Drexel Dragons
Overall Rank: #68
Conference Rank: #4 Colonial
Drexel Team Page
2010-11: 21-10, 11-7
2010-11 postseason: none
Coach: James Flint (170-134 at Drexel, 256-206 overall)
Drexel won 21 games last season and lost a heartbreaker to VCU in the conference tournament. This was a team on the cusp of great things. Coach James “Bruiser” Flint will have them back in the mix for a CAA title this year. The big question heading into 2011-2012 is what to do with super sixth man Chris Fouch. A starting spot is opening up and the 6-2 junior certainly deserves it. Last year he led the Dragons with 14.9 points per game and connected on two three-pointers per contest. Whether he starts or not, Fouch will be on the floor at the end of the game.
Who’s Out:
Gerald Colds is the only lost starter. The combo guard was certainly nice to have around in 2010-2011 while Drexel was breaking in a freshman point guard. He could score, occasionally shoot, play stellar defense like the rest of the team and help run the show when necessary. This is a team that will have trouble replacing Colds due to a lack of other options. The depth on the perimeter will be very young. The only other loss is Yannick Formbor. He was the eighth man in a seven man rotation.
Who’s In:
Adding depth on the perimeter is a priority for this class. Damion Lee should be the answer. The 6-6 freshman will not be a ball handler like Colds, but he is a superb athlete and a great pickup for the Dragons. If Fouch is best used as a sixth man, it will be Lee who will get the starting nod. While Lee will get most of the attention among the newcomers, and rightfully so, he is not the only one. Fellow small forward Tavon Allen could earn some playing time if Coach Flint wants a deeper bench and Aquil Younger may be forced into backup point guard duties. Kazembe Abif and Casey Carroll will add some more size to the roster, but will likely spend a year or two learning behind all of the returning players.
Who to Watch:
Generally speaking the CAA is a guard driven league, but that has not always been how Coach Flint gets the job done. His teams always play great defense, but this group has some big men who can do more than play defense. Power forward Samme Givens averaged 12.2 points and 10.1 rebounds during his junior campaign. His senior season should be his best yet. He is only 6-5, but he is a wide-bodied 220-pound forward who does a great job using his body to create space for scoring and rebounding purposes. Once again it will be Daryl McCoy earning the starting spot next to Givens. McCoy is not much of a scorer, but at 6-9 and 270 pounds, he is the big body this team needs under the basket. Now an upperclassman, McCoy could start taking on a bigger scoring role, but this group does not really need him to do so. Dartaye Ruffin will spend just as much time on the floor as McCoy and will once again serve as the primary backup to both Givens and McCoy. Ruffin is a little better scorer than McCoy and is a great option off of the bench. The frontcourt pretty much has three starters they can rotate around.
Final Projection:
Frantz Massenat is that young point guard who will have to grow up and become a leader with the absence of Colds. Massenat showed plenty of potential as a freshman, starting all 31 games and dishing out 3.3 assists per game. His turnover numbers were reasonable and should only get better with experience. Massenat is not a scorer or shooter. He will attempt the occasional long range shot to keep the opposition honest, but he was not nearly consistent enough to be a threat. That may change with a summer of shooting under his belt. Derrick Thomas will start somewhere on the wing. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the conference and can shut down the best scorers in the league. He can do some scoring of his own too. He is a capable outside shooter and has the size to get to the basket. Thomas may be asked to do some more scoring this year, but that job could also fall to a player like Lee who has a little more spark to his offense. Either way, this team can go at least seven deep again without a problem. But an injury here or there could present a major concern. Yet, if everybody can stay healthy, this is a young team that can make a nice little run towards a conference crown and a postseason berth.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Frantz Massenat, Sophomore, Guard, 5.5 points per game
Chris Fouch, Junior, Guard, 14.9 points per game
Derrick Thomas, Junior, Guard, 6.9 points per game
Samme Givens, Senior, Forward, 12.2 points per game
Daryl McCoy, Junior, Forward, 5.4 points per game
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