Score: Northeastern 61, Drexel 59
Drexel Player(s) of the Game: Kazembe Abif, Tavon Allen, and Chandler Fraser-Paul
Key to the Game: Composure and execution
Next Game: Friday March 4 vs Elon at Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD (CAA Championship)
Saturday’s contest against Northeastern marked the end of what can arguably be identified as one of the most difficult seasons in Drexel basketball history. It was also the last time that Tavon Allen and Kazembe Abif would take to the court at the DAC. There is so much that one could write about both of their careers, storied in their own ways, but for now the focus will be on the Saturday afternoon matchup against the Huskies.
Drexel has proven themselves to be a team that will break a fan’s heart. A frequent shortcoming that has been discussed from the coaches mouth to the internet to the stands to the parking garage elevator across the street from the DAC has been their inability to string together 40 minutes of quality basketball. This team will look great for 20-30 minutes depending on their opponent, and then they will crumble right in front of your eyes. This was the case in Saturday’s contest as well.
For the first thirty minutes of this game, the team looked great. They shot well. They played aggressive defense. Tavon Allen once again looked like a player possessed, at least for the first half, as he led his team on a 24-10 run over the course of the last 10 minutes of the first frame pouring in 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting. His 5 for 8 three point display led once again to the Drexel record books and Mike Wisler’s 9 threes against Hartford on February 13, 1994.
When the buzzer sounded and the teams headed to their locker rooms to regroup, Drexel found themselves ahead 34-27 on 52% shooting from the field. It also bears mentioning that no Dragon made it to the free throw line in the first half. They outrebounded Northeastern 12-10, and won the turnover battle with 5 as compared to NU’s 9. All indicators pointed toward a Dragon dominance.
The second half started out with more of the same. In the first ten minutes of the half, Drexel controlled the game outscoring Northeastern 15-11 to finish a 39-21 run over 20 minutes. During that stretch, Drexel shot 17 for 28 from the field, and 5 for 9 from three. During the rest of the game they were 7 for 25 and 4 for 11 respectfully.
One of the in game matchups to watch was Rodney Williams against the Northeastern frontcourt. Rodney found himself battling all day on the blocks. The matchup was reminiscent of the first meeting with the team that saw Williams handle his foes admirably. Saturday’s rematch did not see the same result. Jeremy Miller, who earned his 4th foul of the game at the 11:36 mark of the second half, and to a lesser extent Kwesi Abakah were hammering him both on the shot and on the blocks. Most of it went uncalled. Williams finished with just 2 points on 1-6 shooting.
At the 9:30 mark, Williams made a play that showed just how much he has grown this season. After being fed the ball on the low post, everybody in the building expected the Dragons big man to take the ball to the hole. Instead, he kicked it back to a wide open Rashann London the perimeter who drilled a three pointer giving Drexel their biggest lead, 11 points, with 9:19 remaining. Northeastern came down the court and called a timeout with 8:56 to go, and Drexel well in control of the game.
Northeastern came out of the huddle with a plan and a fresh outlook on the game. Their 7-0 run in the following three minutes prompted a timeout by Bruiser Flint. Two minutes later, Northeastern had poured in 8 more points bringing the run to 15-0 leaving Bruiser to call another timeout, and when I say Bruiser, I mean Bruiser. He stood on the sideline yelling at the referee for a timeout while the ball was in play. Finally, Terrell Allen who had brought the ball to the sideline called it for him. The look that he shot at the ref was met with a lecture the subject of which was how he was no longer allowed to call timeouts with the ball in play, a rule change that went into effect at the beginning of this season.
Drexel, who had won 11 consecutive close regular season games when leading, walked into the last four minutes of this contest with a 50-49 lead and they now trailed by 4. David Walker, who had hit five consecutive three pointers in the first meeting between these teams, had just put down his third in a row. The Dragons were visibly rattled. Their freshman point guard was not giving up though. Terrell Allen took his game to another level scoring all 7 of his points in a two and a half minute stretch. If one read the box score, they would imagine Terrell had slow game, but the young floor general turned in another top notch performance.
His efforts, however, were not enough. With Drexel leading 59-58, Northeastern headed back to the huddle to draw up a play for Zach Stahl who made a layup in the paint. There appeared to be some communication issues on the pick and roll executed by Caleb Donnelly and Stahl was left open for an easy layup. Now trailing 60-59, with the shot clock off and 24 seconds remaining, Bruiser Flint used his last timeout to head in to a huddle of his own.
After running through the early stages of their offense, the ball found itself in Tavon Allen’s hands. The senior, whose 23 point first half was followed up by a 2-10 performance with 4 turnovers in the second half, drove to the hoop for a leaning one hander from about six feet out that couldn’t find the mark. Rashann London grabbed the rebound and put up an unsuccessful put back of his own. The ball then found itself in Quincy Ford’s hands. Kaz Abif’s wrestling match with the Northeastern senior resulted in a whistle that fans in the building thought would be a jump ball. The referee disagreed, calling Kaz for a foul and sending Ford down the floor to shoot 1-and-1. He made the front end, but the second free throw fell in the hands of Rodney Williams who handed the ball off to Terrell Allen sending the point guard barreling down the court with 6 seconds to go.
As Allen crossed half court, he looked as if he was going to try and go coast to coast. Instead, he gave Tavon Allen one more shot at greatness as he handed the ball off to the senior on the right wing for an NBA range three that careened off the rim as the buzzer sounded giving the Huskies a 61-59 victory. Once again, coaches, players and fans alike found themselves walking out the door saying to themselves, “we could have won this one.”
The players gave 110% on the court, as they always do, but just seemed to come unraveled when Northeastern started to fight back. Walker became the hot hand on the court going 4-4 from three down the stretch. Control became chaos, and what was a remarkably calm Bruiser Flint by Bruiser standards, became more animated. The Dragons just could not hold the lead in the clutch, something that they have traditionally been able to do. Drexel’s record at home fell to 3-9 in a game that meant nothing to the standings, and everything to the seniors who wanted to leave the DAC with a win.
The co-players of the game for this match-up goes to three players: Tavon Allen, for his years of dedication to the program. His heart and determination speak loudly on the floor. Kazembe Abif, who will get votes for Dragons MVP, for his ability to step back on the court and be this team’s heart and soul on the floor. He showed true leadership out there throughout the season.
Finally, Chandler Fraser-Paul. The grad student, former Lafayette soccer player, who wanted to use a year of eligibility to play basketball in hopes of a future career in coaching was this team’s biggest leader on the bench. He cheered on each and every teammate on the floor regardless of the score or the situation that they found themselves in. Despite his efforts, he has yet to score a point in college basketball, something that is a dream of his.
The Dragons now head to Baltimore for a Pillow Fight Friday matchup with Elon. Here’s hoping that Kaz, Tavon and CFP have just a little magic left in their tank. No team has ever won four consecutive games to go home with the CAA Championship. Could Bruiser’s 0-14 streak finally come to an end? We’ll have to wait and see.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Senior Day - Northeastern
In November, the Drexel Men's Basketball team took the court with a sense of optimism, a coach that would talk up this team to anyone who would listen, and a belief that the prior season was a bump in the road, that the offseason turmoil with Damion Lee could and would be overcome. And then began a season that wasn't bumpy at all, just one flatline from start to finish. The final game of the season pits a Dragon team coming off of a season high two game winning streak against a Northeastern squad that needs a win to try and avoid the CAA's Baltimore Pillow Fight Friday. While the Huskies season has been disappointing to the Boston brethren, they still hold the current CAA Title Belt and will roll to a .500 CAA record with their likely win in Philadelphia today. With that known, we shift our focus to the outgoing Drexel players, an ambidextrous 6'7" guard and a "6'7" (quotes are very much intentional) Master's Degree candidate forward.
Tavon Allen sat out his first year at Drexel as a redshirt. When he finally stepped foot on the DAC court as a player, Drexel's returning guard corps included Frantz Massenat, Damion Lee and Derrick Thomas. That's an elite point guard, an elite shooting guard, and a defensive specialist. Tavon. Did. Not. Give. A. Fuck. He may have only seen 15 minutes a game on the court, but in those 15 minutes he was taking as many shots as Damion Lee was, and considerably more than Frantz Massenat or any other DU player. That green light only turned yellow during his senior year when the coaches put a lid on his shot selection and sent him back to the bench for long stretches. And that is the real story of Tavon's Drexel career.
Prior to Allen's arrival at campus fans heard regularly about how this coaching staff did not believe in making major changes to a players shot by the time they had gotten to college. With Tavon, they asked him to change hands. Generally coaching staffs will work on a players shot selection early in their careers. With Tavon, they didn't begin to have an effect on his shot selection until he was the team's senior leader. While the careers of players such as Gerald Colds, Damion Lee and Dominic Mejia are known to have been held back by the system that they chose to play in, Tavon is a bit of a different story. He was the ultimate project, and the staff became frustrated and so did he, and it just never worked for anyone. Even that is half true. In his senior season, he is shooting the ball well from the stripe and the three point line, it's just the ill-advised midrange shots and soft play in the paint that's holding him back from being one of the teams better players. Every year it's been something, but many of the lessons learned this season should have been learned much earlier in a five year career.
At the end of the day, you hope that Tavon's experience at Drexel has been educational. For himself, for the staff and administration and for fans. While his eating habits were questioned (eat a steak Tavon!) his work ethic never was. And when he was on fire, he would light up the DAC like almost no one else has been under Bruiser, on par with his classmate Damion, Dominic Mejia or Robert Battle. Tavon's great was very great, and his talent was without question. There are plenty of professional teams out there that will light up for a 6'7" player who can ballhandle and shoot 35% from deep. If Tavon wants to play at the next level it's likely he will have the opportunity, and to a man, here at the Blog, we wish him the best.
If ever there was an opposite to Tavon Allen, it came in the package of Kazembe Abif. While Tavon was an oversized guard, Kazembe was an undersized forward. Both came in like string beans, but in his graduate season Kaz comes closer to resembling a refrigerator than a string bean. There was talk of Abif leaving the team after the 14-15 season. He had his degree and had left the team midseason when the coaching staff was asking him to play sooner than he felt healthy. It came on the back half of an injury plagued career, only 20 games played as a freshman, 16 as a junior and a completely washed out senior season.
Kazembe returned to Drexel for this season, showing loyalty that was incredibly kind to his coaches and teammates, even while classmate Damion Lee turned to allegedly greener pastures. And during this season, not only has he been able to play cover to cover, the 5th year player has been a leader to his frontcourt mates and has put up significant numbers. If there was one brightspot in Drexel's flatline season, it's been the double double machine up front (he has six this season). He is putting up the best rebounding numbers of his career and showing a Samme Givens' like nose for the ball, and despite taking more shots this year than he had in the rest of his career combined, his shooting percentage did not fall off. Even when there was pressure on him to fill out the stat sheet, he played smart, didn't force things and played within the flow of the offense. His season this year was a dream this coaching staff desperately needed, an ironic twist after last seasons disagreements.
Kaz's performance goes much further than his own numbers however. Watch the team come off of the court during timeouts and you will see him coaching up his teammates. It's likely that having a friend and constant partner alongside him in the frontcourt has been a part of Rodney Williams' late season renaissance, as well as the always eager Tyshawn Myles growth. That degree of learning and appreciation from his teammates rivals the leadership of almost any team member that was walked out of the DAC in the Flint era. It's no wonder that he is staring down the barrel of a Masters Degree and the likelihood of a very successful post Drexel career.
In 2011, a five man class his campus. Aquil Younger, and Casey Carroll didn't last long, Damion Lee's four years weren't nearly long enough, and Kazembe and Tavon's spent 5 seasons getting frequent flyer miles in the trainers room. They represent what is without question one of the most dramatic classes that will ever come through the program. The two that were strong enough to make it through, those two are Dragons. They embody the campus spirit and ideals and have not just accepted an invitation to represent the Blue and Gold, they earned both that jersey and the fans appreciation. Their scars are both visible and invisible, and represent the mental and physical strength that they brought to this program.
For that, this fan thanks them. I genuinely hope for, look forward to, and expect their future success.
Congratulations to the Drexel Basketball Class of 2016.
Tavon Allen sat out his first year at Drexel as a redshirt. When he finally stepped foot on the DAC court as a player, Drexel's returning guard corps included Frantz Massenat, Damion Lee and Derrick Thomas. That's an elite point guard, an elite shooting guard, and a defensive specialist. Tavon. Did. Not. Give. A. Fuck. He may have only seen 15 minutes a game on the court, but in those 15 minutes he was taking as many shots as Damion Lee was, and considerably more than Frantz Massenat or any other DU player. That green light only turned yellow during his senior year when the coaches put a lid on his shot selection and sent him back to the bench for long stretches. And that is the real story of Tavon's Drexel career.
Prior to Allen's arrival at campus fans heard regularly about how this coaching staff did not believe in making major changes to a players shot by the time they had gotten to college. With Tavon, they asked him to change hands. Generally coaching staffs will work on a players shot selection early in their careers. With Tavon, they didn't begin to have an effect on his shot selection until he was the team's senior leader. While the careers of players such as Gerald Colds, Damion Lee and Dominic Mejia are known to have been held back by the system that they chose to play in, Tavon is a bit of a different story. He was the ultimate project, and the staff became frustrated and so did he, and it just never worked for anyone. Even that is half true. In his senior season, he is shooting the ball well from the stripe and the three point line, it's just the ill-advised midrange shots and soft play in the paint that's holding him back from being one of the teams better players. Every year it's been something, but many of the lessons learned this season should have been learned much earlier in a five year career.
At the end of the day, you hope that Tavon's experience at Drexel has been educational. For himself, for the staff and administration and for fans. While his eating habits were questioned (eat a steak Tavon!) his work ethic never was. And when he was on fire, he would light up the DAC like almost no one else has been under Bruiser, on par with his classmate Damion, Dominic Mejia or Robert Battle. Tavon's great was very great, and his talent was without question. There are plenty of professional teams out there that will light up for a 6'7" player who can ballhandle and shoot 35% from deep. If Tavon wants to play at the next level it's likely he will have the opportunity, and to a man, here at the Blog, we wish him the best.
If ever there was an opposite to Tavon Allen, it came in the package of Kazembe Abif. While Tavon was an oversized guard, Kazembe was an undersized forward. Both came in like string beans, but in his graduate season Kaz comes closer to resembling a refrigerator than a string bean. There was talk of Abif leaving the team after the 14-15 season. He had his degree and had left the team midseason when the coaching staff was asking him to play sooner than he felt healthy. It came on the back half of an injury plagued career, only 20 games played as a freshman, 16 as a junior and a completely washed out senior season.
Kazembe returned to Drexel for this season, showing loyalty that was incredibly kind to his coaches and teammates, even while classmate Damion Lee turned to allegedly greener pastures. And during this season, not only has he been able to play cover to cover, the 5th year player has been a leader to his frontcourt mates and has put up significant numbers. If there was one brightspot in Drexel's flatline season, it's been the double double machine up front (he has six this season). He is putting up the best rebounding numbers of his career and showing a Samme Givens' like nose for the ball, and despite taking more shots this year than he had in the rest of his career combined, his shooting percentage did not fall off. Even when there was pressure on him to fill out the stat sheet, he played smart, didn't force things and played within the flow of the offense. His season this year was a dream this coaching staff desperately needed, an ironic twist after last seasons disagreements.
Kaz's performance goes much further than his own numbers however. Watch the team come off of the court during timeouts and you will see him coaching up his teammates. It's likely that having a friend and constant partner alongside him in the frontcourt has been a part of Rodney Williams' late season renaissance, as well as the always eager Tyshawn Myles growth. That degree of learning and appreciation from his teammates rivals the leadership of almost any team member that was walked out of the DAC in the Flint era. It's no wonder that he is staring down the barrel of a Masters Degree and the likelihood of a very successful post Drexel career.
In 2011, a five man class his campus. Aquil Younger, and Casey Carroll didn't last long, Damion Lee's four years weren't nearly long enough, and Kazembe and Tavon's spent 5 seasons getting frequent flyer miles in the trainers room. They represent what is without question one of the most dramatic classes that will ever come through the program. The two that were strong enough to make it through, those two are Dragons. They embody the campus spirit and ideals and have not just accepted an invitation to represent the Blue and Gold, they earned both that jersey and the fans appreciation. Their scars are both visible and invisible, and represent the mental and physical strength that they brought to this program.
For that, this fan thanks them. I genuinely hope for, look forward to, and expect their future success.
Congratulations to the Drexel Basketball Class of 2016.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Delaware - Home - Postgame
The below post is written by Mark Walush, who was lucky enough to attend a great home win over the University of Delaware on Thursday.
Final Score: Drexel 74, Delaware 64
Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Interior Offense and “Swag”
Next Game: Saturday Feb 27 vs Northeastern
In one of the most exciting games at the DAC this season, Drexel began its first winning streak in over a calendar year. So what did the Dragons do right? For starters, the offense was consistent in getting the ball inside to Rodney Williams, where he went a respectable 5-12 from the field and 5-8 from the line, a sign that he is becoming more comfortable absorbing contact and drawing those fouls that are needed to make the opposing big men think a little bit on defense. It has been said many times before, Rodney Williams is a joy to watch on offense, and there are few forwards in that league that can defend him on a consistent basis. The coaching staff has noticed this and has begun to make Rodney more of a focal point in the offense, and they deserve credit for instilling the inside game in the team's play.
Before the game, I mentioned that the winner on the boards would win the game, and while Drexel and Delaware tied with 37 rebounds a piece, the difference came in the rest of the box score: this truly was an all around team victory. First, they were careful with ball, only committing 6 turnovers in the game. Second, the Dragons assisted on 18 of their 25 field goals (72%), well above their season average of 56%. This was the first game all season that the team looked like they were in sync with each other, making the extra pass to the open man, looking for the outlet pass on lane penetration, and just having more fun.
Another standout star for the Dragons is yet again freshmen point guard Terrell Allen. He continued his recent hot streak, scoring 19 points on FIVE (5!!!!) shots, with 3 assists and 0 turnovers. Terrell has been the brightest spot of this rough season, and gives Dragons fans hope for the future of this program. Even beyond the boxscore, Terrell is playing with a poise and maturity beyond his years. At the end of the game, with time running out and Terrell dribbling the time away, he faced the alumni section and president's suite, put out his hand with the look of a simple “We got this”. This program is in good hands with Terrell at the helm.
One final note: A play in which Tavon Allen blocked a three point shot and took the ball all the way the other way for an easy layup was by far the loudest the DAC has been this year and was the highlight for a senior who has finally settled into his role on the team. Tavon is taking smarter shots, and being more active in all phases of the game. Saturday is senior night, and Tavon and Kazembe Abif will be looking to end their careers on high notes, and make this team a dangerous, dangerous low seed in Baltimore.
Final Score: Drexel 74, Delaware 64
Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Interior Offense and “Swag”
Next Game: Saturday Feb 27 vs Northeastern
In one of the most exciting games at the DAC this season, Drexel began its first winning streak in over a calendar year. So what did the Dragons do right? For starters, the offense was consistent in getting the ball inside to Rodney Williams, where he went a respectable 5-12 from the field and 5-8 from the line, a sign that he is becoming more comfortable absorbing contact and drawing those fouls that are needed to make the opposing big men think a little bit on defense. It has been said many times before, Rodney Williams is a joy to watch on offense, and there are few forwards in that league that can defend him on a consistent basis. The coaching staff has noticed this and has begun to make Rodney more of a focal point in the offense, and they deserve credit for instilling the inside game in the team's play.
Before the game, I mentioned that the winner on the boards would win the game, and while Drexel and Delaware tied with 37 rebounds a piece, the difference came in the rest of the box score: this truly was an all around team victory. First, they were careful with ball, only committing 6 turnovers in the game. Second, the Dragons assisted on 18 of their 25 field goals (72%), well above their season average of 56%. This was the first game all season that the team looked like they were in sync with each other, making the extra pass to the open man, looking for the outlet pass on lane penetration, and just having more fun.
Another standout star for the Dragons is yet again freshmen point guard Terrell Allen. He continued his recent hot streak, scoring 19 points on FIVE (5!!!!) shots, with 3 assists and 0 turnovers. Terrell has been the brightest spot of this rough season, and gives Dragons fans hope for the future of this program. Even beyond the boxscore, Terrell is playing with a poise and maturity beyond his years. At the end of the game, with time running out and Terrell dribbling the time away, he faced the alumni section and president's suite, put out his hand with the look of a simple “We got this”. This program is in good hands with Terrell at the helm.
One final note: A play in which Tavon Allen blocked a three point shot and took the ball all the way the other way for an easy layup was by far the loudest the DAC has been this year and was the highlight for a senior who has finally settled into his role on the team. Tavon is taking smarter shots, and being more active in all phases of the game. Saturday is senior night, and Tavon and Kazembe Abif will be looking to end their careers on high notes, and make this team a dangerous, dangerous low seed in Baltimore.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Delaware - Sucks - Home - Pregame
The below is written by Dragons Speak contributor Mark Walush, we thank Mark for his strong writing and continued support.
Drexel vs SUCKS – “Battle for the Basement”
Delaware (7-20, 2-14 CAA) Kenpom: 260
Drexel (4-23, 2-14 CAA) Kenpom: 251
One of the things that makes college basketball so great is that every school, big or small, always has that one team on the schedule that even if you lost every other game, you take pride in beating. It's the rival. For Drexel, that team is Delaware. It is Drexel's longest running series against any opponent, dating back to 1911, and Delaware currently leads the series 79-74. Drexel vs Delaware has always been a circled game on the schedule, even in the roughest years. Even though most of their fans are in bed by gametime, there is a certain satisfaction about beating UD. In some years, perhaps this one, this game may be the only one to look forward to on the schedule. Three years ago, a group of Drexel juniors took a road trip to watch Drexel play Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center. Drexel was winding down a rough season that saw incredible promise early on in the preseason NIT only to see their star player gone for the season, which then sent the team into a spiral leading to another first round exit in the conference tournament. Delaware was celebrating senior night and looking to maintain their first place seeding in the conference, but Drexel would play spoiler to that and pulled off the upset.
This year, Drexel has once again played spoiler to a top of the conference team on their senior night, taking down William and Mary on Saturday. However, this Thursday's Drexel/Delaware matchup does not have the prestige of years past. Both Drexel and Delaware have had very disappointing seasons, with both coaches wondering about their job security, just trying to get their teams to play with intensity and finish the season with high effort plays.
In the game against William and Mary, Drexel won by being smart with the ball, limiting turnovers, making sure that Rodney Williams gets touches inside, and the continued improvement of Terrell Allen. Terrell has shown flashes of brilliance this season, and it was even mentioned to this writer that he was pulling off some “Steph Curry” moves. Even with Rodney and Terrell's stellar performances, the team shot only 35.7% inside the arc, something that needs to change going forward, whether it be more ball movement, better shot selection, or greater offensive variety, they cannot expect to win with those kind of numbers.
While Drexel's issues have been well documented on this blog, Delaware is dealing with a slew of issues on their end. Their rotation has shrunk to mainly 6 players due to injuries, and they have struggled finding their rhythm offensively and defensively this season. Kory Holden has been one of the few bright spots on the team, and is the main offensive threat for the Blue Hens. He is shooting 39% from 3 on the season, good for 325th nationally, as well as shooting 81% from the line. Marvin King-Davis is the main interior presence, and is nationally ranked in both offensive and defensive rebounding, which means the Drexel forwards will have their hands full trying to keep their position on the boards. Poor shooting can be overcome by decisively winning the rebounding battle, so I see this game coming down to the wire and the winner being decided by simply who wants it more.
Drexel 64 – Delaware 60
Vegas Line: Drexel -3.5
Alan Boston's Take:
Delaware showed some life late in the year. After their win over Drexel they beat College of Charleston and took Hofstra to the wire. In their last they ran into an angry James Madison crew. The blow out was expected. Credit must be given to the Hens as they have suffered numerous injuries, have played short handed for quite some time and yet when you would expect them to have had enough, late in the too long hoops season, they play their best ball.
What can you say about Drexel? The team that has shown flashes of brilliance, put together enough good to win at William & Mary. It makes absolutely no sense to this writer. When I first saw the score I thought rampant drug use had finally caught up with me, but later, I saw it official. How does Drexel follow that up? I thought Drexel would handle Delaware the first time. With the players available, they are the better team. With this Drexel team. better does not matter. However, it is entirely up to them. If Drexel plays with a modicum of intelligence - and they can - they win. It really is that simple. Does the William and Mary game encourage more good or do they get complacent and play with enough stupidity to lose a game that they should not. There are at least 3 games left for Coach Flint. They should send him out a winner. Bruiser for sure, deserves that.
Drexel 69 Delaware 59
Drexel vs SUCKS – “Battle for the Basement”
Delaware (7-20, 2-14 CAA) Kenpom: 260
Drexel (4-23, 2-14 CAA) Kenpom: 251
One of the things that makes college basketball so great is that every school, big or small, always has that one team on the schedule that even if you lost every other game, you take pride in beating. It's the rival. For Drexel, that team is Delaware. It is Drexel's longest running series against any opponent, dating back to 1911, and Delaware currently leads the series 79-74. Drexel vs Delaware has always been a circled game on the schedule, even in the roughest years. Even though most of their fans are in bed by gametime, there is a certain satisfaction about beating UD. In some years, perhaps this one, this game may be the only one to look forward to on the schedule. Three years ago, a group of Drexel juniors took a road trip to watch Drexel play Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center. Drexel was winding down a rough season that saw incredible promise early on in the preseason NIT only to see their star player gone for the season, which then sent the team into a spiral leading to another first round exit in the conference tournament. Delaware was celebrating senior night and looking to maintain their first place seeding in the conference, but Drexel would play spoiler to that and pulled off the upset.
 |
| Walking out of UD, representing the winning team |
This year, Drexel has once again played spoiler to a top of the conference team on their senior night, taking down William and Mary on Saturday. However, this Thursday's Drexel/Delaware matchup does not have the prestige of years past. Both Drexel and Delaware have had very disappointing seasons, with both coaches wondering about their job security, just trying to get their teams to play with intensity and finish the season with high effort plays.
In the game against William and Mary, Drexel won by being smart with the ball, limiting turnovers, making sure that Rodney Williams gets touches inside, and the continued improvement of Terrell Allen. Terrell has shown flashes of brilliance this season, and it was even mentioned to this writer that he was pulling off some “Steph Curry” moves. Even with Rodney and Terrell's stellar performances, the team shot only 35.7% inside the arc, something that needs to change going forward, whether it be more ball movement, better shot selection, or greater offensive variety, they cannot expect to win with those kind of numbers.
While Drexel's issues have been well documented on this blog, Delaware is dealing with a slew of issues on their end. Their rotation has shrunk to mainly 6 players due to injuries, and they have struggled finding their rhythm offensively and defensively this season. Kory Holden has been one of the few bright spots on the team, and is the main offensive threat for the Blue Hens. He is shooting 39% from 3 on the season, good for 325th nationally, as well as shooting 81% from the line. Marvin King-Davis is the main interior presence, and is nationally ranked in both offensive and defensive rebounding, which means the Drexel forwards will have their hands full trying to keep their position on the boards. Poor shooting can be overcome by decisively winning the rebounding battle, so I see this game coming down to the wire and the winner being decided by simply who wants it more.
Drexel 64 – Delaware 60
Vegas Line: Drexel -3.5
Alan Boston's Take:
Delaware showed some life late in the year. After their win over Drexel they beat College of Charleston and took Hofstra to the wire. In their last they ran into an angry James Madison crew. The blow out was expected. Credit must be given to the Hens as they have suffered numerous injuries, have played short handed for quite some time and yet when you would expect them to have had enough, late in the too long hoops season, they play their best ball.
What can you say about Drexel? The team that has shown flashes of brilliance, put together enough good to win at William & Mary. It makes absolutely no sense to this writer. When I first saw the score I thought rampant drug use had finally caught up with me, but later, I saw it official. How does Drexel follow that up? I thought Drexel would handle Delaware the first time. With the players available, they are the better team. With this Drexel team. better does not matter. However, it is entirely up to them. If Drexel plays with a modicum of intelligence - and they can - they win. It really is that simple. Does the William and Mary game encourage more good or do they get complacent and play with enough stupidity to lose a game that they should not. There are at least 3 games left for Coach Flint. They should send him out a winner. Bruiser for sure, deserves that.
Drexel 69 Delaware 59
Monday, February 22, 2016
William and Mary - Away - Postgame
Final Score: Drexel 74, William and Mary 69
Drexel Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Perimeter Shooting
Next Game: Thursday Feb 25 vs Delaware
Blaine Taylor may have said it best on the broadcast: "Tony Shaver might be calling the league office asking to play anyone other than Drexel on Senior Night." After a season in which everything that could go wrong has seemed to go wrong, the shoe was on the opposing Claw and Moccasin for the Dragons and Tribe. William and Mary, one of the top shooting teams in the country, missed layups, shot 50% from the free throw line and shot under 30% from deep. Drexel on the other hand saw 27% three point shooter Rashann London splash both of his attempts and 26% three point shooter Terrell Allen hit a pair of his three attempts as well.
Flying under the radar, Terrell Allen has shot a team leading 35% from distance during conference play. After a benching a few weeks ago due either to injuries or performance, depending on which moment Bruiser Flint is talking about it, Terrell has seemed to bring an added fire and some discipline in this game. He showed that beautifully when backing off of a fast break opportunity to feed a wide open Tavon Allen for three. Terrell also showed the ability to take his man and get to the basket, at times for layups and at others, when the help came, to take a short jumper that he's hit with some consistency. If his team leading 20 points weren't enough, he also had a pair of assist and not a single turnover in his 30 minutes running the point.
That last statement might be the most impressive. This Dragons team has been riddled with mistakes this year, but in this game they only had 6 turnovers. On the defensive end, not all was perfect. In the first half, the Dragons took a beating from the William and Mary cutters. All of the warning signs were there when the game was tied at the half with The Tribe having only shot 1 of 10 from deep in the first period. Certainly they wouldn't do that again in the second, and they didn't, shooting 5 of 11 (46%) in the second half. Not only did Drexel answer that salvo with their three point shooting, they separated themselves at the foul line. Terrell Allen, Rodney Williams and Kazembe Abif all made multiple trips to the stripe in the second half with much success. Meanwhile, William and Mary stars Omar Prewitt (3 of 7 from the line) and Terry Tarpey (no ft attempts) - celebrating his Senior Night - had no answer.
So the Dragons caught some breaks - an emotional, off night from William and Mary, "let em play" referees and some hot shooting, but in a lot of ways they made their own luck as well. Rodney Williams had 16 points on just 13 shots in front of his family, Kazembe Abif put up another double double (his sixth of the year) and Terrell Allen played with the poise of a senior. When those three can stay on the floor and the pieces around them simply contribute at a league average level, this team isn't a bad basketball team. And when they stop shooting themselves in the foot (and they tried a couple of times down the stretch in Williamsburg) they can win some games. Credit also goes to the coaching staff that tightened the screws of their defense at halftime, and sat down Terrell, likely losing the Delaware game because of it, until he was playing with the discipline needed to help this team succeed.
Not to rain on the parade, but last year after winning in Williamsburg the Dragons came out flatter than a pancake that Daryl McCoy just stepped on in their next game. That was in the CAA Tournament. They blamed fatigue, but they had just had 6 days off and anyone watching the events unfurl in Baltimore recognizes horseshit when they see it. This years team has a choice when they hit the floor against Delaware on Thursday night. They can use this newfound momentum of their one game winning streak, or they can be satisfied with their win and pack it in the rest of the way. It is absolutely a choice. And while none of these games seem like big games, the home game against UD is a rivalry game, a revenge game and will determine who comes in last place in the CAA. The motors on guys like Terrell Allen need to stay running from now through the end of the season, or this stand in Williamsburg will just be a step on the way to representing the British in Yorktown.
Drexel Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Perimeter Shooting
Next Game: Thursday Feb 25 vs Delaware
Blaine Taylor may have said it best on the broadcast: "Tony Shaver might be calling the league office asking to play anyone other than Drexel on Senior Night." After a season in which everything that could go wrong has seemed to go wrong, the shoe was on the opposing Claw and Moccasin for the Dragons and Tribe. William and Mary, one of the top shooting teams in the country, missed layups, shot 50% from the free throw line and shot under 30% from deep. Drexel on the other hand saw 27% three point shooter Rashann London splash both of his attempts and 26% three point shooter Terrell Allen hit a pair of his three attempts as well.
Flying under the radar, Terrell Allen has shot a team leading 35% from distance during conference play. After a benching a few weeks ago due either to injuries or performance, depending on which moment Bruiser Flint is talking about it, Terrell has seemed to bring an added fire and some discipline in this game. He showed that beautifully when backing off of a fast break opportunity to feed a wide open Tavon Allen for three. Terrell also showed the ability to take his man and get to the basket, at times for layups and at others, when the help came, to take a short jumper that he's hit with some consistency. If his team leading 20 points weren't enough, he also had a pair of assist and not a single turnover in his 30 minutes running the point.
That last statement might be the most impressive. This Dragons team has been riddled with mistakes this year, but in this game they only had 6 turnovers. On the defensive end, not all was perfect. In the first half, the Dragons took a beating from the William and Mary cutters. All of the warning signs were there when the game was tied at the half with The Tribe having only shot 1 of 10 from deep in the first period. Certainly they wouldn't do that again in the second, and they didn't, shooting 5 of 11 (46%) in the second half. Not only did Drexel answer that salvo with their three point shooting, they separated themselves at the foul line. Terrell Allen, Rodney Williams and Kazembe Abif all made multiple trips to the stripe in the second half with much success. Meanwhile, William and Mary stars Omar Prewitt (3 of 7 from the line) and Terry Tarpey (no ft attempts) - celebrating his Senior Night - had no answer.
So the Dragons caught some breaks - an emotional, off night from William and Mary, "let em play" referees and some hot shooting, but in a lot of ways they made their own luck as well. Rodney Williams had 16 points on just 13 shots in front of his family, Kazembe Abif put up another double double (his sixth of the year) and Terrell Allen played with the poise of a senior. When those three can stay on the floor and the pieces around them simply contribute at a league average level, this team isn't a bad basketball team. And when they stop shooting themselves in the foot (and they tried a couple of times down the stretch in Williamsburg) they can win some games. Credit also goes to the coaching staff that tightened the screws of their defense at halftime, and sat down Terrell, likely losing the Delaware game because of it, until he was playing with the discipline needed to help this team succeed.
Not to rain on the parade, but last year after winning in Williamsburg the Dragons came out flatter than a pancake that Daryl McCoy just stepped on in their next game. That was in the CAA Tournament. They blamed fatigue, but they had just had 6 days off and anyone watching the events unfurl in Baltimore recognizes horseshit when they see it. This years team has a choice when they hit the floor against Delaware on Thursday night. They can use this newfound momentum of their one game winning streak, or they can be satisfied with their win and pack it in the rest of the way. It is absolutely a choice. And while none of these games seem like big games, the home game against UD is a rivalry game, a revenge game and will determine who comes in last place in the CAA. The motors on guys like Terrell Allen need to stay running from now through the end of the season, or this stand in Williamsburg will just be a step on the way to representing the British in Yorktown.
Friday, February 19, 2016
William and Mary - Away - Pregame
Saturday February 20th is senior night in Williamsburg. The fans of the Pantsless Griffins will be honoring Sean Sheldon and Terry Tarpey for their significant contributions to William and Mary athletics. These two have been part of a core that has brought William and Mary from a conference cellar dweller to perennial twenty game winners. Every season they have played at W&M has been a double digit win season, the first class of teammates to achieve that accomplishment since the 1978 graduates. These two joined Tony Shaver and Marcus Thornton to help bring this program to the next level and deserve all of the accolades given to them on Saturday. Marcus Thornton's senior night was Saturday, February 28, 2015.
The story of Tony Shaver at William and Mary is told through offensive metrics. The Tribe is currently 12th in the country in effective field goal percentage. They were 6th the year before, 6th the year prior to that and 23rd when the current class of seniors were freshman. They are not elite for the CAA, they are elite nationally. They have finished better than Michigan State, Villanova and Kentucky in that category every year for the last four years. Doing that at an academics first institution in the CAA? That's a hell of a basketball program.
There's a flip side to all that goodness that the Tribe staff and writers won't tell you about though: Tony Shaver made one big, bad mistake.
There was a high school student just up the road in Richmond. A top tier player, a high character person that would have fit in in Williamsburg, he's the son of a Pastor. And when his mom shows up to a game, look out. Just look out. Coach Shaver didn't bring Rodney to William and Mary, but being that close to home, Rodney brings his mom there. And in 62 minutes of game time in Williamsburg, Rodney has 27 points, 13 rebounds and just 1 turnover. And for the second senior night in a row, Rodney Williams will be in attendance in Dragon Blue and Gold.
Prediction: William and Mary 72, Drexel 66
Vegas Line: William and Mary -15.5
Alan Bostons's Take:
There will be no obscure song references. Sadly, there will also not be much original thought. It is hard to know what to say when a desperate Drexel team loses at home to what was likely a less than enthused Elon bunch. Perhaps with the heat off, Elon relaxed and hit every shot. Or perhaps Drexel does not defend quite like they once did. So I write this brief preview, feeling a bit lost.
Perhaps the most shocking score of last year, was a beat up Drexel team going to Williamsburg on senior night and beating first place William & Mary. Once again, Drexel goes to William & Mary on their senior night. I do not expect them to pull the upset, but senior nights can be hard on the home team. I have found that big favorites often struggle on senior night, the emotion overtakes the focus for a game that deep down they know they will win. Drexel also catches William & Mary off a huge effort in their easy win over first place UNCW. Although the setting is right for the upset, the team attempting must be capable. Well, Drexel has shown flashes of brilliance. They do seem capable. William & Mary handled Drexel rather easily in Philly. This time, it may be different. Either way, enjoy watching the Tribe run their offense. Tony Shaver is one of the top ten coaches in the COUNTRY.
Wm+Mary 78 Drexel 72
Alan Bostons's Take:
There will be no obscure song references. Sadly, there will also not be much original thought. It is hard to know what to say when a desperate Drexel team loses at home to what was likely a less than enthused Elon bunch. Perhaps with the heat off, Elon relaxed and hit every shot. Or perhaps Drexel does not defend quite like they once did. So I write this brief preview, feeling a bit lost.
Perhaps the most shocking score of last year, was a beat up Drexel team going to Williamsburg on senior night and beating first place William & Mary. Once again, Drexel goes to William & Mary on their senior night. I do not expect them to pull the upset, but senior nights can be hard on the home team. I have found that big favorites often struggle on senior night, the emotion overtakes the focus for a game that deep down they know they will win. Drexel also catches William & Mary off a huge effort in their easy win over first place UNCW. Although the setting is right for the upset, the team attempting must be capable. Well, Drexel has shown flashes of brilliance. They do seem capable. William & Mary handled Drexel rather easily in Philly. This time, it may be different. Either way, enjoy watching the Tribe run their offense. Tony Shaver is one of the top ten coaches in the COUNTRY.
Wm+Mary 78 Drexel 72
Elon - Home - Postgame
Final Score: Elon 81, Drexel 76
Drexel Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Perimeter Defense
Next Game: Saturday Feb 20 at William and Mary
The first time the Dragons played Elon in a conference game, at home at the DAC on January 3rd, 2015, this was written in the postgame blog post:
Many, including Coach Flint, want to say that the key to the game was the three point shooting in the first half by Elon. Those that want to make that argument may not be wrong but they're completely missing the underlying point.
Taking a second and granting them the point, lets note this: Tanner Samson took 10 attempts from long range in this game. Tanner shoots 80% of his shots each year from 3. He's the definition of a one trick pony. Tanner is going to take jump shots from behind the arc, and that's it. He's not going to drive by anyone. He's not going to cut to the basket away from the ball. He's the easiest guy on the court to guard, and it's not close. In the preview I even said:
Samson takes 80% of his shots from behind the arc though, so against a man to man defense, as long as his man doesn't leave to help out, there is no reason Samson should threaten the Dragons.
(In my best Bruiser voice) Dude took 10 shots. He was open to shoot the ball 10 times. (/Bru voice) For perspective, the other player in the conference who just sits outside the 3 point line is Towson's Four McGlynn. McGlynn took 6 three point shots against the Dragons last year in two games combined. More perspective: Last year when the Dragons played against the Phoenix in the Preseason NIT, Samson only took 5 shots.
Samson was left open to shoot the ball 10 times in this game. There were only 68 possessions in this game! You're telling me that this guy, who only has one move, was left open to do it on 15% of the possessions? And you want to give them credit for it? Last year the Dragons only allowed 22% of the points against them to be scored from three point territory. This year it's 28%.
That was then, after a game in which Tanner Samson scored 12 points against the Dragons. It turns out, after three more head to head matchups with the Dragons, that all of that was written after Samson's lowest scoring performance against the Dragons. In the games since that time, Samson scored 22, 19 and 19 points. He did that on 16 three point attempts and just 7 shots from inside the arc.
When you can't stop a perimeter spot up shooter at any point over the course of four games, you don't deserve to win. The Drexel offense played well tonight. Terrell Allen was animated, got his teammates involved, and the Abif/Rodney Williams tandem was totally unstoppable. Tyshawn Myles and Austin Williams combined for 6 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in just 23 minutes. They only had 8 turnovers and they shot well from the free throw line. But when the other team, who everyone knows is in love with the three point jump shot, is allowed to shoot 59% from the perimeter, there's just not much of a chance of winning.
In 4 CAA games against the Dragons, @ElonMensHoops shooting from three:
11-20 (55%)
7-17 (41%)
11-23 (48%)
10-17 (59%)
Total: 39-77 (51%)
It might be time for a defensive adjustment.
Drexel Player of the Game: Terrell Allen
Key to the Game: Perimeter Defense
Next Game: Saturday Feb 20 at William and Mary
The first time the Dragons played Elon in a conference game, at home at the DAC on January 3rd, 2015, this was written in the postgame blog post:
Many, including Coach Flint, want to say that the key to the game was the three point shooting in the first half by Elon. Those that want to make that argument may not be wrong but they're completely missing the underlying point.
Taking a second and granting them the point, lets note this: Tanner Samson took 10 attempts from long range in this game. Tanner shoots 80% of his shots each year from 3. He's the definition of a one trick pony. Tanner is going to take jump shots from behind the arc, and that's it. He's not going to drive by anyone. He's not going to cut to the basket away from the ball. He's the easiest guy on the court to guard, and it's not close. In the preview I even said:
Samson takes 80% of his shots from behind the arc though, so against a man to man defense, as long as his man doesn't leave to help out, there is no reason Samson should threaten the Dragons.
(In my best Bruiser voice) Dude took 10 shots. He was open to shoot the ball 10 times. (/Bru voice) For perspective, the other player in the conference who just sits outside the 3 point line is Towson's Four McGlynn. McGlynn took 6 three point shots against the Dragons last year in two games combined. More perspective: Last year when the Dragons played against the Phoenix in the Preseason NIT, Samson only took 5 shots.
Samson was left open to shoot the ball 10 times in this game. There were only 68 possessions in this game! You're telling me that this guy, who only has one move, was left open to do it on 15% of the possessions? And you want to give them credit for it? Last year the Dragons only allowed 22% of the points against them to be scored from three point territory. This year it's 28%.
That was then, after a game in which Tanner Samson scored 12 points against the Dragons. It turns out, after three more head to head matchups with the Dragons, that all of that was written after Samson's lowest scoring performance against the Dragons. In the games since that time, Samson scored 22, 19 and 19 points. He did that on 16 three point attempts and just 7 shots from inside the arc.
When you can't stop a perimeter spot up shooter at any point over the course of four games, you don't deserve to win. The Drexel offense played well tonight. Terrell Allen was animated, got his teammates involved, and the Abif/Rodney Williams tandem was totally unstoppable. Tyshawn Myles and Austin Williams combined for 6 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in just 23 minutes. They only had 8 turnovers and they shot well from the free throw line. But when the other team, who everyone knows is in love with the three point jump shot, is allowed to shoot 59% from the perimeter, there's just not much of a chance of winning.
In 4 CAA games against the Dragons, @ElonMensHoops shooting from three:
11-20 (55%)
7-17 (41%)
11-23 (48%)
10-17 (59%)
Total: 39-77 (51%)
It might be time for a defensive adjustment.
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