We’ve found a very interesting scheduling quirk, and it isn’t an 8:00am tipoff, followed by brunch, then a noon tipoff on ESPN. Well it is that. But it’s also the CAA taking on the top two teams in the MAAC, on the same day, before your afternoon nap.

The game may be over before you read this, but Drexel’s game against the Spray Starchers is one of those hidden opportunity games. The Purple Aces Hazers People Eaters Rain Eagles won 26 games last season and return two all-conference players (Tyrone Lewis and Bilal Benn). They will again do well and have a worthy RPI.

This is a game that you see “Niagara” and don’t see the top 100 RPI, or potential conference champion, etc. Translation: get this roadie.

An in-the-know slipped the L-Word into a conversation about Drexel point guard Jamie Harris. Granted, a 20/4/3 with zero turnovers can inspire that L-Word, but we’re talking leadership. We’ve said Harris is the best player you don’t ever talk about, and you’re about to learn why.

What’s more, Leon Spencer continues to improve. He was unguardable at times against St. Joe’s. Freshman Derrick Thomas is Drexel’s version of Darren White–the confidence of a junior and a quick trigger finger.

There’s no telling what effect an 8:00am game will have on the teams, but I’m betting Bruiser’s wake up call is more inspiring. Drexel will win this one, and surprisingly more easily than people think. Dragons 70, Niagara 62.

***

So I’m thinking about karma, and how every now and then it smacks you and you don’t realize it. Siena is lapping up preseason press clippings, which is a hysterically-outdated reference. We barely get enough from the Sunday edition of the Washington Post to start a fire in the fireplace, much less save any clips. Maybe they should be lapping up bandwidth? Pixels? CRTs? Where was I?

Ah, yes–karma. Bill Coen deserves something back. (And a raise.) The CAA, specifically William & Mary (playing in Boston is not a trivial coincidence here), was on the wrong end of the near-half court gamewinner of the year. We all should get a little something back. Matt Janning is a senior who was a skinny kid from Minnesota who only Coen wanted and became an all conference performer and surefire rich dude in Europe this time next year. Pass the hat, please.

And Siena, everyone’s darling. Doesn’t karma dictate a little come-uppance? A first-game oops is in the tarot deck, no? It was their head coach, Fran McCaffery, who was thrown out of a game against Hofstra three years ago. Enraged, McCaffery’s wife was tossed two minutes later for berating the official. That may not be karma, but it was damn funny.

But this is going to be trouble. Siena is loaded, and Northeastern has at least two freshmen that are going to have to contribute right away. Alwayne Bigby and Dinko Nametoolongtospell are going to be very good players in this conference, once they get some games under their belts. Right now that number is zero.

The party line coming out of Northeastern scrimmages is that they did what they had to do and they took care of their business. I’ll tell you this–that is a significant statement. Bill Coen is the kind of guy that could win the lottery and worry the check would bounce. If they are feeling iffy, that’s pretty good for everybody else.

I don’t know the rest of the ESPN marathon lineup because I haven’t looked. However I believe they will have to work to find a more entertaining and compelling game than this one.

And what an opportunity for statement-making: you know the team you were all salivating over as the next great mid major team? Yeah, we just beat them. In their barn. With two freshmen and a short guy from France. Karma, yes. Evidence, iffy.

Golden Children 73, Guys We’d Rather Have Win 71