City of Basketball Love

Jerome Taylor (@ThatGuy_Rome)
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Like the rest of the world, the World Cup has been appointment television for Drexel's men's team. And for one player on the Dragons, it’s been a source of playful tension. 

“Saturday is going to be a rough day for y’all,” Jamie Bergens, who’s Dutch, told the press room as Drexel head coach Zach Spiker scooched his chair away from Bergens.

Bergens is, of course, referring to the upcoming soccer match on Saturday between the US and the Netherlands in the Round of 16. 

“Our foreign guys call us trash all the time,” Lamar Oden Jr. added, referring to the trio of Europeans on the Dragons’ roster. “It's a little divided right now, but we'll see.” 

For Bergens, soccer was his first sport before he began spending more time playing basketball after his dad, Dino - a former professional basketball player in his own right –  suggested that he choose between basketball or soccer while they were still in the Netherlands. 

And so far, it’s looking like Bergens made the right decision. The 6-foot-2 guard is in his third collegiate season, but his first with the Dragons after transferring from Oral Roberts. 

“The coaching staff is real family oriented… I just felt at home the first time I talked to the coaches.” Bergens said about transferring. 

Spiker’s family-oriented nature was evident to Bergens on their first phone call. 

“I think the first time I talked to coach [Spiker], he introduced me to his wife and children,” Bergens said. 

“I think we were in a car, like on our way somewhere to a basketball game or baseball game, and this is kind of how we do it., you talk to everybody right away,” Spiker recalled.

Since arriving on campus, Bergens' role has increased. He went from averaging 7.4 minutes per game last year at ORU to 19.5 through Drexel’s first eight games, and he’s upped his production as well, going from 2.4 to 6.1 ppg.

His infusion into the Drexel lineup has bolstered the Dragons' backcourt bench unit, which had never quite had a steady backup under Camren Wynter, who had to play the bulk of the minutes for four years; its a role that’s even more important this year, since freshman Justin Moore is starting, and his body is still getting used to the grind of Division I basketball. 

On top of adjusting to a new school and a new role on the court, Bergens is also taking on the additional responsibility of serving as a mentor for Moore. Not only are they roommates off the court, but during offseason workouts, they spend an extended time competing against each other.

“It can be cliche, but it’s true: iron sharpens iron,” Spiker said. “I mean, they make each other better. They go at each other.”

In Wednesday’s game against Lafayette, Bergens' ability to carry some of that load was on display. Bergens (24 minutes) finished the game with more minutes than Moore (19), after the Archbishop Wood-product played sparingly in the second half after his knee got rolled up in a rebounding scrum. 

“I think Jamie's minutes can vary from time to time, but he could also play 40 minutes, too. It's a luxury to have multiple ball handlers,” Spiker said. “I think Justin’s body's experiencing Division I  basketball up close and personal, which [Bergens] has been through.”

But Bergens isn’t the only player in a new situation, Oden Jr., albeit under different circumstances, is also in a new spot in his collegiate basketball career. 

Last year, the junior was more of a role player, this season, he’s a starter for the Dragons, and it’s bearing fruit for the team. 

“Everyone’s role is different than it was last year,” Spiker said. “Guys like expanded roles. They like the opportunity and making the most of it.”

Against Lafayette, he finished with 17 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3PT, 4-4 FT) and 3 steals en route to a 64-56 win that pushed Drexel back to .500. 

The win Wednesday pushes the Dragons' record to 3-1 this season whenever Oden Jr. scores 10+ points. 

He’s currently averaging 10.0 points for the season which is up from his 4.6 ppg in 2021-2022. Not to mention he’s seeing the court a lot more as well going from 15.5 minutes per game to 28.

“I feel like everybody’s got their role, and then when we play our roles, and we set that standard,” Oden said. “Just play hard and stay consistent. It's like nobody can stop us. And I just think we capitalized on that tonight. Everybody just played their role and had fun.”

Oden had most of his fun in the second half. After the Dragons cleaned up their defense in the second half, the junior pressed to score 12 of his 17 points in the second half to end their three-game losing streak.

Drexel's typical leading scorers, junior Amari Williams (16.1 ppg) and Coletrane Washington (13.0 ppg) both did their thing, Washington scoring 18 points on 7-13 shooting, including some clutch late buckets, while Williams had 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks, both of which came on 3-point attempts in the final minute.

Now the Dragons will be looking to start a new streak, this time a positive one, when they take on Princeton on December 3.