A brand-new team, big expectations, and a lot to prove. That’s the reality for La Salle men’s basketball as the 2025-26 season approaches — and fans can’t stop wondering whether this rapidly rebuilt roster will mesh in time to make an impact. But here’s the catch: on paper, the talent is intriguing, yet the true chemistry test won’t happen until the lights come on in November.
Head coach Darris Nichols walks into the season with a completely revamped group. Among the eye-catching additions is Rob Dockery, a Texas A&M transfer once billed as a Top 150 high school recruit in the class of 2023. A three-star talent from Washington, DC, Dockery’s college debut never got off the ground — he logged a mere two minutes with the Aggies before leaving the program in November for reasons never made public. It’s a classic “mystery pickup” scenario: high potential, but still unproven at this level.
Balancing that are players with significant production at the mid-major level. Graduate forward Noah Collier began his career at Pitt, then found his stride at William & Mary, posting point-per-game averages of 9.0, 13.0, and 12.2 in consecutive seasons. Then there’s 6-foot-9 junior Jerome Brewer, a Camden native who sat out last year at McNeese State. Before that, he averaged 10.2 points and 4.1 rebounds over two seasons at East Texas A&M, bringing both size and scoring punch.
Nichols sees that size as a built-in advantage. “We’ve got so many pieces we can move around,” he explained. “The main thing we focused on in the portal was physicality. We want to be the team that hits first.”
That versatility is needed, especially when it comes to veteran presence. Guard Khalil Acker stands as the lone returning player from last year’s roster, making him, in one sense, the elder statesman. But in terms of overall college mileage, he’s still relatively green compared to teammates like Brewer, Truth Harris, and Josiah Harris, each boasting four or more years of experience.
For Acker, deciding to stay was not automatic. “The offseason was tough. I had to really think about whether I wanted to be here,” he admitted. “But when the coaches came in, they recruited winners. That’s what I want to be around.”
And here’s where it gets tricky. With so many new faces, slotting each player into a clear role is less about preset labels and more about trial by fire. Nichols lets summer workouts play out organically. “I tell them, ‘Show me who you are and who you aren’t,’” he said. “I give them the freedom to display their game, and when that’s done, I let them know where they fit.”
Still, the coach acknowledges the elephant in the room: all this roster buzz might mean nothing until it’s tested under real-game pressure. Nichols isn’t ready to declare the team “gelling” just yet. “Ask me on Nov. 5 when we suit up against Coppin State,” he said with a grin.
So here’s the big question for La Salle fans and critics alike: Is this a quietly dangerous squad in the making, or simply a collection of parts still searching for their final form? Could early struggles kill momentum, or will this blend of raw upside and veteran grit surprise everyone? Drop your take below — will Nichols’ new-look Explorers deliver, or is patience the only realistic game plan?
