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Thursday, November 21, 2024
Drexel Dragons (13-18 overall, 9-9 conference) Projected starting five: Sr. G Frantz Massenat Jr. G Damion Lee So. F Tavon Allen Sr. F Dartaye Ruffin Jr. F Kazembe Abif Important departures: Two starters are gone from last season’s team: G Derrick Thomas (9.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 […]
CAA Media Day had a new destination this year, and the tournament will as well right around the corner. It’s a changing conference in a changing world, and one whose place in college basketball is uncertain.
Drexel was thought to be a clear favorite in the CAA this season for a lot of reasons. But the Dragons have had to battle more than just opponents and haven’t repeated their offensive prowess of a year ago, and the result is a mediocre record after losing in Boston on Saturday night.
There’s every reason to pick Drexel to win the CAA. The Dragons will have the conference’s best backcourt, best defense, a veteran cast and plenty of good candidates to take Samme Givens’ place up front as their only departure from last season’s team.
In theory, the next six days should be quite stressful for Drexel and head coach Bruiser Flint. As the regular season champions of the CAA, they are guaranteed a bid to the NIT, but naturally hope the NCAA Tournament comes calling. Flint doesn’t seem stressed at all about it, however, and his experience is a key factor in that.
In recent years, Drexel hasn’t had a great deal of success in the CAA Tournament. The Dragons are one win away from making any questions about that or an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament a thing of the past.
Harvard is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious institution of higher learning. On the hardwood, the NCAA Tournament has eluded the school, and the path to a bid this season just got a little bit tougher.
The tenth annual BracketBusters took center stage on Saturday, and while it gave us some good matchups, whether or not it has the intended effect when it was started is debatable.
Right now, Drexel is playing very well when one looks at the bottom line. The preseason favorites are looking that part more and more as they continue to win and in the fashion they did on Wednesday night at Northeastern.
Drexel enters the season as the CAA’s favorite. How will the Dragons handle the rest of the conference chasing them in hot pursuit in 2011-12?
