La Salle is back in the NCAA Tournament after receiving an at-large bid on Sunday. It’s been a long while since the Explorers crashed the Big Dance, but they have a rich tournament history. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about La Salle:
1. This is the Explorers’ first NCAA appearance since 1992. Most of the players on the roster weren’t even born yet, as scary as that fact may be. In fact, La Salle has won exactly two games in the NCAA Tournament since 1955, when they were defeated by Bill Russell in the national championship game. Which brings us to our next fact:
2. They won the national title in 1954. That La Salle team was led by 6-7 guard Tom Gola, who averaged a mind-boggling 21 points and 23 rebounds per game. Gola also helped lead the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1956 NBA title before returning to La Salle and embarking on a terrific coaching career. The Explorers now play in Tom Gola Arena.
3. Ramon Galloway is a do-everything threat. Not only does the senior guard lead the team in scoring at 17 points per game, he also averages 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2 steals per game. Beating La Salle starts with shutting down Galloway.
4. They have a balanced scoring attack. Besides Galloway, the Explorers can count on junior guards Tyreek Duren (15 ppg) and Tyrone Garland (12.9 ppg) to fill it up. Sophomore forward Jerrell Wright (10.3 ppg) is also a capable scoring option.
5. They don’t rebound the ball very well. La Salle ranks 292nd in the nation in rebounding, pulling down just 31.7 boards per game. Wright leads the team at a paltry 6.9 rebounds per contest.
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