PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will open the 2009-2010 on the road on Saturday, heading to the City of Brotherly Love to take on La Salle University at 3 p.m. at Tom Gola Arena.

This will mark the second meeting all-time between the Pirates and the Explorers; the two teams first met during the 2003-04 season. Hampton won that game 68-64 on Nov. 22, 2003 as part of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The game will be a homecoming of sorts for senior Vincent Simpson, who graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School. Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) is Hampton's leading returning scorer, having averaged 11.7 points a contest last season en route to Second Team All-MEAC honors.

The Pirates went 16-16 and 8-8 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) under former head coach Kevin Nickelberry. Hampton fell in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Championships last season, losing 57-56 to South Carolina State.

The Pirates, under the direction of interim head coach Edward “Buck” Joyner Jr., were picked to finish fourth in the MEAC this season and Simpson was named to the All-MEAC Preseason Second Team.

La Salle went 18-13 last season, finishing tied for fifth in the Atlantic 10 with a conference mark of 9-7. The Explorers fell in the first round of the A-10 tournament, losing 62-60 to Saint Louis University.

Rodney Green, a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection last year, is the team's top returning scorer, having poured in 17.8 points a game last season.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.