Two programs in opposite directions

 It's a pity, really, that LaSalle & Troy will not meet in basketball this season. Maybe next year. Maybe 2025, but as this season wraps its first full week of league play, the two schools are trending in opposite directions.

Troy High is in need of a win for both the men & the women. Will Harris, the former UAlbany star, is 0-2 coaching the women after the Lady Horses were trampled, 75-22, by Shenendehowa on Friday night. While Harris has a full roster of 11-12 players, unlike his predecessor, Steve Lombard, who had 9 players most nights, he's still looking for a winning formula, and it's his first head coaching job.

Considering that Ballston Spa pulled away from Troy on Tuesday to win their opener, 63-35, Troy has scored just 57 points, or, an average of 28.5 points, while allowing an average of 69 per game to this point. Shen is averaging 78.5 per game so far. Yipes!! Harris has a whole week to try to right the ship, as the Lady Horses travel to Latham to play Shaker next Friday before the home opener vs. non-league opponent Sidney next Saturday.

Similarly, Josh Pelletier, the former LaSalle standout, is also looking for his first win. 0-3 at home, Pelletier and the Flying Horses will play 3 of their next 4 on the road, starting at CBA on Tuesday after a narrow miss vs. Shen, 69-64. They'll return home to play Shaker, then go back on the road for games at Albany (December 19) & Schenectady (December 22) prior to the Troy Holiday Classic, December 28-30. To their credit, Troy, led by the Merritt brothers, Stetson & Legend, now joined by golf standout Kayne Behan, have stayed in every game. Why the school refuses to use its YouTube stream? They obviously want to fill the bleachers for home games, but it would help if they gave the paying customers a reason to go. They'll get a 2nd crack at Shen December 30, right back at Zotto Gym.

Conversely, LaSalle is off to a good start for both the men & the women.

The men, you knew, would contend in the Colonial Council. The Cadets are 2-0 after pounding Ravena, 52-35, this afternoon. We'll have the full stats as early as tomorrow. Up next is mighty Shen tomorrow night at Siena College.

Meanwhile, the women surprised Ravena, 48-28, in the first half of today's doubleheader. That squares their record at 1-1 after a non-league loss to Emma Willard on Tuesday. Kate Gilooly transferred from Troy to LaSalle over the summer, and the move seems to have paid off to this point. They'll stay on the road for a non-league tilt against Waterford on Monday and Voorheesville on Tuesday. They will finally get a home game December 21 vs. Catholic Central.

Is Lasalle a threat in women's basketball? Maybe. We know the men will be.

Now, it's incumbent upon the athletic directors to book a non-league series between Troy & LaSalle on an annual basis, and renew the classic rivalry. If they can.