Spring Break
D.U. Men's Basketball Preview 2007-2008
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Basketball Preview
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Last year, for the first time in Drexel history, the men's basketball team defeated three Big 5 schools and finished with 23 wins, the most in 11 years. More importantly, the Dragons shocked college basketball nation by pulling off some of the most improbable upsets of the season and proved that Drexel could compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. This year, they look to continue their dominance.
Drexel had a historic season and its best since 1996, but it ended with disappointment and frustration. The Dragons won at Villanova for the first time in 18 tries in a series dating back to 1924. They followed that win by upsetting Syracuse on the road to finish 2-0 against the Big East for the season. They picked up more impressive road wins at Hofstra and Creighton, which should have helped their resume enough to get into the NCAA Tournament. But with bad losses against Penn, Rider and William & Mary coupled with a 1-5 record against the top three teams in the conference, Drexel fell just short of an NCAA bid and had to settle for a first-round home matchup against NC State in the NIT. The Dragons lost 63-56 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
Losing Bashir Mason and Dominick Mejia, the 19th and 23rd all-time Drexel scorers respectively, and Chaz Crawford, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Year, is a major hit for this Drexel team. They lost two potent scorers and two of the best defensive players to ever play at Drexel. Crawford was named to the All-Defensive team for three straight seasons and last year was named the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive Player of the Year, while Mason was the first player in CAA history to be named to the CAA All-Defensive Team four years in a row.
Luckily for Drexel, defense is what Coach James "Bruiser" Flint thrives off of best. Junior guard Tramayne Hawthorne should step in and be a defensive force on the Dragons. By the end of the season, his defensive style of play could be reminiscent of Mason.
Drexel had a historic season and its best since 1996, but it ended with disappointment and frustration. The Dragons won at Villanova for the first time in 18 tries in a series dating back to 1924. They followed that win by upsetting Syracuse on the road to finish 2-0 against the Big East for the season. They picked up more impressive road wins at Hofstra and Creighton, which should have helped their resume enough to get into the NCAA Tournament. But with bad losses against Penn, Rider and William & Mary coupled with a 1-5 record against the top three teams in the conference, Drexel fell just short of an NCAA bid and had to settle for a first-round home matchup against NC State in the NIT. The Dragons lost 63-56 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
Losing Bashir Mason and Dominick Mejia, the 19th and 23rd all-time Drexel scorers respectively, and Chaz Crawford, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Year, is a major hit for this Drexel team. They lost two potent scorers and two of the best defensive players to ever play at Drexel. Crawford was named to the All-Defensive team for three straight seasons and last year was named the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive Player of the Year, while Mason was the first player in CAA history to be named to the CAA All-Defensive Team four years in a row.
Luckily for Drexel, defense is what Coach James "Bruiser" Flint thrives off of best. Junior guard Tramayne Hawthorne should step in and be a defensive force on the Dragons. By the end of the season, his defensive style of play could be reminiscent of Mason.
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