The first games of a young season usher in optimism and new beginnings, when "we'll get 'em next year" turns into "let's get 'em this year." Never has this been more true than for the La Salle men's basketball team, off to its first 3-0 start since 1999.
The program is emerging from a period of upheaval that began in the summer of 2004 -- coming off of a 10-20 season -- when three scholarship players were charged with rape and dismissed from the school. Two of the three, Michael Cleaves and Gary Neal, were acquitted early last month, but as yet have not returned to school. The third, Dzaflo Larkai, is scheduled to go to trial on Monday in a separate case.
For a team that was set to begin its rebuilding year, the loss of three prominent contributors was a crippling blow. The Explorers would have to do without the team-high 18.4 points per game that Neal had provided the previous season, or the team-high 73 assists of Cleaves.
To make matters worse, both the men's and the women's coaches, Billy Hahn and John Miller, were forced to resign as a result of the incident.
New coach John Giannini came in to man the helm of the floundering program with the school year already underway, having been unable to attend recruiting events over the summer. He was forced to add three walk-ons to his previous roster of just seven.
"It was not easy coaching a team that you really didn't know very much about," Giannini said. "I think I made a lot of mistakes in the first couple months of the season for that very reason. I think I did some things that just didn't suit us that well in hindsight."
From the players' perspective, it proved just as hard to adjust to the new conditions. The team predictably struggled, going 5-14 through its first 19 games.
"It was difficult, especially at first," standout senior Steven Smith said. "We didn't have a lot of time to gel right at the beginning because as soon as 'Coach G' got the job, school had already started. He had to learn a lot of things about us."
The end of the season brought with it some hope, as Giannini got settled in with his players and found some things that really worked. Their 5-4 finish was not enough to save the season by any means, but it did put a positive spin on a campaign that had been doomed from the beginning.
"I just knew the team a lot better and our players were much more experienced," Giannini said. Point guard "Jermaine Thomas got healthier, players understood their roles better, I had a better idea of how to use Steve's talents, and we just got a lot better in the last two months of the season."
"We were really playing some good basketball," Smith said of the end of the season. "Now we're just trying to pick up where we left off."
Now, a year removed from the unfortunate circumstances of last season, the Explorers feel they can do just that. Wednesday's 73-51 demolition of Mount Saint Mary's, the latest in a string of wins to open the season, bodes well for their chances.
"It's a completely different feeling" kicking off this season, Giannini said.
For one, he has had the chance to bring in his very first recruiting class. The Explorers are especially high on one incoming freshman -- 6-foot-6 forward Paul Johnson -- who was also recruited by Penn.
"He's real athletic, he can defend the ball really well," Smith said. "He should help us a whole lot."
In addition, transfer Marshall Taylor, from Siena, will provide a spark when he becomes eligible second semester.
One more thing happened this summer that spells success for La Salle. Smith, who led the team in scoring last year with 20.3 points per game, decided to forgo the NBA Draft and return to school for his senior year.
"It wasn't about me anymore, it was about the team," Smith said about his decision. "I have to make sure I get better, but I also have to pick the team up and make sure we continue to progress in the direction we want to be heading. Hopefully I'll be able to handle the leadership role in my last year."
The value of having the preseason All-American back for one more season cannot be understated. Aside from his obvious value on the court, Giannini sees two important levels of perception where Smith can have an extremely positive effect.
"First, recruits can see that you can go to La Salle, have a great career, and make it to the NBA," Giannini said. "I think it's important for a recruit to see that they can achieve very high basketball goals at La Salle, and Steve makes that very clear.
"The other area of perception that Steve helps with is he clearly wouldn't come back unless he felt positive about the program. I think that Steve coming back sends a good signal, that he believes in his teammates and coaches, and I think that's a good message as well."
And he didn't say it, but more than one person around the La Salle program is thinking it: Smith's dedication to the team and to school goes a long way toward repairing the school's tarnished reputation after the ugly events of 2004.
Now, just one more step remains for the program to put the situation completely behind it, but that must take place on the court.
