City of Basketball Love

By Dan Arkans (@danarkans)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2025-26 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 4. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

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Most college basketball teams are lucky to return players from year to year in this new era of NIL and the transfer portal.

Name tags and icebreakers are the norm for most squads this time of year.

Not Drexel.

Not when you have 6-foot-8 Garfield Turner back for his fourth season at University City.

Not when the core values of gratitude, respect and compete are upheld by the team’s enforcer.

“I was here before NIL was a thing,” Turner said. “In my first year we had guys who were established. It was easy to assimilate. Now it’s kind of hard. It’s definitely hard every year, trying to uphold our standards. It’s what comes with the game.”

Turner, who played his freshman year at Odessa College, is only back at Drexel for a fifth year because he lost his senior year to a torn meniscus last season. It was a difficult time for the Dragons’ power forward as he felt more like a ghost on the bench.

“It was the first time I hadn’t played sports since elementary school,” said Turner. “It was hard adjusting. I think it would affect some people more. I leaned back on my family and my relationship with God. It was definitely tough. I tried to stay engaged with the team and tried to have a big impact.”

Turner will have another big impact this season. He and junior guard Shane Blakeney are the unquestioned leaders of the Dragons. The last time Turner was on the floor he was averaging 5.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Expect his role to be similar again this season.He will do all the dirty work under the glass for the Dragons.

“I love him,” said Drexel head coach Zach Spiker. “Garfield Turner, I will take a bullet for that guy. He’s going to help us at a high level. He’s a high leader, so proud of him. The Medical team has done a phenomenal job with him.”

Turner is counting the days down to November 3rd when the Dragons welcome Widener to Daskalakis Athletic Center to tip off their season. It’s been a long road back to the court for the fifth-year senior, who became more of an assistant coach last season while rehabbing his injury.

“I love it,” said Turner of playing basketball again. “It’s all I think about, being able to play again, going to fight with my brothers.”

Also returning to Drexel are senior forward Victor Panov (6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg), junior guard Villam Garcia Adsen as well as Philly products sophomores Josh Reed from Wood and Horace Simmons of La Salle College High School. 

Sophomore guard Kevon Vanderhorst also looks to build on his freshman campaign which saw him earn minutes as the backup point guard. 

Seven-foot-1 sophomore Ralph Akuta figures to man the middle with Turner.

“The energy is something different,” Spiker said. “We have added five new players. We have nine returning. It’s the smallest turnout in the past few years of anyone in our league. Consistency and continuity have to count for something.”

Although the cupboard isn’t bare, Drexel and Spiker also had a stellar offseason. It all starts with senior guard Eli Beard, who averaged 22.3 points per game for D3 Mary Hardin-Baylor last year. Sophomore guard Dillon Tingler also comes to University City after a year at Eastern Michigan. Seven-foot wing junior Martin de Laportiere figures to play a prominent role after averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds for Yavapal Community College.

“I don’t think any coach is comfortable right now,” Spiker said. “You are anxious if you are going over the right plays, getting it right. So much turnover, you gotta make sure everyone is speaking the right language. We are working hard to develop that part. Nine returning guys, four or five new guys. One new person you’ve got to figure things out. Our guys have been doing a great job of being coachable and having energy every day.”

Moses Hipps, who played his first two years of high school ball at Archbishop Carroll before moving to Georgia, also comes back to Philly after sitting out a year at Boise State, while 6-foot-7 freshman Ignacio Campoy Galvez brings even more height to Drexel.

“It’s massive,” said Spiker of his nine returning players. “It makes all the difference in the world. Every year is going to  be something new. You have to be comfortable accepting change, new ways to invent players, and do whatever we can to make Drexel a basketball success.”

Drexel will have quite a challenging nonconference schedule before even getting to the Coastal Athletic Association. The Dragons have Colgate, Syracuse, Old Dominion and American on their schedule.

“We have the same expectation every year – get wins, make a run in the CAA,” Turner said. “Expectation doesn’t change, to play Drexel basketball, have pride on the court.” 

Of course the Dragons are also thrilled to be competing in the Big 5 again this season, culminating with the Big 5 Classic on Dec. 6th at Xfinity Mobile Arena. St, Joe’s, Penn, Temple, Villanova and La Salle are all city rivals.

“The Big 5 Classic is amazing to play on an NBA court,” Turner said. “That’s an amazing experience. Playing a team in the city elevates emotions, pride. My first year I wondered why we weren’t in the Big 5. It’s amazing playing in the Big 5.”