1977–78 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team

The 1977–78 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team represented La Salle University as a member of the East Coast Conference during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Paul Westhead and played their home games at The Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After finishing atop the ECC East division standings, the Explorers won the ECC tournament to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 4 at-large seed in the East region, La Salle lost to the No. 2 qualifying seed Villanova in the opening round. The team finished with a record of 18–12 (7–0 ECC).

1977–78 La Salle Explorers men's basketball
ConferenceEast Coast Conference
Record18–12 (7–0 ECC)
Head coach
Home arenaThe Palestra
Seasons
1977–78 ECC men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
East
La Salle50 1.0001812 .600
Temple41 .800244 .857
American23 .4001612 .571
Drexel23 .4001315 .464
Saint Joseph's23 .4001315 .464
Hofstra05 .000819 .296
West
Lafayette100 1.000238 .742
Delaware55 .5001611 .593
Bucknell55 .5001315 .464
Lehigh55 .500818 .308
Rider46 .4001116 .407
West Chester28 .200619 .240
1978 ECC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Roster

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1977–78 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F32Michael Brooks6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
So Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

[1]

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank#Opponent#ResultRecordSite
city, state
Regular season
Dec 28, 1977*
at No. 7 LouisvilleL 85–113 2–4
Freedom Hall 
Louisville, Kentucky
ECC Tournament
Mar 2, 1978*
Saint Joseph's
Quarterfinals
W 89–82 16–11
Tom Gola Arena 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 3, 1978*
vs. Delaware
Semifinals
W 97–85 17–11
Allan P. Kirby Field House 
Easton, Pennsylvania
Mar 4, 1978*
vs. Temple
Championship game
W 73–72 18–11
Allan P. Kirby Field House 
Easton, Pennsylvania
NCAA Tournament
Mar 12, 1978*
vs. Villanova
First round
L 97–103 18–12
The Palestra 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.

[2]

References

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  1. ^ "La Salle 1977-78" (PDF). La Salle University. p. 2. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "La Salle Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). La Salle Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2023.