by Patrick Stevens
Rob Dockery decided he would remain at La Salle for a second season even before Explorers coach Darris Nichols made any transfer portal acquisitions.
It was in part a testament to the trust the two had built while Dockery averaged a team-high 12.5 points while La Salle went 9-23 in Nichols’ first season in Philadelphia.
“At this point in life, I’m just trying to win,” said Dockery, a preseason second team all-Atlantic 10 selection. “Knowing I’m coming back, I had to trust in them bringing in good shooters and defenders and bigs.”
It’s hardly a coincidence that shooting was first on that list of needs. The Explorers ranked last in the A10 in field goal percentage (.410) and second to last in 3-point percentage (.298). Any climb up the standings had to start with developing a more potent offense.
Dockery, a slashing 6-foot-6 wing, shot 49.1 percent last season even as opponents often converged on him as he approached the basket. Unsurprisingly, he frequently dropped by Nichols’ office in the spring asking for recruiting updates and pushed for the addition of perimeter weapons.
“We told him ‘Dock, you need to be one of those shooters,’ and he’s worked spring and summer to make his shot better,” said of the fourth-year player who was 14 of 56 (25 percent) from 3 last season. “He’s a guy you have to respect from 3. He was also last year one of the best guys to get to the free throw line, so we add shooting around a guy like Rob who can do multiple things, it’s a recipe for him having a good year.”
Dockery is capable of creating havoc all over the court; just look at his 1.5 steals per game last season. But his best trait might just be how few easy answers there are for opponents to guard him.
“He’s a mismatch,” Nichols said. “People don’t know what to put on him. You put guards on him, he posts them up. You put bigs on him, he goes by them.”
A LOOK AT THE EXPLORERS:
Coach: Darris Nichols, second season at La Salle, 9-23 with the Explorers and 77-86 in five seasons overall.
Last year: The Explorers struggled to shoot in their first season under Nichols, though they pulled a Jan. 21 surprise of Dayton and completed a sweep of Rhode Island. The No. 12 seed in the A10 tournament, La Salle fell to St. Bonaventure in the first round to complete a 9-23 campaign that included a 5-13 mark in league play.
They’ll miss: Wing Jaeden Marshall (12.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) ranked second on the team in scoring, and also led the Explorers with 46 made 3s. Josiah Harris (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Ashton Walker (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg) also depart.
Impact returners: Dockery is the headliner, but don’t count out how valuable it is for La Salle to keep point guard Jaden Johnson.
The 6-2 Johnson averaged 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals after returning from an injury that cost him nonconference play. Johnson could be a calming and stabilizing presence, and his 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked second in the A10.
“You have a longer period of time where he has his voice being heard,” Nichols said. “Last year, it didn’t start until conference play. Now he’s had a whole spring, a whole summer, a whole fall and now during the regular season. I think his presence is felt more than it was last year.”
Newcomers of note: Nichols views Saint Joseph’s transfer Anthony Finkley (5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) as a bigger version of Dockery, who was glad to see his one-time rival switch teams in the spring.
“Fink has been in this conference a couple years now,” Dockery said. “He’s from Philly, he’s been around good basketball. I’ve always seen Fink because I’ve always been around basketball, so just knowing I have another guy I can really trust and know that if I can’t do it, he can get it done with his experience and being around the game means a lot.”
Like most programs, La Salle will need to rely on plenty of new pieces. RJ Smith, a product of Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic High, should help in the backcourt. Hampton transfer Eunique Rink has a chance to fortify the frontcourt if he can stay healthy. Senior Vice Zanki, a Niagara transfer, is a mobile versatile piece who can stretch the floor.
So can Kam Burton, who arrives after shooting 42.5 percent from 3 at Stephen F. Austin last season.
“It’s like music to my ears,” Dockery said. “Knowing that I like to get downhill and create for others, having Kam, no one can really help off of him and if they do, it’s just three points. If you’re going to help, it’s three. If you don’t, it’s two.”
Reasons to be optimistic: Nichols and the Explorers are simply more settled this year, which makes sense since he had a short runway to construct a roster last season.
“We’re more talented than a year ago,” Nichols said. “We’re shooting the ball at a high level. I think in this climate, it’s huge when you can retain at least 3-5 guys in the spring. We retained a good group of guys who understand what we’re about, so they can kind of relay those messages behind the scenes of what we need to do be better at the times the coaches aren’t around.”
X factor: It may not have been La Salle’s most heralded addition, but there were times Devin Booker delivered high-end minutes for George Mason as a freshman. Booker averaged 1.8 points in 25 games and returns to his hometown with a chance to carve out a much larger role.
“He works out all the time,” Nichols said. “He’s always in the gym. He’s a great teammate, he’s competitive, he’s athletic—probably our best overall athlete. But he can shoot it as well. He probably has the quickest first step I’ve been around. I expect him to have a big year.”
Circle the date: The Explorers’ Big 5 games include a November 10 trip to Villanova, a November 21 meeting with Penn at Glaser Arena, and a game against either Drexel or Temple on December 5. La Salle also has its annual home-and-home with Saint Joseph’s on February 6 and March 6.
Bottom line: Nichols wanted to have a strong rebounding team in his first season, and the Explorers at least delivered on that at the offensive end. This year’s priorities: Decreasing turnovers while generating more takeaways to create easy buckets.
A full season of Johnson should help trim the miscues, and the shooting that’s been added should help accentuate Dockery’s strengths. It may take some time to sort out all the new faces, but La Salle should be improved if it can stay healthy.