Last Year: 17-15; Fifth (10-8) in the Colonial Athletic Association; No Postseason
Head Coach: Zack Spiker (Eighth Year; 93-118 at Drexel with one NCAA Tournament appearance)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Justin Moore – 6’3″, 175 – Sophomore |
| SG Luke House – 6’4″, 215 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Lamar Oden, Jr – 6’6″, 215 – Senior |
| PF Lucas Monroe – 6’6″, 205 – Senior (5th) |
| C Amari Williams – 6’10”, 255 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Justin Moore: 9.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, 0.7 spg – 37.4% FG
Luke House: 8.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.5 spg – 38.0% 3FG
Lamar Oden, Jr: 8.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.6 spg – 40.6% FG
Lucas Monroe:
Amari Williams: 13.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.2 bpg – 52.3% FG
Experienced Reserves
| W Yame Butler – 6’5″, 210 – Senior |
| F Mate Okros – 6’6″, 215 – Senior (5th) |
| G Jamie Bergens – 6’2″, 190 – Senior |
| F Cole Hargrove – 6’8″, 230 – Sophomore |
| W Kobe Magee – 6’6″, 190 – Sophomore |
| F Garfield Turner – 6’8″, 230 – Junior |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Yame Butler: 8.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.2 spg – 45.2% 3FG
Mate Okros: 4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.3 spg – 35.2% 3FG
Jamie Bergens: 6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.8 spg – 37.0% FG
Cole Hargrove: 1.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.3 spg – 50.0% FG
Kobe Magee: 2.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.3 spg – 45.7% FG
Garfield Turner: 3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 spg – 55.7% FG
Freshmen
| G Shane Blakeney – 6’5″, 190 – Redshirt Freshman |
| F Horace Simmons – 6’6″, 200 – Freshman |
When Drexel snuck into the NCAA Tournament three years ago, it was a surprise to most people around the Colonial (now Coastal) Athletic Association. The Dragons had finished in 6th place, with a losing record in league play. They were assigned a 16 seed in the Big Dance because, well, if not for their surprise run to the conference tourney crown during that chaotic year of Covid, they wouldn’t have received an invitation.
If Drexel can get back to the Dance this winter, they’re not going to be sneaking up on anyone.
There are big expectations for the Dragons this year, as head coach Zach Spiker returns nearly everyone who played a significant role on last year’s team. There will be a somber tone to this season in some respects, also, because of the August death of Terrence Butler, one of the team’s young forwards. As a result of his untimely passing, many of Butler’s teammates have spoken out on social media about the importance of seeking help in the struggle to maintain sound mental health, and they will surely be playing a bit harder in their departed friend’s memory this year.
This fall, there is optimism in the Dragons’ locker room for Drexel’s best season in – potentially – decades. “It’s the first time in 18 years that we have had three straight winning seasons. Certainly I think we are bringing a level of consistency to the program,” Spiker told Paulie Loscalzo for TheTriangle.org in April. Since the roster includes star big man and two-time defending CAA Defensive Player of the Year Amari Williams one last time, the Dragons are looking to make this a season to remember.
One of the best, most productive bigs in college basketball, Williams is a guy who can take over the action in a variety of ways at both ends of the floor. The Englishman is one of the best defensive players on the map, with great size, mobility, anticipation and awareness. He led the Colonial in blocks, FG%, +/-, and Player Efficiency Rating last season, while finishing second in rebounding and leading the Dragons in scoring and steals. Also a reliable passer, Williams has retained the perimeter skills he began to learn while he was still growing as a teenager, and is highly capable of finding cutters for easy buckets when the double teams come. His perimeter skills are also evident in transition, where Williams is comfortable handling the ball (and throwing down huge dunks when he gets a head of steam going down the lane), and at times he will bring the ball up, initiating Drexel’s offense. “He’s a valuable piece, he’s a valuable player. With that said, there’s more there. We want him to reach his potential,” Spiker said of his star big man towards the end of last season, and it’s a theme which has followed Williams since he arrived in Philly.
One of the best, most productive bigs in college basketball, Williams is a guy who can take over the action in a variety of ways at both ends of the floor
Given his tremendous physical gifts, Williams has sometimes been viewed as too passive, and his attention in the past has wandered throughout the course of games, as has his effort. When Williams is on his game, and given his passing ability, he’s a devastating pick-and-roll big. Having shown more range on his jumper each season, Williams is displaying his versatility to both opponents and pro scouts. While he’s still got polishing to do on his face-up game, Williams will always be able to finish a lob very neatly, and has developed a better instinct to take it straight to the rim each year. Spiker wants Williams, who posted nine double-doubles last year, to feast more around the cup this season, and force opponents into having no option but to double him around the lane. And if he can make closer to 70% of the multitude of free throw attempts he earns, Drexel will be that much better off in close games. “I think we had some missed opportunities throughout the season. If you look at our schedule and study it, our free throw percentage was the difference. A lot of our losses were one possession games,” Spiker reflected this spring.
Spiker found a young point guard last season, and Justin Moore played so well as a rookie that Drexel fans are anticipating that he can step out as an all-league co-star to Williams as a sophomore. Moore, a graduate of Philadelphia’s Archbishop Wood High School, was named to the CAA’s all-freshman team last season. He also ranked second on the Dragons in scoring and led the team in steals while starting 22 games. The most memorable moment of his rookie year came when Moore hit a game-winning jumper with 3.5 seconds left against 31-win College of Charleston, the Colonial champs last year. “My coaches and my teammates trusted me and put the ball in my hands to make a play,” Moore said after hitting his winner. “And, you know, that’s big time, whenever you go out there, just knowing everybody has your back whether it goes in or it doesn’t, so it’s a big help.”
Moore was a big help to the Dragons, providing a playmaker to run the pick-and-roll with Williams and a steady presence to set up Drexel’s shooters with good looks. Moore wasn’t a great shooter himself last year, making just 21% of his triples and 60% of his foul shots, but he’s dangerous off the bounce and fearless around the basket. “I try to get my teammates open shots and control the pace of the game. I think knowing when to score and knowing when to get them shots and to make sure the team is together,” Moore told Philadelphia Sports Digest this spring. “The big thing about being the point guard is being a leader knowing what you have to do.” Moore suffered an injury in February which knocked him out for seven games down the stretch, but he came back to post 23 points and 12 assists in Drexel’s two CAA Tournament games. This season, Moore is looking forward to a healthy season and an even bigger breakout year – and to establishing himself as one of the CAA’s top players.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 63.0 – Opponent Points Per Game (21st) |
| 66.1 – Team Points Per Game (299th) |
| 11.2 – Opponent Assists Per Game (65th) |
| 68.1% – Team Free Throw Percentage (305th) |
| 31.8% – Team 3FG Percentage (303rd) |
Some may say that it was a mirage, but for a hot minute during the bleak of winter, as injuries hit up and down Drexel’s lineup, Yame Butler was one of the best players in the league. The veteran guard began Drexel’s campaign nicked up, and ended the year with a season-ending injury – but over a six-game stretch from February 8th to the 23rd, Butler averaged 19.7 points on a 66% true shooting mark. Spiker, and everyone else who roots for the Dragons, is eager to find out how much more there is where that came from. Butler played 11 games at Fordham, then spent his sophomore year at State Fair (MO) Community College before his flash of scoring brilliance came last year, and he carries a scoring average of just 5.8 points so far in his Division I career. It isn’t just anybody, though, who can score 25, 30, and 22 points in three different Colonial Coastal games over a seven-day span. Butler will be given every chance to provide vital scoring this year, and hopes to show that he’s a whole lot more as a player than three great weeks of production.
He’s been in Philly for awhile now, but when Lucas Monroe takes the floor for Drexel this season, it will be the first time. The former Penn forward has started 38 career games, and after three years of leveling up in the Ivy League, Monroe is ready to step into a big role for the Dragons. Monroe ranked seventh in the Ivy in rebounding average last season, and brings a winning, hard-working attitude with him across town. “I think I’ve been in a leadership position on most teams that I’ve been in, going back to Abington (High School) and being at Penn,” Monroe told Myles Berry for City of Basketball Love. “So, I would hope to be in a similar position at Drexel and I think that’s something that comes naturally, and I think that’s naturally kind of a role that I gravitated towards.” With good strength and both the reach and lateral quickness to guard both inside and out, Monroe should see the floor in a variety of lineups this year. Monroe always plays hard, and will block shots ranging all the way out to the perimeter. He’s not much of a scorer, has only attempted 34 triples across his three previous seasons, and in fact Monroe is under 30% on all shots that don’t come near the rim for his career. Monroe is hoping to improve his jumper’s reputation a bit this year, and he has already proven to be a good and crisp passer who is adept at finding his teammates near the rim if he doesn’t have the best look.
Luke House has, like Butler, worked his way up the ranks to earn a significant role with the Dragons, and is now a key supporting actor on a good team. House started his collegiate career at D II California University of Pennsylvania, and then walked on at Drexel. He played just 68 combined minutes in his first two seasons, but last year Spiker really needed some outside shooting. House had been working his tail off in practices, and the coach knew House could shoot, so he was given a chance. House made the most of his opportunity, scoring nine points in each of Drexel’s first three games to start the year. By halfway through December, Spiker inserted House into the starting lineup, and the former walk-on never looked back. Across his 21 games as a starter, House averaged 10.7 points on 40% shooting from downtown. While he’s not an explosive athlete, House is a big, strong guard who won’t hesitate to bring a favorable mismatch into the post. With Spiker still in need of all the points he can find, House appears to have entrenched himself as a vital weapon, and his maximum-effort style sets a great example for the whole roster.
Some may say that it was a mirage, but for a hot minute in the bleak of winter, as injuries hit up and down the Drexel lineup, Yame Butler was one of the best player in the league
Lamar Oden Jr and Mate Okros are a pair of forwards who can also space defenses, and will be counted on as veterans who can score both inside and out. Oden has improved steadily through each of his three seasons in Philly, and the Georgia native emerged last season as a key presence defensively and on the boards. With the size, strength, and demeanor to go up against larger players in the paint, Oden was the Dragons’ second-leading rebounder last year. While he only shot 30% from downtown, Oden sank a career-best 42 triples last year, and coming into the year, he had been a 39% three point shooter. With his ability to bang inside and then lure defenders to the perimeter, Oden played the second-most minutes on the team last year, and was the only guy to start every game Drexel played. He only figures to improve in his fourth year, and will continue to be a nice contrast to Williams up front.
Okros, entering his fourth year, remains the highest-rated freshman recruit in Drexel history per 247 Sports, and has started 78 games in a Dragons uniform. A sequence of injuries marred his sophomore and junior years, but the Turkish forward played in all 32 games for Drexel a year ago. Okros, who has played alongside Williams since their time prepping at Myerscough College in England, owns a very attractive career shooting line, slashing 41/39/79% across his four years. If he can turn in another healthy campaign, there’s no reason Okros can’t also have his best year yet.
Jamie Bergens and Garfield Turner return to fill important roles as veteran reserves. Bergens, a Dutch guard, was another Dragon who saw his season end prematurely due to injury. When healthy, he is a reliable ballhandler who can create his own shot and also good looks for others. He wasn’t great from deep last season, but Bergens can attack the lane and disorder defenses. In his first year after transferring from Oral Roberts, Bergens was having a career year, and, back to health, he will provide an experienced hand to run the offense when Moore isn’t out there.
Turner is the only other true big after Williams, and though he rarely plays big minutes, Turner is great on the boards. He ranked second on the team in offensive rebounds despite averaging less than 14 minutes per game, and provides solid defense when Williams needs a break. Though he doesn’t fo a great deal offensively, Turner is also savvy enough not to try things he shouldn’t; and he translated 15 friendly misfires into second-chance buckets last year, per Hoop-Math, underscoring how important he is near the rim for Spiker.
Cole Hargrove is also a helpful glass artist in his limited minutes, bringing good energy and active defense when he gets in. Hargrove actually posted the second-best per-minute rebounding rate on the team last year, and hopes to carve out a few more minutes this winter. Kobe Magee is a bit of a wildcard, a long and rangy wing who looks great for a play or two every week but hasn’t yet strung together consistent performances. He could help out more often as a versatile defender this year though, providing more athleticism than some of the veterans. And if he can keep up something like the 67% he shot on 2FG’s, it sure won’t hurt Magee’s cause.
Two freshmen will be joining the rotation this season, and each of them should offer Spiker defensive versatility in the years to come. Shane Blakeney joined the Dragons last fall, but redshirted in order to work on his game. Though not yet a tremendous outside shooter, Blakeney csn get to the rim and has genuine point skills. That he is a natural facilitator is particularly exciting when you consider that Blakeney stands 6’5″, and has a 6’10″+ wingspan. If he can be a steady ballhandler and keep defenses honest with his jumper, Blakeney should offer tremendous flexibility and a different look both behind and beside Moore. Horace Simmons is a local product who turned down Marquette to commit almost two years ago to Spiker’s Dragons. A lanky wing who showed great rebounding and post scoring skill in high school, Simmons should only need to add some strength in order to keep it up in the CAA. “We are excited to add another local player who can help us compete for a CAA title,” Spiker declared upon Simmons officially signing. “He has the size and shot making ability that we value.”
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ West Virginia – December 9 |
| @ Winthrop – November 11 |
| @ Old Dominion – November 26 |
| @ Princeton – December 5 |
| vs Temple – November 14 |
Last year, Drexel was among the nation’s best teams at defending the three point arc and limiting fouls. As a result of those factors – and Spiker’s preferred slower pace – the Dragons gave up fewer than 63 points per game last season. With great positional size virtually all over the floor, Spiker’s team should continue to excel in those areas.
It’s on the offensive side that the Dragons must improve. If Yame Butler stays healthy and turns into the guy he’s hinted at becoming and Monroe steps in to help keep the ball moving and provide even more defensive acumen, it will really help. Even bigger help would come from Moore emerging as an all-conference player, snd Williams taking the next step as a dominant force each game.
“I think we got a group that understands what we have coming back and we’re just trying to work and get better,” Spiker told TheTriangle.org. College of Charleston and UNC-Wilmington are two very strong contenders ahead of them, but Drexel has experience and mismatch potential going for them. It will be tough to win a league title, but this is one of the strongest Drexel teams in years, and they will contend.
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