Finn Courtney (@finncourtney_)
—
PHILADELPHIA - It was always going to be a season of trial and error for Drexel, after the departure of seven key players, including all five starters from a season ago, chief among them lead guard Justin Moore (Loyola-Chicago) and three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Amari Williams (Kentucky).
After being picked 11th in the CAA, with no preseason members of the All-CAA team, it looked to be a down year for the Dragons but they are keeping their heads above water for now, currently three games over .500 and currently in third place in the CAA standings at 3-3 - something Zach Spiker is taking for anything but granted.
Cole Hargrove has been integral all season long to the Dragons' success. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
“Listen, every game in the CAA is a dogfight, I wish there was more access for the nation and see how talented and competitive this league is.” Spiker said. “Potentially, we could have been 5-1, we’re 3-3. That’s what our record is, we’ve had some great experiences and could have lost all of them too.”
While the Dragons’ defense has subtly statistically improved from a season ago (66.1 ppg allowed vs 66.6 last season), the offensive end has been inconsistent for Spiker and co. down, with scoring statistics down from the 2023-24 campaign, including an average of three less points a game (73.3 vs 70.4 this year).
There have been some positives however, especially for the three most notable returners for the Dragons after last season. Third-year guard Kobe MaGee, after serving as a key reserve last year (6.3 points per game), the Allentown native has been indispensable for the Dragons, leading all players with 15.3 ppg this season, 4.9 rebounds per game and has posted nine games with 15 or more points.
Senior guard Yame Butler has also stepped up, posting his best season as a Dragon with a 51% field goal percentage and a 14.2 ppg average, with all statistics up from a disappointing sophomore season for the Maryland native.
And junior forward Cole Hargrove - little used in his first two seasons - has become integral to Drexel’s starting lineup this year. The Methacton alum has anchored everything down-low with a team high 8.4 rebounds per game and a solid 10.4 ppg average, third to MaGee and Butler.
“Cole Hargrove is one of those guys that I think we valued him more than a lot of coaching staffs did,” Spiker said. “He shows up and he works. He competes and he competes and competes in the weight room, competes in the classroom [and] he competes on the floor. [...] Just proud of his development, but it speaks to his character.”
In a time when the very nature of college basketball is in a state of abject flux, due to NIL and the transfer portal, Spiker is committed to developing and growing guys over the course of a few seasons, rather than players that jump from school to school.
“This day and age, everyone wants to make ‘a transaction,’” Spiker said. “We’re not doing that at Drexel, we’re gonna make it transformational and we’re gonna continue to pour into these guys and build a culture that makes them want to be here. [All these guys] that chose to stay and it’s just an honor to coach and we’re gonna continue to pour into those guys and our new guys, who really have done some great things.”
Against Hofstra on Monday, it was a story Drexel’s experienced time and again this season, as the Dragons’ got down early, couldn’t stop the rim-running attack of the Pride and struggled for a consistent offensive attack in the first half.
After the first 20 however, it was as if Drexel was a different team - they dominated, with Hofstra making just six field goals in 28 attempts (21.4%) and Hargrove and Butler serving as the catalysts with 24 combined points in the second half to pull off a 12-point comeback.
“I thought they were cooking us and we weren’t really aligned defensively early on,” Spiker said, post-game. “But to our guys’ credit, we really locked down in the second half. [...] When you can hold a team to 18 points in a half, put yourself into the position to win the game. And late-game execution, something we’ve been talking a lot about, [I] thought we did a good job getting the ball into the right people.
Aside from the three returners, newcomers Victor Panov and Jason Drake have been solid, with Drexel marking their third college in three years and Drake being the go-to facilitator with a team-high 2.8 assists per game.
Second-year guards Shane Blakeney and Kevon Vanderhorst have also flashed potential, with the former improving his scoring numbers from a redshirt freshman season and the latter, after spending his freshman season at Brunswick Community College, posting a 43% field goal percentage in just 11 minutes of average playing time. In Monday’s game, Vanderhorst’s energy and high-IQ play aided Drexel in coming back over Hofstra, with seven points (2-5, including a three to snap a tie) and three rebounds.
“I’ve been thrilled with his approach [and] I don’t care where they come from, they’re Dragons, they’re our guys right now,” Spiker said. “He’s an everyday guy and he’s another example of what we talk about with our program, he appreciates the opportunity, he respects the process and he competes his butt off.”
Monday’s win against Hofstra also marked just Drexel’s third win at home out of ten games played, a troubling statistic in terms of ‘home advantage’. The friendly confines of the DAC, after a near-perfect 13-1 mark last year, have not been so friendly come this year, with Monday perhaps serving as a step in the right direction.
They won’t have to wait too long to come home as well, as after a road trip up to Massachutes to take on Northeastern on Thursday, the Dragons are back home at the DAC to take on Delaware - two big chances to climb up the CAA standings.
“Every game’s an adventure, every game, you gotta find different ways to win and you gotta play them down to the absolute final possession.” Spiker said. “I think we’re a better basketball team [and] we’re a more seasoned group.”
Tag(s): Home Division I Big 5 Villanova College Division I Villanova