Members of the La Salle Explorers men’s basketball team pose for a photo at the Sea Isle City beach before a 5-on-5 session on Thursday. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
July 23, 2026
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SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. – It was a picture-perfect day at the Jersey Shore on Thursday, the kind you just savor and want to bottle and save for a cold, dreary winter afternoon.
The weather was not the only nice thing in Sea Isle City, either. La Salle’s men’s basketball team was looking good, too.
The Explorers spent the afternoon here, first shooting around on the outdoor courts near Central Avenue, then strolling to the beach for a team photo before finally playing 5-on-5 in front of about 50 La Salle supporters inside of the beautiful Sea Isle Community Center.
“It’s good, just getting them out of Philly for a little bit, getting them into a different environment,” said La Salle head coach Darris Nichols, who watched from the stands with his staff as the players ran their own scrimmage and called their own fouls. “I like to get them in front of a crowd before we get in front of crowds where it means something to see how they will react. And getting them in front of some of our most passionate fans, I still feel like they played the right way.”
There was a lot to like. Here are my observations from courtside.
Dockery, Finkley Expanding Games
In Rob Dockery and Anthony Finkley, La Salle has a pair of players who have proven to be quality Atlantic 10 players.
Dockery averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 18 league games last season in his first year at La Salle after transferring from Texas A&M. Finkley was highly efficient off the bench at Saint Joseph’s two seasons ago, averaging 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per contest while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range, before struggling last season following the coaching transition from Billy Lange to Steve Donahue.
Both have areas they would like to work on this summer.
Anthony Finkley on transfer to La Salle
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Among those for Dockery is improving his long-range shooting after averaging 25 percent from deep in 2025–26. (Click HERE to read my recent feature story on Dockery.) He showed good form while draining a deep three-pointer from the top of the key on Thursday. A good sign for La Salle.
Finkley looked to be in great shape, something he said would be a focus of his offseason after transferring from Hawk Hill. (Click HERE to read my story on Finkley’s reasons for transferring.) Nichols said this spring that he would like to see Finkley get to the free-throw line more, and the Philadelphia native displayed aggressiveness attacking the rim here on Thursday.
There is more work to do for both, but these are great signs for La Salle. If both Dockery and Finkley can expand their games and play at high levels, the Explorers could be a really tough out in the A-10 this season.
That said, neither Dockery nor Finkley surprised me. They played how I expected them to play. But the following three Explorers’ performances were eye-openers.
Burton Bombs from Long Range
La Salle was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country last season. The Explorers made just 5.3 three-pointers per contest and connected on only 29.8 percent from deep to rank 352nd and 353rd, respectively, out of 365 Division I teams. It is almost impossible to win playing that way in any era and especially in today’s game where long-range shooting is expected and high-scoring the norm.
Enter Kam Burton.
Nichols placed an emphasis on recruiting players from the transfer portal who could make jumpers from beyond the arc, and Burton fits the mold. (Click HERE to read my story at Big5Hoops.com on La Salle’s incoming transfers.) At Stephen F. Austin last season, the Houston native made 76 total three-pointers at an impressive 42.5 percent clip.
He wasted little time showing everyone here on Thursday how well he can shoot, draining a pair of triples in the first few possessions. I was not keeping track of every point and every shot, but I would estimate that he finished the day with eight three-pointers. There was one stellar sequence where he nailed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer from the baseline on one possession and followed that on the next possession with a transition three-pointer off the dribble. Impressive stuff.
Burton’s mere presence is going to require opponents to guard him closely. Without even making a jumper, he is going to have a positive impact on the La Salle offense by opening up more space for the likes of Finkley and Dockery to operate. Watching Burton had me thinking about something former Saint Joseph’s assistant coach Matt Brady told me for my book on the 2003–04 Hawks. An assistant on Phil Martelli’s staff, Brady helped transform Delonte West and Tyrone Barley into very good three-point shooters. Here’s what he told me, which can be found on page 48 of A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline). (Click HERE to order on Amazon.)
“Being able to stretch the defense with a significant jump shot unlocks everybody’s power,” Brady said. “It helps every individual player, and then it creates the space everybody needs to play in when you want to drive [to the basket].”
This is something that Burton recognizes. He said he can help the Explorers with his scoring and shooting but also, “If I can just sit in a corner and all my teammates can get off, I’m all about everybody just winning,” he said.
Burton aided a turnaround at Stephen F. Austin, which went 28-6 overall and 20-2 in the Southland Conference last season when he started all 34 games and averaged 7.9 points in 18.5 minutes. The Lumberjacks were 14-17 the season prior. He is feeling optimistic about the Explorers’ chances this season.
“I’m all about winning,” he said. “That’s the culture that’s built inside of me. I feel like I’ll bring a lot of energy to the team. I just bring that togetherness.”
“This team can be really good once everybody knows their role and everybody is all in on one page, we can go a long way,” he added. “And this can turn around quick. I’ve done it before. I can come over here and I can do it again.”
Collier Healthy Again
Noah Collier was a big-time recruit out of Pennsylvania prep powerhouse Westtown School. After a couple of seasons at Pitt, the Mullica Hill, N.J., native transferred to William & Mary. When healthy, he excelled for the Tribe. Collier was putting up big numbers for W&M two seasons ago, averaging 12.2 points and shooting 63.2 percent from the field, before an Achilles’ injury ended his season in early February 2025. He tried to come back last season but still felt lingering effects of the injury and managed to enter just three games for the Explorers and was a shell of the player he can be.
Now healthy, Collier was dominant inside at the Sea Isle Community Center. He grabbed what seemed like every rebound when he was on the court and displayed the athleticism that made him so coveted out of high school with several strong finishes at the rim.
“I feel great,” Collier said. “It’s a blessing. I am just happy to be where I am at right now.”
Last season was not easy for Collier, especially when he felt like he could help the Explorers. But he listened to his body, remained patient, and waited for his turn.
“It was definitely difficult,” he said. “I fought back, tried my best to get back on the court as quick as I could. It just wasn’t in God’s plans necessarily. I had to stay down, go through the process. I knew that I could help the team, but it just wasn’t time yet.”
If Thursday is any indication, this season could be the 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward’s time to shine. He is ready to do whatever it takes to help the Explorers.
“I think I can just bring leadership, toughness, experience and just overall energy,” Collier said. “I think I’m a big energy guy and have a high motor. So that’s going to help us a lot.”
Nichols and staff like what they have seen from Collier and think the overall talent improvement of the Explorers will only help.
“When you have guys around him who can put pressure on the rim, I think it makes his job easy,” Nichols said. “He’s athletic, he’s healthy again. So, he can just catch and finish and make plays around the rim.”
Booker Back Home
Devin Booker was a prolific scorer at Cristo Rey, where he set the school’s scoring record with 1,962 career points. He averaged 24.1 points per contest as a senior two seasons ago. The North Philadelphia native played last season at George Mason, getting few opportunities on a very good Patriots program.
Still, he saw it as a positive experience.
“Coming from a winning program like that, it teaches you the foundation of winning, basically,” Booker, who averaged 1.7 points and 0.8 rebounds in 8.5 minutes while playing 25 games for George Mason, said. “And what they do over there is defense, so being able to learn the basics of defense and how to play hard every possession.”
Defense is one of the things that Nichols really likes about Booker, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard. But the thing that jumped out to me is the pressure he puts on the rim, playing a downhill style of basketball that can create all kinds of opportunities, whether scoring, getting to the free-throw line, or setting up big guys, like Collier, for offensive putbacks. Booker also showed the ability to score at all three levels, something that is going to keep defenses honest when he drives the lane.
“I feel like I can bring a little bit of everything, scoring, defending, a little bit of passing, overall, just bringing energy to the team,” he said.
Something else that Nichols likes about Booker is his work ethic.
“If you go in the gym and hear a ball bouncing, it’s usually him,” the coach said.
Booker said he has made visits to his family since returning to Philly, but you usually can find him in the gym.
“I’ve really just been locking in,” Booker said. “I usually just stay in the gym, keep tunnel vision and get ready for the season.”
What Does This Summer Session Mean?
The offseason, for any team in any sport, is all about optimism. The 5-on-5 here on Thursday was a summer run. Players were playing hard, but no one was trying to get hurt. Fouls were called, but no one was getting hammered on the way to the basket. Defense was played but not with the intensity you will see during the season.
This was a summer scrimmage. That, of course, is an important caveat for everything written above.
But there were definitely real signs for hope for the Explorers. Nichols and staff bring a certain energy and an aura of belief in what they are doing. Dockery and Finkley are legit A-10 players. Burton can shoot. A healthy Collier can be a force in this league. Booker is a proven scorer who is hungry and looking for an opportunity. Summer, or not, all of this is true.
Longtime observers of the program believe this La Salle team can be really good. Outsiders likely will need more convincing.
So, what can the Explorers be this season? While it likely is unrealistic to believe La Salle could return to the NCAA tournament, a postseason berth of some sort, perhaps an NIT bid, is a goal that is not unreasonable. That was the feeling here, anyway, after watching a few eye-opening performances inside of a gym that seemed as good as the weather outside of it.
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Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for nearly three decades for various publications and as a freelancer for the Associated Press. His first book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline), can be ordered HERE. His second book, Are You Kidding Me? The Incredible, Inspiring Story of Allen Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers (Brookline) is scheduled to be published in February 2027. You can preorder it HERE. Follow Bracy on social media HERE. Contact him at bracymedia@gmail.com.