Behind the scenes with the Explorers

LOS ANGELES - The bus rolled into L.A. Live, across the street from the Staples Center, on Monday night and out stepped the La Salle Explorers. Make that the Sweet 16 La Salle Explorers.

As the team entered a restaurant for a bite to eat after flying into Los Angeles from Kansas City, there were many hushed, "Who are those guys?" comments. Not even legendary Lionel Simmons was recognized by the patrons.

It's a role the team relishes, as somehow the Explorers have managed to get into their Sweet 16 matchup with Wichita State on Thursday night pretty much unnoticed around the country.

Although La Salle has advanced with three wins, and as a 13th seed, Florida Gulf Coast has garnered the Cinderella thing. Still, as coach John Giannini said often Tuesday, "This is unchartered water for us."

But work is still to be done.

The Daily News had an all-access day with the Explorers in Southern California on Tuesday, and here's a look at what transpired.

* 6 a.m.: Get to Giannini's hotel room and immediately learn that a couple of middle-aged men are complete morons when it comes to electronics. Trying to put in a DVD of Wichita State playing Creighton takes far longer than it should as switches can't be found, and figuring out how to use the various remotes to pause and play the game necessary for scouting is laughable. At one point I think we were pointing our cellphones at the television, trying to make it work. It doesn't help that Giannini's room, at a hotel across the street from the University of Southern California, has a 1970s decor, complete with a u-shaped sofa and lamps with 4-foot long shades.

* 8:30 a.m.: Giannini has dissected two game tapes of Wichita State and has charted the Shockers' offensive plays and tendencies.

"Damn, they run a lot of [stuff)]" Giannini admirably says multiple times. Our tape-watching is interrupted only because the coach has to make two radio appearances, one with ESPN's "Mike & Mike" show and the other a Sirius radio show hosted by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. "Just another Tuesday," Giannini laughs when he completes his talk with Krzyzewski.

He says all the right things on the radio, praising his team, the university and past players. He also notes how good the Atlantic 10 Conference was this year and brings up Chicago basketball to Krzyzewski [both are natives].

"Coach K was the best interviewer I think I've ever talked to," Giannini exclaims. Being as I've interviewed Giannini hundreds of times through the years, there is offense to be taken, but I decide to let it go.

* 9:30 a.m.: Time for the team breakfast, where a bunch of weary young bodies is showing the rigors of three games in 5 days, slowly shuffling toward the buffet set up in the basement of the hotel. The high of making the Sweet 16 is carrying them on rubbery legs. Jokes are tossed, much food is consumed. The joy of being where they are is not easy to hide.

Then Christine Cahill speaks and the looks change. Cahill, whom Giannini says means more to the program than anyone, is the associate director of academic support for student-athletes.

While everyone concentrates on the games that have been played, there still is school work to be done. Players are told to get their schoolbooks, and they do it with all the gusto "of someone going to the guillotine," Giannini says jokingly. Cahill oversees it all, darting stares at players glancing at their phones, gleefully handing out assignments. She gets the players to do what needs to be done, and they do it happily. She is that good at her job.

"She's tough, but she's great," Ramon Galloway said. "She makes sure everyone is keeping up on their studies. I mean, I think we'd keep up with them, but she makes it a lot easier."

While the players study, the coaches gather in a corner of the room to discuss what they'll do against Wichita State and how they'll practice that afternoon. Ideas are exchanged among the coaching staff (assistant coaches Harris Adler, Horace "Pappy" Owens, Will Bailey) and director of operations Sean Neal. Giannini takes notes and the game plan is set.

With an hour of downtime, players jump on computers in the hotel lobby, bop about listening to music, and basically just soak in the atmosphere as the sun brings the temperature close to 70. Coaches scramble to get their dry cleaning done as they didn't anticipate they'd be on the road this long. It is a happy dilemma.

* 11:50 a.m.: Players, assistant coaches and others crowd into Giannini's room, where the coach shows them about 15 minutes of film on Wichita State. It is evident that the Shockers are very strong rebounders. Giannini continuously states: "If we keep them off the boards we can go to the Elite Eight."

That statement brings a couple of facial responses from players, kind of "Who would have thought it?"

* 12:30 p.m.: A short but spirited workout starts at the USC practice facility at Galen Center. While there is work to be done, Giannini and his staff are also cautious not to put anyone in harm's way. It's been a long season and a grueling past week. A good sweat is broken, some more talk about Wichita State is relayed and, after about an hour, Giannini is satisfied with the day's work.

Afterward, the coach and players talk with a handful of reporters who have gathered. Tyreek Duren and Galloway, however, are busy working on a dunk routine.

Galloway has been invited to participate in the college dunk contest that takes place during the Final Four in Atlanta. Some are holding their breath in fear an injury might occur. But as you watch, you realize it's just kids being kids. Galloway does some spectacular things in the air after getting passes from Duren, but completing the dunks isn't one of them. They have a blast trying, though.

* 1:30 p.m.: The Explorers walk the couple of hundred feet back to their hotel, shower, get a quick bite, then head to Santa Monica for an afternoon of fun. But before, a message from their coach: "I talked to Coach Krzyzewski this morning and he said the minute a team gets happy where they are, they're done. We're happy right now and we want you to have a good time in Santa Monica. But come [Wednesday] morning, we are really zeroed in. It's all-business then. Keep them off the boards and you can be an Elite 8 team."

Who'd have thought it?