WASHINGTON – Year two of the Duane Simpkins era begins for American University men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 4 with a 7 p.m. game at La Salle out of the Atlantic 10. The Eagles will travel to Philadelphia to open the season before facing Harvard in the home opener on Nov. 10.
 
Quick Info

• Date/Time: Monday, November 4; 7 pm
• Site: Philadelphia, Pa. (John Glaser Arena)
• Series History: La Salle leads, 20-8
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Kale Beers, Rich Tarr

Inside the Series

• American and La Salle last faced each other 10 years ago, on Dec. 16, 2014 in Philadelphia. 
  The Explorers have a 20-8 lead in the all-time series, and a 4-1 advantage over the last five games, but AU's win was in the most recent meeting when the Eagles pulled out a 68-66 victory in OT.
  Prior to the 2014 matchup, the teams had not met since 2005.

What to Know About American

• American returns seven of its nine leading scorers from last season, and all three of its leading rebounders. Last year, the Eagles set a program record with 279 three-pointers made, and hosted a Patriot League quarterfinal game for the first time since 2020. 
• Second-year head coach Duane Simpkins has brought a new energy to the program. American's 10 conference wins were the most since 2020 (12), and just the second time since 2014 that the Eagles reached double-digit wins in the Patriot League. The Eagles finished in a tie for second place in the Patriot League despite being plagued by injuries for most of the conference season.
• Grad student Matt Rogers, an All-Patriot League First Team honoree last year, was tabbed as the Patriot League's Preseason Player of the Year for 2024-25. He led AU and ranked third in the PL last year with 16.4 points per game, and fifth with 6.2 rebounds per game. 
• Senior Elijah Stephens was named to the All-Patriot League Defensive Team and Second Team in his junior season, averaging 12.1 points per game and 4.9 assists despite battling injuries toward the end of the season. He currently ranks seventh all-time at AU with 352 assists.
• American is opening the season at La Salle, facing the Explorers for the first time in 10 years. The Eagles' non-conference schedule is a challenging one, also including road games at UNC, High Point, Saint Joseph's, and Virginia as well as home games against GW and Harvard.

What to Know About La Salle

• Fran Dunphy, the winningest coach in the history of Philadelphia's storied Big Five, enters his third season at the helm of his alma mater in 2024-25. He comes into the year with 611 career victories amassed in 32 seasons as the head coach at Penn, Temple, and now La Salle.
• The Explorers return just one of their top five scorers from 2023-24. Senior guard Daeshon Shepherd was third on last year's squad, putting 10.6 points per game last season. He led the team with 5.6 rebounds a contest. 
• Despite losing many of its leading scorers from last year, the Explorers boast plenty of experience. Six seniors or graduate students will suit up for La Salle in 2024-25, along with four juniors.
• Jahlil White, a grad student who began his career as a Dunphy recruit at Temple, transferred to La Salle for this year along with former UCLA and DePaul standout Mac Etienne. 
• White was an American Athletic Conference All-Freshman performer in 2020-21 and averaged 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds a game for the Owls last season, while Etienne played in 43 games over two seasons at UCLA before appearing in 22 contests and averaging 2.3 boards a game at DePaul in 2023-24.

Keep Up With Us

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).