A little change in format today, as I realized that some of the Blue Ribbon leads are more informative and others more entertaining. So we’ll stick to the numbers from here on out.
And Drexel’s number is seventh.
Blue Ribbon Open
LAST SEASON: 15-14 (.517)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 10-8 (6th)
STARTERS RETURNING: 4
HOMECOURT: Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,300)
COACH: Bruiser Flint (St. Joseph’s ‘87)
RECORD AT SCHOOL: 133-108 (8 years)
CAREER RECORD: 219-180 (13 years)
ASSISTANTS : Mike Connors (Ithaca ‘83), Tony Chiles (Columbia ‘89), Ashley Howard (Drexel ‘04)
TEAM WINS (last 5 yrs.): 17-15-23-12-15
RPI (last 5 yrs.): 72-125-43-240-134
2008-09 FINISH: Lost in CAA First Round
Key for Drexel: Um, let’s call it “scoring.” And it doesn’t even have to be great. They just need to be an average offensive team. Every offensive stat is below average. Drexel ended up finishing dead last in the conference in field goal percentage (37%), last in three point percentage (29%), and, predictably with the sheer number of bricks, last in assists (11.1).
Guy You Think Is Important, and He Is: Gerald Colds. The stats are cold and they don’t lie—only 29-112 (26%) from three and 51% from foul line (45-89). He also needs to take better care of the basketball: 47 assists and 48 turnovers. However Colds battled an injury and illness within his family, so concentration on basketball was justifiably lacking.
“He takes shots within the things we try to do,” says Flint. “He’s a hard worker and my whole thing to him was to work on shooting because he’s going to get the opportunities.”
Guy Who Is Actually More Important: Kenny Tribbett. Part of Drexel’s problem is no low post scoring presence. I’m not talking about the weenie low post presence of a 6-6 guy that can score in traffic and on the block. I mean a guy that will put his fat butt on the block, and when the ball goes into him a wing player must turn his back to the perimeter to help on defense. That opens up so much.
If Tribbett can get to the point where he needs to be acknowledged by a wing player, Drexel is exponentially more dangerous. I say Tribbett for this reason: the impact difference in any other player on the Drexel roster being either average or great pales in comparison to the impact difference of Tribbett being great instead of average.
Guy Who Could Play On My Team: Jamie Harris. It will surprise many to see Harris played more than 34 minutes per game in conference games last year, shooting 39% from three and sporting a near 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. Harris is likely the best player in the conference nobody knows about, just doing his job and doing it well. Plus, he’s a lefty.
Guy I’m Not Sold On: Evan Neisler. Athletic, a leaper, and will go get rebounds. He can score, too, but he doesn’t. Bruiser needs an ace hoopfiller, and Neisler could be that guy. I don’t know that he is.
Coach Seems To Like: Chris Fouch. Flint is very good with younger players, and the coach usually has a lot to say about, well, everything. But he is somewhat tight-lipped when asked about Fouch. Just saying.
Games I Will Not Miss: Hosting Northeastern on 12/5 to open the conference season and truly christen the new floor at the DAC. I eagerly await what the DAC Pack has in store for Matt Janning. Also, VCU comes calling on 1/6 after humiliating the Dragons in the DAC 75-46 last year.
Links:
September 16th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
They played with a ton of heart last year. I watched them almost beat my Mason boys twice. Evan Neisler was great in that game in Fairfax – a little hot-headed, but passionate. Bruiser’s guys will got to battle for him every night.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
They played with a ton of heart last year. I watched them almost beat my Mason boys twice. Evan Neisler was great in that game in Fairfax – a little hot-headed, but passionate. Bruiser’s guys will go to battle for him every night.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Drexel – Northeastern games make Dr. Naismith roll over in his grave and say “why did I invent that darned peach basket game”.
They’re just ugly. Roseanne Barr ugly.
They’re also rather competitive, and fun to watch in a sadistic way – if nothing more to see the most dynamic and least dynamic coaches in the CAA patrol the sidelines.