Monarchs visited the DAC (Lowlight #1).  Losing by a dozen to the cellar-dweller of the CAA was a moment of deflation rivaled only by Fouch’s broken ankle this season.  The timing of this loss contributed to its negative impact as well.  With February beginning, the Dragons began to attempt to put everything together and gain some kind of momentum heading into the evermore important conference tournament.  Up until this devastating loss there was still hope for Drexel, but afterwards, the Dragons were sent spiraling into desperation mode where they ultimately failed to claw themselves out.

Frantz Massenat continued to be one of the best facilitators in the CAA. (Kevin Rossi/Philahoops)

Most Revealing Aspect: If there is one game that effectively sums up the Dragons entire 2012-13 campaign, it is the 12-point thrashing at home at the hands of Old Dominion.  It was a game where the Dragons may have gotten caught looking ahead to their rematch against James Madison, just as the team may have gotten caught looking ahead to the postseason before the season even began.  It was a game that the Dragons should have won with ease, just as it seemed like they should have won the CAA with ease.  It was a game that the Dragons should have dominated on defense but failed, just as they should have been a defensive force the whole season but ended up struggling.  The loss to Old Dominion is certainly not the game that Drexel wants their season to be remembered by, but the parallels are too obvious to be ignored.

Area of Strength: The big men may normally be the center of attention for a team coached by Flint, but this season was the season where the guards carried the team.  The trio of Massenat, Lee, and Thomas averaged 41 points per game and contributed 62-percent of Drexel’s offense on the season.

Massenat continued the success of his sophomore season by averaging 14.7 points and a team leading 4.2 assists per game all while earning All-CAA Second Team honors.  Also earning All-CAA Second Team honors was Lee, who continued to take the necessary steps to become one of the best scorers in Drexel history finishing with a team leading 17.1 points per game in his sophomore campaign.  Late in the season, Thomas became comfortable as the team’s third scoring option.  The senior from New York averaged a career best 9.5 points per game on the year.

Area of Weakness: Drexel is known for their tough, hard-nosed brand of defense.  A year prior, they had a defense that was top-seven in both points allowed per game and three-point shooting percentage against.  Oh, what a difference a year makes.  The Dragons allowed 63.0 points per game this season, up almost six points per game from a year earlier.  Also, Drexel let opponents shoot a warm 43.4-percent from the field and over 34-percent from behind the arc.  Combine all of that with forcing less than a dozen (11.8) turnovers and blocking a CAA-worst 1.9 shots per game, and the Dragons’ uncharacteristic defensive struggles proved to be a surprising and crippling deficiency.

Biggest Surprise: The biggest surprise of the 2012-13 Drexel basketball season was, by far, the immense disappointment of not just losing 18 games, but also missing out on all postseason opportunities.  After being a popular preseason selection to win the CAA and go onto the NCAA tournament, the Dragons just could not overcome inconsistencies on both sides of the ball as well as the myriad of injuries throughout the season.  It was a disappointment that nobody saw coming after the team lost only one player from its 29 win team of just a year earlier.

Review: Coming off of back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, expectations were sky high for the Dragons entering the season.  Their sights were set on revenge and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1996, and nothing was going to get in their way.  Except for the poor defense in the nonconference portion of the schedule.  Except for the plethora of injuries that plagued the team throughout the long, hellish season.  Except for inconsistency shooting the basketball especially down the stretch.  There was rarely any momentum and they could not even survive the first round of the CAA tournament.  When it was all said and done there was no third straight 20-win season, there was no postseason of any kind, and there certainly was no revenge.

Did you know? With one more victory, Flint will tie Sam Cozen as Drexel University’s all-time leader in wins for a men’s basketball coach with 213.

Major Canady will bolster Drexel’s backcourt. (Pittsburgh Basketball Report)

Key Returnees: Though the season was a disappointment, Drexel returns their biggest strength (Area of Strength): their guards.  Massenat and Lee headline the returning scoring; however, they could be joined by another big name scoring returnee.  Fouch has applied for a sixth year of eligibility after a broken ankle claimed his fifth year only two and a half games in.  There have been reports saying that Fouch is likely to be granted an extra season, and if so, the Dragons would regain the services of the twentieth best scorer in school history.

Also returning will be big men Dartaye Ruffin and Kaz Abif.  Ruffin will take on the role as Flint’s number one option in the middle after averaging 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in his first season as a full-time starter.  Abif, who will be a junior, moves from the team’s first big man option off of the bench and into the starting lineup after averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

The Dragons will also retain the services of Tavon Allen who averaged 6.6 points per game as a freshman and Goran Pantovic who will likely move into position as the team’s first big man option off of the bench next year.

Key Losses: One thing is certain going forward for Drexel men’s basketball, and that is adjusting to life with McCoy and Derrick Thomas.  Both played their first games in Drexel blue and gold back in 2009-10, both were almost instantly inserted into Flint’s lineup.  After four strong years, McCoy and Thomas leave Drexel with 120-plus games played and two seasons winning 21 games or more.  Importantly, the Dragons are losing to of the best defensive players that the school has ever seen with McCoy finishing with the sixth most rebounds in school history and Thomas guarding the opposition’s best perimeter player on a nightly basis.

Drexel may also need to prepare for life with Fouch if he is not granted a sixth year of eligibility.  If he is denied the sixth year, Fouch will go down as the twentieth best scorer in Drexel and seventh in three-pointers made.

The Dragons will also be losing the services of two players that will be transferring: Aquil Younger and Casey Carroll.  According to a recent CBS report from Jeff Goodman, both will be seeking new scenery this offseason.  Younger, a sophomore, was the backup to Massenat at the point guard position appearing in all 31 games for Flint and averaging 8.3 minutes per game.  Carroll, a redshirt freshman, only appeared in two games this past season, knocking down the only basket he took.

Key Additions: The Dragons will be adding an impressive three-man recruiting class that will be pivotal to Drexel’s success in the upcoming handful of years.  Rodney Williams, a 6-foot-7 forward, joins Drexel from St. Christopher’s in Virginia.  Major Canady, a 6-foot-3 guard, will be heading to West Philadelphia from Kiski Prep (PA) – the same prep school as now transferring Drexel forward Carroll.  Rounding out the incoming recruiting class is 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward Mohamed Bah from Lee Academy (ME).

Joining the incoming recruiting class midseason will be Seton Hall transfer Freddie Wilson.  Wilson, a 6-foot-2 point guard who will be a junior, was averaging only 5.4 minutes per game before he transferred.  Wilson and new Drexel teammate Allen played at the same high school, Hillhouse in New Haven, Conn.

Looking Forward: After a season of disappointment, it looks like the struggles of 2012-13 are more of an exception rather than the rule for Drexel basketball.  After back-to-back 20-plus win seasons and losing only one player from a 29 win season, nobody could have foreseen the immense struggles of this past season.  One thing that Drexel will be strong at is scoring with their guards as their two leading scorers of the past season, Massenat and Lee, return for their senior and junior seasons, respectively.  Potentially joining them could be one of the most prolific scorers in school history in Fouch, who if granted a sixth year of eligibility, could team up with Massenat and Lee to form one of the best backcourt trios in the entire country.

The Dragons will definitely be losing McCoy and Thomas and will be hard-pressed to replace their defense.  Lee does have experience guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player, so the transition away from Thomas may go smoother than expected.  The biggest question mark lies at big man as Ruffin and Abif are penciled in as Flint’s starters and a big void is left off the bench as the mildly used Pantovic is the only other forward on the roster to have appeared in more than two games last year.

Drexel does welcome a new trio to town though in Williams, Canady, and Bah.  It is unknown how much the three will contribute in their freshman campaigns next year, but simply landing such a solid recruiting class is a good indication of where the Drexel men’s basketball program is headed in the near future.

Now the CAA has lost another set of talent with Old Dominion leaving for C-USA, Georgia State leaving for the Sun Belt, and George Mason leaving for the A-10, the time is now for the Dragons to end the NCAA tournament drought.  Although 2012-13 was supposed to be the year for revenge, 2013-14 could finally be the year.

The post Drexel’s 2012-2013 Season Review: High hopes for Dragons diminished by injury and poor performances appeared first on PHILAHOOPS.

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @kevin_rossi

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On Wednesday night, the clock struck double zeroes, and the scoreboard showed a 67-57 advantage for the home team. Streamers flew, blue and gold.  Students rushed onto the court at the Daskalakis Athletic Center drunk not off of the usual cheap light beer or plastic bottle vodka, but off of pure excitement and carefree anticipation.

Their beloved Drexel basketball team would be playing for a championship, a national championship, the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.  A national championship is something that only a few teams can say they had the opportunity to play for each year no matter whether it is men or women playing.  And that is what is great about college sports; it is not about whether the men or the women are competing for a championship. It is about competing for one school, one set of colors, one feeling of togetherness.

Hollie Mershon is ready to bring a basketball championship to Drexel. (Photo by Stacy Podelski, 1495 Sports)

As of that moment on Wednesday night when the Drexel women’s basketball team beat the Florida Gators by 10 at the DAC to advance to the finals of the WNIT, Drexel’s West Philadelphia campus has been buzzing.  A fever pitch.  With many of the Drexel sports fans still reeling from the disappointing season that the men had, the women are keeping the school’s hoops hopes and dreams alive.

“The women’s team has really given us something to believe in, especially with our men’s team out of playoff contention this year,” said third year Drexel student Hayley Zedeck. “They’re playing their strongest basketball right now and inspiring the campus to show their Dragon pride.”

You can be sure that there will be plenty of Dragon pride shown when Drexel takes on Utah on Saturday afternoon.  The game will be played on the Dragon’s home court, the DAC, where the team has won 11 games this season.  It is an advantage that is unique to the NIT: games played on campus, not in some far off NCAA-washed arena. And the Drexel fans, well, they are excited to have one more chance to cheer on their Dragons at home.

“With only a hand full of college teams still playing across the country, it’s great that we can come out to the DAC on Saturday and support our team,” Zedeck said.

Drexel’s women’s basketball team has not gotten its due respect in the city of Philadelphia because of the tradition of the Big 5 that they are not a part of or in the CAA because of the national infatuation with Delaware’s Elena Delle-Donne. The fans want that respect for their team just as badly as the players themselves want it.  So, naturally, the fans like the advantage that the DAC will provide the team on Saturday.

“It will definitely be a huge advantage for Drexel because the DAC, although small, can get loud in a hurry,” said DAC Pack member Phil Beck. “They (Florida) were surprised at the DAC and they seemed intimidated at times. Now we have a team coming from a farther distance, that of course being Utah, so they would have to adjust quickly or else this game can get away from them fast.”

The hope for Drexel fans is that the game will get away from Utah fast.  They are excited, ecstatic, over the possibility of one last win.  A win means obtaining the respect that inherently comes with winning a national championship.  A win means sending the four seniors – Rene Johnson-Allen, Hollie Mershon, Nicki Jones, and Taylor Wootton – off riding high and into the sunset.  But most of all, a win for Drexel in the WNIT championship on Saturday against Utah means a team and a fan base coming together for the blue and gold.

The post PhilahoopsW Special: WNIT championship is bringing Drexel campus together appeared first on PHILAHOOPS.

(View the complete list here)

Aquil Younger is said to be seeking a transfer along with Drexel forward Casey Carroll. (Kevin Rossi/Philahoops)

Carroll appeared in only two games for Bruiser Flint this season, scoring one basket. The 6-foot-8 forward out of Kiski Prep (PA) had trouble staying healthy enough to consistently practice.  The lack of practice time ultimately doomed Carroll, and the bench minutes from the interior guys were dominated by sophomore Kaz Abif and junior Goran Pantovic. With Drexel landing two forwards in their incoming recruiting class - Rodney Williams of St. Christopher (VA) and Mohamed Bah of Lee Academy (ME) – time in the front court has gotten even tougher to come by at Drexel.

Younger had been a rumored transfer even before the Dragons brought in Seton Hall transfer Freddie Wilson. The 6-foot-0 speedy point guard from Simon Gratz (PA) appeared in all 31 games for Flint this season, averaging 8.3 minutes, 1.4 points, and 1.0 rebounds per game.  Younger had won occasional praise from Flint this season for solid on-ball defense usually on the opposition’s quickest guard. Already battling for minutes behind starting point guard Frantz Massenat, the addition of Wilson made an already crowded point guard position even more crowded for Younger.

Yacoubou appeared in 31 of 34 games this past season for Jay Wright’s Wildcats, averaging 12.0 minutes, 2.9 points, and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting a solid 39-percent from downtown. The 6-foot-4 guard from the Bronx was stuck in a crowded backcourt at Villanova with Darrun Hilliard, Ryan Arcidiacano, Tony Chennault, and James Bell all receiving more minutes this year and all scheduled to return next year.

Stay tuned to Philahoops for more transfer news from the City 6!

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In addition to bringing negative attention to a perpetually struggling program, the Rice scandal creates another head coach opening in a power conference. This Central Jersey job vacancy very well might have an impact 45 minutes down the road in Philadelphia.

For a number of reasons, La Salle’s John Giannini is an attractive option for Rutgers to fill its immediate opening.

Earlier this week USC hired Florida Gulf Coast’s Andy Enfield because of his team’s surprising run in the NCAA tournament. Often those with a successful March are the ones who fill head coaching vacancies in April. With Enfield no longer available, Giannini now becomes the hot name. That’s the nature of the business where so much attention is focused on postseason accomplishments.

Albeit a school void of any recent major accomplishments, Rutgers is still a Big 10 job, and Giannini with Midwestern roots, has hundreds of thousands of reasons to listen if the Scarlet Knights reach out to him.

Rutgers would also have money in mind if it shows interest in Giannini.

Giannini has proven that he can turn programs around. (Philly.com)

Giannini’s La Salle salary is just shy of $300,000 whereas Mike Rice was averaging $650,000 with a five-year contract. Rutgers could give Giannini a sizable raise, but still come near Rice’s current numbers. Based on his age and overall record at La Salle, Giannini would likely be more amenable to Rutgers’ terms compared to other hot coaching candidates.

Since Rutgers will have to make buyout deals with Rice and possibly Pernetti, the state-run budget strapped university can’t afford to spend lavishly. Giannini in New Brunswick makes fiscal sense on both sides of the negotiating table.

Rutgers has the budget to shop at Macy’s not at Lord & Taylor where the inventory includes Ben Howland.

It’s a win-win scenario as Giannini gets a big raise and Rutgers wouldn’t have to match the incentive laden deal Texas Tech just gave to Tubby Smith (six-years with an average of $1.85 million per season) or USC’s tab for Enfield (six-years with an average of just over $1 million).

Besides his recent wins and salary, Giannini has plenty to offer a school in wake of a coaching scandal. The cerebral Ph.D. would give Rutgers a PR boost. The school wins the press conference and gets some good will back with the hire of a coach/educator who goes by Doctor. Since Tom Davis is out of the coaching game, that distinction belongs to Giannini. Lehigh’s Brett Reed also has that title but the Mountain Hawks didn’t beat Kansas State.

Giannini would be a good transitional coach for Rutgers as it moves into the Big 10. Even without a scandal to handle, Rutgers most likely will struggle in the country’s best conference.

If the Scarlet Knights couldn’t beat South Florida and DePaul with regularity, how will they beat Wisconsin and Ohio State anytime soon?

Rutgers needs someone to guide it through the next few years which should be lean in terms of wins and Big 10-level recruits. Giannini, never involved with any type of scandal or irregularities at La Salle, could help Rutgers deal with its growing pains in a classy, clean, and quiet way. And his national championship at Rowan gives the school a palatable New Jersey connected leader.

Danny Hurley and Eddie Jordan are a couple of other names that have already been thrown around as Rice’s possible successors.

Hurley, now the head coach at Rhode Island, certainly fits the bill as a Jersey guy. The former Seton Hall guard who played for his father Bob at Saint Anthony is quickly moving up the coaching ranks after doing well at Saint Benedict’s and then Wagner.

Sure Hurley makes sense for Rutgers, but Rutgers doesn’t make sense for Hurley.

The Rutgers’ job would give Hurley a raise (his current deal is six-years for a total near $4 million), however he would be gambling with his future earnings and face immense scrutiny due to his last name.

Turning Rutgers right around as it enters the Big 10 doesn’t seem feasible for any coach, let alone a 40-year old one who is still enjoying the honeymoon period in Kingston.

Making an impact at Rhode Island in a diminished A10 seems realistic for Hurley to accomplish in the near future. The prospects look entirely different at Rutgers where the new coach will have to undo Rice’s wrongs while simultaneously deciphering John Beilein’s offense.

Based on what has happened in New Brunswick over the past 10 years and the turnover at the schools at the bottom of the Big 10 standings, the Rutgers coach in 2014 won’t be the coach in 2019.

Hurley should look at the career path of Todd Lickliter if presented with the Rutgers job. From 2001 to 2007 the 40-something Lickliter was the rising young coach leading Butler onto the national stage. He cashed that job into the Iowa position after Steve Alford’s controversial exit. After just three years with the Hawkeyes, Lickliter was fired.  The big schools never called back after his failed attempt to clean up the Iowa mess.

Lickliter is now coaching at the NAIA school Marian University.

The 50-year old Giannini might be more willing to take a risk on what happens down the road and get an immediate lucrative return for his 2013 achievements.

If not Giannini, the other coach to be the logical one to replace Rice is Jordan.

Currently an assistant with the Lakers, Jordan along with James Bailey and Phil Sellers led Rutgers to the Final Four in 1976. No doubt Jordan would deliver Rutgers some much-needed positive publicity with references back to the school’s halcyon days. Even when he was coaching the 76ers and the Washington Wizards Jordan maintained a residence in Princeton so he should be open to returning to New Jersey.

Don’t be surprised if a high profile job in the Garden State is soon filled by a former Philadelphia coach, one from either the college or professional ranks.

The post La Salle Series: Why Rutgers will want John Giannini appeared first on PHILAHOOPS.

The local newspapers were filled last week with similar types of stories.

Best move La Salle didn’t make by Marcus Hayes

La Salle and Dr. John Giannini a perfect fit by Mike Jensen

Both articles heap loads of credit on the administrators at La Salle for giving their men’s basketball coach more time. Perhaps too much credit, but the results have allowed them to make these statements.

An unexpected Sweet Sixteen run will do that.

I’ll admit it, before I wrote for Philahoops, I (pretty vocally) thought La Salle should dump John Giannini as their coach. The team had underperformed and continued losing. The school’s propensity for holding on to losing basketball coaches, as evidenced by the near extra decade the school gave to Speedy Morris in the 1990s, made me worry about the future of the program.

Billy Hahn’s La Salle career was cut short after all that mess in the summer of 2004, but La Salle had just reupped the former Maryland assistant after two losing campaigns. Extended until 2007, Hahn’s record was a mediocre 17-34. Had two players and two coaches not been unceremoniously bounced from campus in the most terrible circumstance, Bob Huggins‘ current assistant might still be here.

So when people say that this was all part of the plan, that they knew what they were doing when past history shows an apathetic approach for other situations, I could not be more skeptical.

But I could also have not been more wrong.

Aaric Murray poses with his mom, LaToya, after announcing he will transfer to WVU. (Credit AARON BRACY/Philahoops.com)

When once-celebrated recruit Aaric Murray left amidst benchings and public arguments with the coach, I thought that this was the beginning of the end of the Giannini tenure.

I could not have been more wrong.

Since then, back to back seasons in late March tournaments capped by an improbable NCAA run from “First Four” through the first weekend have “Giannini” as a hot name in coaching circles.

On everyone’s short list to fill the vacant Northwestern job, the Chicago native was still playing when Duke assistant Chris Collins was selected. Giannini was supposedly considered for the job, but Northwestern most likely wanted to strike before the tournament ended and bigger jobs opened.

This will not be the coach’s last brush with a major conference program. Minnesota has a vacancy after bouncing Tubby Smith, and La Salle’s coach has been mentioned along with Andy Enfield as potential replacements there. Other big time jobs include New Mexico, Texas Tech and Southern California.

Katz had this to say:

La Salle is a very difficult program to sustain, as evidenced by how long it took it to get back in the tournament. The A-10 is certainly changing with Xavier, Butler, and possibly more teams, leaving. If Giannini could get a Big Ten gig then he’d have to go.

This has become the new normal. It is the aspect of success that nobody talks about until it happens. If a BCS school comes calling with prestige, better recruits and a much higher payday, it would be crazy to expect Giannini to stay at a small Catholic school in North Philadelphia.

Fans and alumni might scream and shout that teams like VCU and Butler could keep their coaches away from UCLA and others by giving them contracts that rival the best in the country, but that is just unrealistic. Butler just signed on to play in the new Big East and VCU might following suit to a bigger conference. Those schools also have three Final Fours between them and loads of cash flow to spend on keeping talent here.

Giannini’s sideline demeanor is often fiery and intense, but it yielded results this year. (Joe Fedorowicz • Philahoops)

La Salle does not. In their current situation, the Explorers are cemented in the Atlantic 10 and will be playing in Tom Gola Arena for some time. Giannini’s salary is one of the lowest in the conference, something that will surely change now that he has made it further than any other A-10 coach.

What La Salle will be unable to do is match a BCS offer, something that would more than triple his current annual pay. To do that, the administration would be mortgaging their future, allotting a large portion of their budget to keep Giannini here. The coach could still leave at any time, for any reason. Bigger conference, nicer facilities, better situation. That alone would squarely return La Salle to a state of confusion.

The practice of clinging to long-time coaches and giving extensions for a .333 winning percentage does not apply here. Giannini should receive exactly what he deserves, an extension and a pay raise that puts him amongst the top 25-percent of coaches in the new Atlantic 10. Anything more than that, like the outrageous deals given to Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens, would strip La Salle of any decision-making power for a decade.

So all fans should hope Giannini stays put, but do not be upset if the administration cannot keep him on the sidelines. The bigger fear should be what would happen next. What is the plan if the Gophers, Lobos or Trojans come calling? The plan should be to keep Giannini by making his success worth it, not expecting him to look past any deal.

No contract is inescapable and if one of those schools like what they see, they will probably get what they want.

To be a big-time, mid-major program, something La Salle is getting closer to being, you have to continually make the right moves. Keeping Giannini through the tough stretches was the correct thing to do.

Giving him a big raise will be the correct thing to do.

Knowing what to do when he might not be around will be the biggest test the school might have.

But then again, what do I know?

About Giannini, I could not have been more wrong.

The post La Salle Series: Keeping Giannini should be the plan, not the purpose appeared first on PHILAHOOPS.

“It already has,” she said, and this was only after the Boise State win. “Online admissions have already soared.”

Welcome to the tournament bump. The effect that just an NCAA berth, not even a win or two, has on a small school like La Salle.

Schools that make it to the Sweet 16 in the men’s basketball tournament see an average 3 percent boost in applications the following year. The champion is likely to see a 7 to 8 percent increase, but just making the 65-team field will net schools an average 1 percent bump. – USA Today

2013 will be added to this banner, but where should it hang? (Joe Fedorowicz)

The NCAA tournament is one of the biggest sporting events of the year and perhaps the most social. People skip school, work and other responsibilities to spend days watching endless college basketball games, usually at their local drinking establishments. When there is a local rooting interest, the effect is magnified as it was on the opening Friday when Temple, La Salle and Villanova all played their games. For the Owls and Wildcats, the opening round is familiar territory. The two schools have 11 combined appearances in the past six years.

For the Explorers, these were unchartered waters. And with each win, another person around me would say, “Can you believe it about La Salle?” I’m sure 10 more outside of Philadelphia would say, “Where the hell is La Salle?” And a couple thousand high school juniors from all over the country might have said, “I think I’ll look at La Salle.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnV7avJUVg

If I took one thing out of my Marketing minor, it is that name recognition drives sales. The end result of phenomenal press is more Googling, more eyes on the brand-new website and less brochures at a high school’s college counseling office.

In the end, the 2013 NCAA tournament did more for admissions than anything else could. It gave the school a visibility that it could not garner when St. Basil’s was built in the old woods or Holroyd was renovated. Every campus adjustment combined could not drive the publicity of actually being able to write “La Salle” in a bracket.

***

With great success, comes increased responsibility.

La Salle pride is at an all-time high, as fans traveled across the country to watch the Explorers. (Photo • Philly.com)

Much will be said about keeping John Giannini on the sideline, and the man has certainly earned the tremendous increase in salary that is surely coming his way. Giannini will receive attention because there are jobs open, bigger jobs with super payouts, that he will likely be called about. That is a result of the success.

But more attention is now turned on athletic director Tom Brennan and his staff. For twenty years, La Salle has amongst the bottom in game attendance. It is hard to sustain fans when your team stinks, but this squad has been good for about 70 games now.  They will be good next year as well, so there will be much fewer empty seats.

When the Big East realignment news broke and talk turned to which teams would be invited to join the Catholic Seven, talking heads went through the a roster of Catholic schools that could break away.

“Never,” CBSSports’s Dino Gaudio said about La Salle’s chances. “They play in a high school gym on the third floor.”

This is the biggest problem.

The Tom Gola Arena, opened as the first on-campus gym since Gola played at Wister Hall, has been the running joke in the Atlantic 10. Many will argue that the opening of the building put the school deeper in a hole athletically, and that little has been done in the 15 years to improve that. (Sans video boards)

“If you build it, he will come,” a voice told Ray Kinsella in the Field of Dreams.

For Brennan and school president Michael McGuinness, it is truly an “If you build it, they will come” scenario.

Except instead of Shoeless Joe Jackson, the they is every potential top recruit out there that can change the program. The “they” are also the droves of La Salle fans that went to Ohio, Missouri and California to root on their Explorers. School spirit is at an all-time high. There has never been a greater fundraising opportunity than right now.

A look up at the stands at Tom Gola Arena. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

A new arena does not need to be a flashy, expensive building with all the bells and whistles, but a place that alumni, students and fans can be proud to call their home. A place where potential student-athletes wish to come spend a majority of their time. A place in which coaches can win with the help of good facilities, not in spite of the bad ones.

For schools that do not rely on taxpayer help, the ability to secure funds is what keeps Universities like La Salle afloat. And among those donating, there is no greater draw than athletics. Rightly or wrongly, college sports dominates the landscape. Across the country, billions are spent on staff, facilities and other departments with the goal of having a successful football or basketball program.

It was realized long ago that building new arenas and winning basketball games will do much more than a new business school or dining commons. While learning is still the purpose for the 99-percent of students that go to a school, it is the earning that allows for newer dorms or fitness centers.

By building, La Salle would be giving Giannini, and all future coaches, the tools to be successful on a national stage. With continued success in basketball comes continued success in admissions, in fundraising and a continued propulsion towards any other goals that the school’s leaders have planned. La Salle might not break ground on a new basketball home this year, but to let this opportunity slide would, in my opinion, be a costly mistake.

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For a school void of any recent success, operating on a tight budget and without attractive facilities, La Salle always needed a healthy dose of luck to be a competitive Atlantic 10 and Big 5 program.

“If things go right, then La Salle could find the right coach to help steer the program back from oblivion.”

“If things go right, then La Salle could find talented local players more interested in playing closer to home than the arena itself.”

“If things go right, then La Salle could have a puncher’s chance if it relied on the 3-point shot.”

John Giannini, Tyrone Garland, Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway have all gone right so far in March of 2013. In fact things have gone so right for La Salle this postseason that the Daily News and Inquirer have rediscovered their ability to write about the team, and sports talk radio hosts and callers have made the Explorers topic number one. The 2013 Explorers have captured the city’s attention in the same way the 1993 Phillies did.

La Salle is now a national story, not just an off the cuff remark made during a broadcast featuring Bill Raftery.

Here’s an abridged version of the “things that went right” for La Salle this past week.

• Playing against Boise State in Dayton, a venue the Explorers were quite familiar with. At least some of the 63% shooting percentage can be attributed to the luxury of playing in an A10 arena.

• Kansas State not getting the scouting report about La Salle being a run-and-gun outside shooting team.

• Sam Mills not trying to block Angel Rodriguez’s off balance shot on K-State’s final possession.

Explorer fans have traveled in droves to Dayton, Kansas City and L.A. (Photo • Philly.com)

• Jerrell Wright channeling his inner Calvin Murphy from the free-throw line.

• Wisconsin’s inability to play Wisconsin ball for the entire 40 minutes against Mississippi. When Marshall Henderson finally found his shooting touch and opened up the scoring, Bo Ryan’s club couldn’t keep pace.

Wisconsin would have provided a much different opponent and defense if La Salle played the Badgers and not the Rebels.

• The media’s love affair with Henderson. Instead of icing his right elbow, the volatile Henderson gave his tongue a work out and became the star of press row. The added pressure and attention appeared to finally catch up with him. Side note – has anybody gotten higher off the floor during a jump shot than Henderson? It is Jerry West-esque. (Editor’s Note: Darnell Harris?)

• Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy, much like Weber, not properly defending the 4-guard offense. The Rebels played an extended 2-3 zone that might have pushed Galloway too far from the basket to launch threes; however it created plenty of room near the free-throw line area for the wings to find space. Duren, Garland, and Mills were given too much freedom to operate in the lane.

A better solution would have been more of a 2-1-2 defense with Reginald Buckner stepping up to contest the guards earlier on in the paint. It wasn’t like the Mississippi big man needed to over compensate low and defend the post.

• Wright’s offensive rebound and put back near the four minute mark that tied the game at 69.

• Duren understanding the dynamics of the point guard position. After having limited numbers against Boise State (4 pts.) and Kansas State (3 pts.), the junior focused on his role as a playmaker and found success as a distributor rather than a scorer.

When it was time for him to score, he did against Mississippi with 19 points, especially his two game-tying free throws with just over a minute to play.

• No foul being called on Henderson’s final shot of the game.

• Temple being dealt a late and heart breaking loss to Indiana. La Salle gets all the Philadelphia publicity to itself.

• The Southwest Philly Floater.

• Marv Albert announcing the game so every time Garland’s shot is replayed, it comes with the famous “YES.”

A lot went right for La Salle during its trip to Kansas City. Long suffering La Salle fans and now those aboard the Explorers’ bandwagon are hoping for the same in Los Angeles.

At 10:17 Thursday night, it just might be another thing that goes right for La Salle. The opposition isn’t top seeded Gonzaga standing in the way of the Elite Eight, but fellow upstart Wichita State.

The post Moore Column: For La Salle, things finally going right appeared first on PHILAHOOPS.

The A 10 has now found that answer as the George Mason Patriots will be joining the league starting July 1st, the University announced on Monday. 

CBS Sports broke the story on Sunday night.

The college athletics scene has been vastly affected by conference realignment and with the A 10 picking up a strong and proven program in GMU, the A 10 remains in a good position.

The same cannot be said for the CAA.

Virginia Commonwealth bailed on the CAA after the 2011-12 season to join the Atlantic 10 this season, and now GMU is following in the footsteps of its formal conference rival.

GMU and VCU put the CAA on the map by advancing to Final Four’s in 2006 and 2011 and now with Old Dominion and Georgia State taking off after this season, the CAA is left hanging by a thread.

GMU was one of the founding fathers of the CAA and the conference is now left with just nine schools for the 2013-14 season.

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In their first attempt to get to a Sweet 16 game since 1990, La Salle had the ball with a chance for the last shot. Would it be Ramon Galloway, who had scored 24 points on an excellent shooting night already? How about Tyreek Duren, the point guard that had taken so many last second shots in his three years. Jerrell Wright was another option, the sophomore being the hero in the game before.

Nope.

The answer was probably the quickest player on the court and the one that had been with the Explorers the least.

Tyrone Garland finished.

Garland wasn’t the least likely to take the final shot in the Explorers 76-74 victory over Ole Miss, but he sure wasn’t the first choice. The Virginia Tech transfer hesitated for a half-second, just long enough to freeze the defense, before he dashed into the lane and put the ball off the glass with his sweet touch.

The shot will go down in La Salle lore as the best finish in almost 60 years.

The Explorers dominated much of the first half, leading Ole Miss 40-38 at the break. For the first time in the tournament, La Salle was in control, but did not have a big lead. Never looking like they were playing out of their comfort zone, the play of Galloway and the other guards solidified their lead in this game.

In the second half, much of the same cadence continued throughout the first ten minutes. The lead remained in the lower single digits, but the Explorers looked to be in control until a 7-0 run by the Rebels put the sinking feeling in the La Salle faithful. With the lead at four, La Salle needed some of their best play late.

Sam Mills three.

Jerrell Wright two.

Tyreek Duren three.

That last play put the Explorers up 72-71 with just three minutes remaining. The lead had teetered from team to team, with Ole Miss controlling the ball late. A Reginald Buckner free throw and Ladarius White free throw put the Rebels up by two, but down the stretch, the Explorers turned to their most consistent player.

And he was fouled.

Duren had a chance to tie the game and it came simply.

Swish.

Swish.

Everybody looked towards Henderson, who controlled the ball throughout the final possession. The demonstrative shooter got a shot, which was denied at first. Getting his own rebound, the Explorers quickly swarmed him, stealing the ball and securing the possession. With the score tied, John Giannini called a final timeout.

And then the magic happened. Duren controlled the ball until time ran low, finding Garland on the left wing. The speedy guard made his move, dashing towards the pain and rolling the ball off his fingers as he had so many times. Subtly it hit the rim. Softly, it rolled through the net and the Explorers waited on defense as the final attempt went long.

MORE ON THIS TOMORROW

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The Eagles advance to play in-state rival Florida, the No. 3 seed, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

MORE COMING

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