John Giannini

Nothing is given, it must be earned. John Giannini learned that early. His father had made it to Chicago from Italy in his 20s and found the opportunity he sought in the plumbing trade. The colder the Chicago nights, the more likely Manfredo Giannini would be called out to fix water main breaks. "He had real rough hands," Giannini said this week, standing inside Tom Gola Arena. "He had a huge swollen elbow just from overuse. Then he had a nice little side business. He always prayed for rain because when people's basements flooded, the word was out, if you needed a sump, call Fred Giannini.

La Salle coach John Giannini was on I-295 late Saturday afternoon, headed for Swedesboro to join his wife and two daughters for dinner along with a couple of longtime friends - a husband and wife Giannini said he has known since his days coaching at Rowan. "They know if we lost, all bets are off," Giannini said as he drove. The rest of the group still would have made it to the Italian place close to his home but they'd have needed one fewer seat. "I'm sitting in the office with my staff trying to figure out what went wrong [if we lose]

LOS ANGELES - Watching La Salle fall one more upset short of becoming the first No. 13 seed to reach the NCAA Elite Eight, you could argue three Explorers NCAA wins are testament to a school showing patience with a coach, since John Giannini got to March Madness in his ninth season on Olney Avenue. Or maybe it was a coach showing patience with a school. Forget what you just saw. Did you think La Salle was a place where such a run was possible? Was anybody convinced that the Explorers could recruit the players necessary to compete in the Atlantic Ten, let alone make an NCAA run?

His first opportunity to sign high school basketball players to letters of intent has come and gone, and new La Salle coach John Giannini doesn't have anything to show for it. La Salle isn't exactly the hot hoops destination right now, after a summer of scandal, a coaching change, players arrested on sexual-assault charges, and a decade of losing seasons. But it's not quite that simple. "There were only four players in the area that we thought could definitely make us a better team," Giannini said.

Time was running out last night, and the noise in La Salle University's Tom Gola Arena was growing. The Explorers were about to notch the first victory of the John Giannini coaching era. Facing Southern California in its third game of the season, La Salle built a comfortable first-half lead and went on to register a 71-62 victory before an appreciative crowd of 2,638. In a season that started with the Explorers trying to forget about - and overcome - an off-season scandal in which three former players were arrested on sexual-assault charges and their ex-coach was fired, last night's win was a big one. "I've been talking to faculty members, alumni and students, and that was a win for the whole La Salle family," said athletic director Tom Brennan, who hired Giannini away from Maine to lead the restoration of the program.

Cleon Roberts, who started all 32 games and averaged 8.5 points per game as a freshman at Georgia Southern, has transferred to La Salle, coach John Giannini announced Thursday. Roberts will be eligible to play during the 2014-15 season after sitting out a year because of NCAA transfer regulations. "Cleon gives us an athletic, scoring guard with excellent size," Giannini said. "He has a great deal of potential, which I am confident he will reach because of his excellent work ethic.

LOS ANGELES - La Salle coach John Giannini compared it to Selection Sunday. There were 20 minutes left in the show before La Salle's name popped up on the board. There were 20 minutes left in the team's Wednesday afternoon shootaround at Staples Center when the coach got word that backup big man Steve Zack had been cleared to play. "It was totally unexpected," Giannini said. "It was almost like Selection Sunday. You've got 20 minutes left in your last practice before the Sweet 16, and your trainer comes and says he's cleared.

LOS ANGELES - Game-day morning and the first person I see in La Salle's hotel lobby is Steve Zack. A good sign is that the 6-11 sophomore, who was just cleared to play on Wednesday after suffering a foot injury early this month, has sneakers on (as opposed to a fitted walking boot) and appears to be walking well. He admits the foot is sore after he ran a little bit on it for the first time in a while Wednesday. Playing appears to be a long shot, but Zack just wants to be in uniform and experience the thrills the great run has provided as a player, not as a bystander.

Anybody who paid the least bit of attention to La Salle basketball this season will not be shocked by this news: Sophomore big man Aaric Murray is transferring. La Salle coach John Giannini had a seasonlong struggle with Murray. The megatalent was not always interested in the game. In fact, Giannini said that Murray really does not like the sport. It often showed in Murray's performances. Murray had moments when he was great and other moments when he disappeared, sometimes in the same game.

Cleon Roberts, who started all 32 games and averaged 8.5 points per game as a freshman at Georgia Southern, has transferred to La Salle, coach John Giannini announced Thursday. Roberts will be eligible to play during the 2014-15 season after sitting out a year because of NCAA transfer regulations. "Cleon gives us an athletic, scoring guard with excellent size," Giannini said. "He has a great deal of potential, which I am confident he will reach because of his excellent work ethic.

Coach John Giannini, who guided the La Salle men's basketball team to the Sweet 16, has been rewarded with a multiyear contract extension. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but athletic director Tom Brennan had said that Giannini's contract situation would be addressed shortly after the NCAA tournament run. This season La Salle went 24-10 and earned its first NCAA berth since 1992. The Explorers then won games over Boise State, Kansas State, and Ole Miss, advancing to the West Regional of the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by eventual Final Four participant Wichita State.

IN COLLEGE basketball, you often get judged by whether your team makes the NCAA Tournament and how it does when it gets there. That really does not give a complete picture, but we live in a snapshot world. Over the last eight seasons, La Salle has been .500 or better in Atlantic 10 games five times. Only Xavier (eight), Temple (seven) and Saint Joseph's (six) have done better. Saint Louis, Massachusetts, Richmond, Dayton and Rhode Island also have five .500 or better seasons. Even before the 2012-13 breakthrough, La Salle was gradually getting better and was competitive.

ATLANTA - La Salle coach John Giannini always attends the Final Four. This weekend was quite different. "My lobby status has definitely risen," he said. When your team goes to the Sweet 16, you get noticed. You are not just another coach hanging out in the lobby of the Hilton, the downtown hotel where many of the coaches stay and much of the activity is centered. "Being here after a Sweet 16 run makes it real hard to get through a lobby, but it's a nice problem," Giannini said.

LOS ANGELES - Rohan Brown sat in his chair and glared ahead into space. He would not take off his uniform. He would not remove his shoes. His rage would not allow him to accept defeat in the NCAA Tournament. Not to Wichita State. Not to some Missouri Valley Conference team that merited only a No. 9 seed. Never mind that La Salle was a 13, and needed a play-in game to acquire that spot. Never mind that La Salle come out of the quaint Atlantic 10. Never mind that the Explorers last played in the NCAA Tournament 21 years ago, before Rohan Brown was born.

LOS ANGELES - John Giannini never told his team exactly which team Wichita State reminded him of when he watched video. The La Salle coach did not want to scare them. The Shockers reminded him of Saint Louis. Anybody who saw the second half of La Salle's final regular-season game at Saint Louis knew the Explorers did not match up with a team that had size, skill and speed. Speed and skill, yes, but throw in size and La Salle was going to be in trouble. The coach's worst fears were realized Thursday night at the Staples Center.

La Salle's basketball team enjoyed quite a journey in the NCAA tournament, one that has guaranteed lifelong memories for the players, coaches, administrators, and fans. The 12-day road trip consisted of more than 5,100 air miles; four games; countless news conferences; and, most important, three wins before Thursday's season-ending, 72-58 loss to Wichita State in the West Regional Sweet 16 matchup at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. For a team that hadn't appeared in the NCAA tournament since 1992, La Salle certainly didn't look out of place.

LOS ANGELES - Watching La Salle fall one more upset short of becoming the first No. 13 seed to reach the NCAA Elite Eight, you could argue three Explorers NCAA wins are testament to a school showing patience with a coach, since John Giannini got to March Madness in his ninth season on Olney Avenue. Or maybe it was a coach showing patience with a school. Forget what you just saw. Did you think La Salle was a place where such a run was possible? Was anybody convinced that the Explorers could recruit the players necessary to compete in the Atlantic Ten, let alone make an NCAA run?

LOS ANGELES - In the end, as the end finally arrived long after many expected, this round of the NCAA tournament wasn't sweet for La Salle after all. It was certainly sweet to get so far and so far from home, but there was nothing on Thursday night to ease the sting of a 72-58 loss to Wichita State that ended the Explorers' tournament winning streak at three games. La Salle fell behind by 16 points at halftime as it was unable to match Wichita State's frontcourt play, and that deficit grew to 22 points early in the second half.

LOS ANGELES - Throughout its first three NCAA tournament wins, La Salle had reveled in its role as a front-runner. The Explorers' biggest deficit had been five points, against Mississippi. Against a hard-charging Wichita State team on Thursday night, La Salle experienced a role reversal, and it marked the end of a memorable season. Trailing by 14 points before seven minutes had elapsed and 16 points at halftime, La Salle saw its feel-good season come to an end in a 72-58 loss to the Shockers in a Sweet 16 game at the Staples Center.