2000-01 record: 12-17; 5-11 in A-10 (8th) Final Ranking: NR Postseason: None. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Butler 22.1 ppg | Rebounds: Butler 6.4 rpg | Assists: Blanks 6.0 apg | FG %: Butler 40.2% | 3pt %: Butler 35.7% | FT %: Butler 84.5% 00-01 Stats: LaSalle | A-10

		Tuesday, Oct. 30 The single biggest key for La Salle will be playing off of the attention paid to Rasaul Butler. No matter what defense he is facing, Butler will be double teamed and still get up 20 or more shots, and his teammates need to provide other scoring options. Julian Blanks, a good assist man and defender, needs to get and stay healthy for the Explorers to escape the A-10 basement.

Outlook
Billy Hahn's first season as head coach and senior forward Rasual Butler's quest for 2,000 career points, the Atlantic 10 scoring crown and All-America honors ought to give Explorers fans something worth following this season. The team's win-loss record probably won't.

La Salle has averaged 11 victories over the previous five years, and went 12-17 last season. Only two starters are back, but luckily for Hahn, the former Ohio head coach and Maryland assistant, Butler (22.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.9 spg) is one of them. The other is 6-foot-2 senior point guard Julian Blanks, who averaged 12.2 points, six assists and two steals last season.

Another nice piece would have been 6-7 senior forward Anwar Wilson (2.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), who isn't much of a scorer but has led the team in blocked shots the last two season. Wilson, a former medical redshirt, decided late in the summer to not return for a fifth season after starting the last 10 games last season. Hahn, however, probably will have high hopes for Virginia Commonwealth transfer Reggie Okosa, a 6-9 junior who averaged 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 1999-2000 for the Rams.

The top freshman of note could be 6-5 guard Jeff Farmer, who averaged 24.5 points and 12 rebounds as a high school senior.

What we like: Butler is a premier talent in the Atlantic 10, though he doesn't get much attention because of the Explorers' sub-.500 record. Blanks combines with Butler for a nice 1-2 punch on the perimeter.

What we don't like: Hahn's first season will depend much on his first recruiting class, but how good could the class possibly be?

The bottom line: Alas, Butler probably will go out in near silence as the Explorers again lose many more than they win, while the Philadelphia press (understandably) devotes the bulk of its attention to the likes of Temple and St. Joe's.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Rasual Butler	Sr.	F	6-7/195	PTS: 22.1 | REB: 6.4 | AST: 2.0
Julian Blanks	Sr.	G	6-2/195	PTS: 12.2 | REB: 4.5 | AST: 6.0

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Victor Thomas	F	6-7/200	PTS: 19.7 | REB: 6.8 | AST: 1.9
Garrett Bragg	C	6-11/275	PTS: 6.2 | REB: 5.3 | AST: 0.8

LaSalle Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Dzaflo Larkai	F	6-8	Mitcham Surrey, England/The Gunnery School (Ct.)
Reggie Okosa	F	6-9	Claymont, Del./Brandywine
Mike Cleaves	G	5-10	Patterson/Notre Dame Prep (Ma.)
Jeff Farmer	G	6-5	Clinton/Morgan (Ct.)