By AARON BRACY
April 25, 2024
Big5Hoops.com
Ultimately, La Salle is home for Daeshon Shepherd.
The Norristown, Pa., native and Archbishop Wood product pulled his name out of the transfer portal on Thursday and announced his intention to return to the Explorers for his senior season in 2024-25.
“I’ve been here for three years, and I just want to finish here,” Shepherd, who averaged 10.6 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, told Big5Hoops on Thursday. “This is a great environment. It’s home. It just felt like it was right to stay.”
Shepherd also is excited for a third chance to play for coach Fran Dunphy and a first opportunity to play in the Explorers’ soon-to-be constructed Glaser Arena.
“He’s taught me a lot of things, not even in basketball but life in general,” Shepherd said of Dunphy. “He teaches us how to be young men. He prepares us for the real world.”
At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Shepherd has physicality and athleticism that matches up with just about anyone in the Atlantic 10. His dunking ability and leaping ability have drawn raves from observers.
He had spurts last season where he played really well, most notably a seven-game stretch from Feb. 10 through March 2 when he averaged 15.7 points and 6.1 rebounds to help the Explorers go 4-3 over that stretch, including wins over very good A-10 teams UMass and St. Bonaventure. That spurt followed a pair of scoreless games in losses to St. Louis and Saint Joseph’s in early February.
“Those two games were a wake-up call for me,” he said. “I knew I had to step up. And I knew we had to finish strong. I got in the gym more after that.”
Shepherd plans to work on all facets of his game this offseason, with a specific focus on his ball-handling and shooting. He shot 43.9 percent in 32.5 minutes last season.
“What I liked his athleticism is phenomenal. He can guard just about every position,” Dunphy told Big5Hoops on Thursday. “He can be a better rebounder, better ball-handler, better decision-maker. He can improve in every aspect of the game. Hopefully, he is going to have a really good year.”
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Big5Hoops.com is his second website dedicated to Philadelphia college basketball. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages.