The Athletic Department Responds

Athletic Department Responds

Prior to getting on a plane to attend the 2015 Final Four, Dr. Eric Zillmer took time to respond to fan concerns outlined in yesterday’s blog post.  He led off stating that “I think many concerns were raised, some of which may be valid and some of which quite frankly, are not.”  He went on “we’re a family at Drexel Athletics and we bleed blue and gold just like our fans do.  Understand that sometimes family members make mistakes, but the rest of the family will back that person up, that’s what families do.  And that’s where maybe we have made some mistakes over the years, sometimes you want to give family members a little extra leniency and support and in an atmosphere that needs to be professional at the end of the day, maybe the little things added up to some issues, some areas of concern that we can work on within our Athletics Family.”

Reaching for an ice pack to apply to his sore knee, Zillmer made it clear that he’s never wished to intimidate his employees into becoming “company men” and wants to bring back a creative, free thinking atmosphere to the DAC “Really, I want to take down the walls.  Physically.  Lets open this gym up and create a free flowing atmosphere.  I mean we can’t because at the end of the day, we can’t even get air conditioning up here, but I’m going to keep trying until I find a way.”   

I looked for some clarification there, and spoke to him about his vision for the future.  He outlined a new technology initiative to bring the Athletics Department back in line with the rest of the University.  He insisted that he has discussed the basketball programs lack of advanced metrics, and promised that if Coach Flint found a correct resource to add to his coaching staff, that he would find money in the budget for that employee and the software that he needed to bring this program to a current day competitive level that would keep players like Damion Lee in the future.  “Damion was a big wakeup call to us, it’s clear that we need a new tech initiative in the DAC to become competitive both on the court, and off the court not just with our opponents, but also with other departments under the Drexel umbrella.”  The era of buying five digit cost scoreboards that are unable to interact with our systems is over, technology spending will now be about practical purposes that advance the mission of the University.

Leaning forward he also told of a new key initiative:

Former Season Ticket Holder and Current Season Ticket Holder Retention Task Force

“On this day, I have asked our External Relations Department to create a new position that will lead a Former Season Ticket Holder and Current Season Ticket Holder Retention Task Force,” Zillmer excitedly said.  Athletics will be hiring from an external source from this position in an effort to show former fans that they will be heard and taken seriously, that change will be made possible. “We’re going to find out why there is so much anger in some fans, and we’re not going to avoid it, but rather hit it head on and take it for the opportunity to seek improvement that it is.  I understand that when one senior staff member apologized to you two years ago Dan, that he did it in multiple fonts, which just wasn't right, you could not even be sure which parts had been written by the staff member and which were cut and pasted from another source.  That won’t be considered acceptable outreach anymore, and you will have a much better experience right off the bat.” 

"Often when there are complaints from fans its due to their lack of knowledge with what we do in athletics and we can work on that as well."  This new position won’t be created just to hear complaints, but he or she will assist in troubleshooting them, help clarify and ensure that communication that has been lacking in the past is no longer an issue.  “I’d prefer to over-communicate to our loyal supporters than under, and we don’t play favorites.  We want to hear fans compliments, but we also know there will be bumps and we need to hear them, and respond to them completely and professionally to keep our strong relationship with our fans. We know there has been some damage done to some relationships in the past, but we think we can make that right, and that it will lead to our goal of a 50% increase in season ticket holder accounts by the start of the 16-17 men’s basketball season, a goal that our External Relations department will be held accountable for, because while we have a family atmosphere here in Athletics, we also understand that we are professionals.”

Lastly, when talking about the coaching staff of the Men’s Basketball program, Dr. Zillmer gave a full vote of confidence, but also made it clear that with only two years left in his deal, accountability will be felt here as well.  He spoke of the exciting transfers that the school has coming in and that there is an expectation for a competitive team despite the loss of Damion Lee.  He reviewed the data on three guard production that had been produced on the Dragons Speak blog, and spoke of his disappointment in front court production in the last few years.  “As an Athletic Director, the best thing I can do for Bru is provide support and autonomy.  So I am not going to step in and tell him how to do his job, that’s not fair for him or any coach.  I did outline the problems that were backed up by math and ask him to see if there was a way to address them, and we will see how he does as he continues to improve the product on the floor.”  He ended with “We’re going to make things right, we’re going to Pack the DAC, and we are going to be transparent, adaptive, and forward looking to our supporters.  Status quo is never something that we have found acceptable, and I find it very upsetting that you would describe this program in those words.  We can and must do better to meet the expectations of our fans and the Board of Trustees.  When they give a coach almost a half a million dollars, they expect results too, it’s not just the fans.  

Standing up, with the interview over, we shook hands, and I pledged to be the first supporter to donate to the task force.




Happy April Fools Day everyone.

Damion Lee Figured It Out

Twitter lit up yesterday about Damion Lee's upcoming departure from the Drexel Basketball program.  Amongst other things, it was called a good move for him and a crushing blow to Drexel Athletics.

A crushing blow for Drexel Athletics?  Perhaps only in the same sense that one crushes a car into a cube after it was ruined in an accident.  This is an Athletics Department with a Communications Director that does not understand Twitter in the year 2015.  It promoted an individual to Vice President of Development who went out of her way to insult a former donor shortly after taking the position (the department was notified and took no action).  Supporters have watched ticket sales drop significantly* while the university community has grown dramatically in size.  The individuals in charge of External Relations have received promotions throughout the decline.

To be fair, many of the people listed above are very good people who are Drexel Blue and Gold through and through, but unfortunately they have been working in an environment where status quo has been very much accepted and promoted.

Drexel is a technology driven campus, yet the Athletic Director has never shown a push for communications technology, he hasn't asked for accountability in ticket sales.  The Athletics Department has not come remotely close to keeping pace with the technology focus of the rest of the University, and that is not on the department's employees, but rather on their leadership - it starts from the top.  Even the flagship  men's basketball program did not have funds available to purchase a login for advanced metrics software, leaving them well behind the "Moneyball" technology curve of their competition.  Rather than pushing for a technology focus that embraces the Drexel philosophy, Dr. Zillmer has let the DAC offices embrace the status quo in the same way a tenured professor might as they wind down their career towards retirement.  When he doesn't give the staff the tools and guidance that they need to succeed, it's not the staff's fault when they don't succeed.

This attitude is visible even deeper into the basketball operation.  After going zero for eleven in his annual quest for a conference title, and within two years of having two of his players arrested for armed robbery, Men's Basketball Coach James "Bruiser" Flint was given a lengthy extension and a one hundred thousand dollar raise.  Maybe Zillmer approves of Bruiser routinely putting some of the worst shooters in the country on the floor and encouraging them to shoot.  How else could he justify convincing President Fry to sign off on making Coach Flint the third highest salaried Drexel employee at almost a half a million dollars per year.  Donors and Administration alike have seen that investment turn talented players such as Chris Fouch, Frantz Massenat and Damion Lee into a mediocre (26-26) conference record in the three years since the new deal was signed.  While investing in athletics has proven successful at many national colleges and universities (including conference peers) it is harder to get a return when the money is being used to try the same strategy a fourth time, continuously expecting different results.

Bruiser won't take you where you need to go.  It took Damion Lee only four years to figure out what Dr. Eric Zillmer couldn't when he signed the latest deal with Coach Flint, eleven years into their Coach/AD relationship.    Says Damion: "I've got to do this for myself."  The supporters of this program - people who believe that investment in Drexel Basketball can yield a positive return for the university - have been overwhelmingly supportive of Damion's decision.  They uniquely understand that Damion was not getting the return on investment that he was hoping for when he came to Drexel - and neither are they.

Was Damion's announcement a crushing blow for Drexel Athletics?  Nope.  It's just another kick to a shrinking donor base that is growing tired of the status quo.




I reached out to the Athletics Department for comment on this story and was told that Dr. Zillmer was unavailable for comment.  

The Athletics Department has been maintaining a policy of not commenting on Fan Blogs.  I reached out to them this past Thursday to discuss that policy, and as of this time I have not received a response to that request.


*In the Dragons worst season under Coach Flint they went 12-20 (5-13 in conference) in the 2007-2008 season.  They averaged 1,695 fans per game that season.  This season, with a better team than that one, DAC attendance averaged just 1,360, an almost 20% decline since the 07-08 season.

Sigh. Best of luck @DL_XIV! Thanks for the great memories as a Drexel Dragon! http://t.co/P3X7iuQlzR
— Alex Nolen (@snacksnolen) March 30, 2015

@jmverlin don't blame him, he's too good to be on this average team
— Kevin Driadon (@KDriadon) March 30, 2015

@DragonsSpeak Totally understanding. And it goes to show that internal changes need to be made, starting with Bruiser and the AD.
— Tom (@tomek9222) March 31, 2015

Not a great sign when one of the 10 best players in program history decides to transfer just before his senior year. #DamionLee #drexelhoops
— Mike Wychulis (@siluhcy) March 30, 2015

Damion Lee deserves EVERY #Drexel fan's support. Zilmer deserves every booster's phone call. Its time for a change. #FireBruiser
— Scott (@MedicSBK) March 30, 2015

For those keeping score: 1 yr Givens/Massenat/Fouch/Lee 1 yr Massenat/Lee 1 yr Massenat/Fouch 1 yr Lee 0 titles
— RyChKo (@DrachenFire82) March 30, 2015 

That said, can't wait to see Damion in a real offensive system. Wish all the best for him and hope he has a blast wherever he lands.
— RyChKo (@DrachenFire82) March 30, 2015

Bracket Tips from the Analytics Department

Before you last minute folks start, or while you early birds can still edit your picks, here's some guidance from the stat room floor:

Location Matters

Studies have shown over and over again that referees calls are influenced by fan behavior.  This is a fact of life.  In arenas where there is a strong rooting interest, there will be an advantage at play for the well supported team.  In the NCAA tournament, those fans will also root for a live underdog in the other game at the same arena, hoping their team will get an easier draw.  Here are some teams with large followings who will see some type of home court draw:

Kentucky, rounds 2&3 (Louisville)
Kansas, rounds 2&3 (Omaha)
Dayton, rounds 2&3 (Columbus)
Virginia, rounds 2&3 (Charlotte)
Duke, rounds 2&3 (Charlotte)
Gonzaga, rounds 2&3 (Seattle) (fans will also root for Davidson)


Look for Balance

In the last two seasons, 14 of the 16 Elite 8 teams were in the top 50 in the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency.  Only last years Dayton and Michigan teams were the outsiders.  Here are a list of contenders that people are picking this year, but will not end the year in the top 50 in both categories.  Don't expect a deep run from:

Team (Seed)
Iowa St (3)
Notre Dame (3)
Louisville (4)
Arkansas (5)
Butler (6)
Cincinnati (8)
Oregon (8)
NC State (8)
San Diego St (8)
LSU (9)

(So if you didn't like Wofford before in that 5/12 game in Jacksonville, being played in an arena full of UNC fans rooting for Wofford, well...  it might be time to hop on that bandwagon)


Winning Streaks Lead to Winning It All

In the past decade, 6 of the 10 NCAA Tournament winners were "major conference" teams that also won their conference tournament.  Since only 7 of the teams in the field were major conference winners (6 before the American Athletic Conference came around), an over 50% hit rate from those 7 of 64 teams is extremely impressive.  The sample is small, but it seems to point to the idea that no one "needs a loss" to go into the tournament hungry.  Here are your major conference tourney winners this year:

Kentucky
Iowa St*
SMU
Villanova
Notre Dame*
Wisconsin
Arizona

* These teams were "unbalanced" in the section above, leaving the other 5 teams as better selections to be likely to move deep into (or win) the tourney


Defense Wins Championships

As mentioned in the prior blog post, in the past 5 years, every national champion has been in the top 15 nationally in defensive efficiency and done that against top 20 offensive strength of schedules.  Here are the teams that could do that this year:

Virginia
Kentucky
Oklahoma
Kansas
Villanova
Texas
Georgetown
Georgia
Wisconsin

Going back more than 5 years, the defense stat holds, but strength of schedule becomes slightly less important. If you lax the SOS requirement, Arizona comes into play here as well.  Also, if Georgia had been a top 9 seed, then they would have been on the unbalanced list above, so don't buy in quite yet.  And Georgetown has been on this list and lost in the first weekend many times before, so they aren't worth the buy in either.  If we cross reference these three list, only 3 teams avoid the first category and hit both of the next two:

Kentucky
Villanova
Wisconsin
Arizona*

As a Drexel fan, it's scary to see how easy Villanova's path is to an Elite 8 battle likely with Virginia or Oklahoma.  With no Philadelphia representative in the tournament this year, that run would be very well covered, and with it being the 30 year anniversary of the 85 team well, I hope you like hearing about Nova if you're in the local Drexel area.

That Wisconsin/Arizona Elite 8 rematch from last year is must see TV if it happens.  On the revenge aspect alone, I would favor Arizona in what will likely be a pick em in Vegas.

One Last Note

I've never won a bracket pool in my life.  The greatness of March is that it supersedes number, every game is one small sample size after the next, and we will cheer like hell for Cinderella the entire way. So after you're done with this and carefully made your picks...  rip it up and just flip a coin for each game.

March is here.  Enjoy the holiday.

Fade to Red and Black

First off, lets appreciate and extend our congratulations from our small Drexel supporter community to our brothers and sisters in co-op up at Northeastern.  For the second year in a row, a former America East team has won the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, which probably has no relationship at all with the tournament's move north to Baltimore.  This year the title was won by a team that had been 24 years removed from cutting down the nets, that plays in a gym that exactly no one besides themselves appreciates, led by an academic "everyone gets a trophy" type AD, with minimal capital expense contributions from the school or alumni base.  I'm not saying they have an apathy problem, but there were about 12 students in attendance at the CAA Championship Game that weren't paid to be there.  And I'm not sure those 12 weren't.  For Drexel fans, this represents hope.

And that is the biggest message coming out of this years CAA Tournament.  Want to be the next VCU?  The CAA is ripe for the taking.  Looking at the investment that Towson has put into basketball, it's easy to see them being the next team to take off, and that is a pattern that can be easily followed.  As weak at the Colonial may be at the moment, this is what makes today the easiest time yet to invest in excellence and make this a launching pad for any CAA school with a stomach for the investment.  The big dogs from Virginia that had to be beaten in Virginia to advance aren't there anymore.  If you're a value investor, now is the time to buy in the CAA.

The next league-wide message that was sent this weekend is a simple one.  Listen to Calvin Hicks and play defense.  Including this years Northeastern team, six of the last seven CAA Champs have been either first or second in the league in defensive efficiency.  This obviously knocks the new tendency to try running the four guard, as defense starts at home - protect the rim.  Tip for your bracket pools:  In the last 5 years, every national champion has been in the top 15 nationally in defensive efficiency and done that against top 20 strength of schedules.  Teams that look like they can end with those stats this year are limited to:

Kentucky
Virginia
Oklahoma
Florida
Kansas
Texas
Villanova
Georgetown

Whenever we look at stats we should be looking at why they show what they show.  I invite your thoughts in the comments below, but my thoughts are simple:  Shooting is hard.  Heard it here first folks.  Teams can play defense and rebound with dead legs.  Shooting is a bit more of a challenge.  When college teams get to the late season, and have back to back to back games, or even games on a single days rest such as the end of the weekend tourney game, those are pain points for teams full of shooters, and where defensive teams make their money.   Just ask William and Mary.

The final takeaway from this weekend has to be about the CAA Championship itself.  I stayed through Sunday and then commuted on Amtrak on Monday night.  From the Inner Harbor hotels, to the bars of Fells Point to the Royal Farms Arena itself, hospitality was top shelf all the way around.  The era of roof leaks onto the basketball floor, restrooms out of paper towel, and boarded up blocks of commercial space between the hotel and the arena appears to be over for the CAA, and that is a great step forward.  For Drexel fans, the 4:55pm Amtrak Northeast Regional from 30th Street Staion had me inside the arena at 6:25pm when I traveled during Monday's rush hour for the title game, and I could have been back in Philly by 11pm.  That's an opportunity that only Virginia teams had for a very long time, and now that we have that opportunity here in Philadelphia, I encourage you to make that trip, even if only for one day, when Drexel fields a competitive team in the tournament next year.  This may be the first CAA Tournament that I've been to where the only complaints were about the officiating, and credit needs to be given where it is deserved, both with the city, and yes, even the CAA League Office for putting together a very successful weekend.  With one year left on the deal with Baltimore, lets all hope, and speak up, for an extension with the city.

Previewing the CAA Final

There have been longstanding rumors (at times verified) that if you want to find a younger member of the Boston Red Sox around 3am during a homestand, you may want to start looking in the dorms and apartments of Northeastern University co-ed's.  A much lessor known fact is that I also considered Northeastern my second home during my collegiate career, albeit with fewer women involved.  I've never had a bad experience on NU's campus, even when the I tried to oversleep the Red Sox 2004 victory parade that I'd flown up just to witness.  Drexel's sister school in co-op, much like Drexel itself, is full of class acts, runs a clean athletics program, and may, according to rumors, have a slightly noncompetitive Athletics Director.  It seems more exact replica than sister school.

And if we're talking about squeaky clean programs, lets talk William and Mary.  Little known fact about Tony Shaver:  The alleged CAA guru's record is 82-132 in regular season CAA play, a 38.3% winning percentage.  After getting 10 wins combined in his first three seasons in the CAA, he's now hit 10 wins a piece in both of the last two campaigns.  That's developing a program.  He has put in the work and the time, brought in good kids and hasn't gone all Tommy Amaker to turn the program into a contender.  If he ever shaves that stache again, Tony will be running the cleanest program in North America, and tonight that program can get over the stigma of being one of the 5 original NCAA members never to have danced come March.  As someone who bleeds clam chowder (side note:  I'm allergic) and Red Sox red and blue, how can I not root for that?  It's ironic and conflicting that the opposition in this game has a fanbase full of fans who can appreciate the Tribe's futility.  It's hard to imagine any Sox fan who was of age in 2004 not rooting for the Tribe, opponent be damned.  This Red Sox fan certainly is.

And it's that underlying guy, that underlying skeptic who never thought the Sox would win and still doesn't think that they can, who will be picking the Northeastern Huskies to win a ticket to the dance tonight.  And it comes down to one simple reason that all Drexel fans can understand:  Defense.  Six of the last seven CAA Champions have been in the top 2 in the league in defensive efficiency.  This year NU came in second in that category.  The Tribe?  Dead last.  And the problems for the Tribe extend well beyond that.

The Pantsless Griffins are a shoot first, ask questions later bunch that Steven Seagal would be proud of.  Both times that they have played the Clothed Huskies, they have been smoked on the boards, and one can expect that to happen again tonight which makes the Tribe's reliance on shooting percentage that much stronger.  Making things worse, William and Mary isn't just in a back to back to back situation when they play today, they are coming off of an epic double overtime 81 possession thriller.  To put that in perspective, Drexel played two triple OT games last year, and neither of those hit 81 possessions.  The Hofstra and William and Mary game was a crowd pleaser, it was an instant classic, but is also was a leg buster.  William and Mary only need to look at Drexel to see how teams with no legs play in the second half of CAA tournament games.  It can get ugly quick.

So we will continue to follow the trend of the season and let the numbers guide us with today's prediction.  But don't forget those 04 Red Sox.  That team was in a whole lot more trouble than this William and Mary team is.  They had to win four straight, two in the Bronx, and they came out clean on the other side.  Sometimes it takes that kind of performance to shake the demons of history.  Some nights the numbers don't mean anything.  Tonight, it's one small sample size over and over again, one possession at a time.

So Why Not The Tribe?


Prediction:  Northeastern 76, William and Mary 67
Alan Boston's Prediction:  William and Mary 78, Northeastern 73
Vegas Line:  William and Mary -1.5

College of Charleston (CAA Tourney) - Postgame

Final:  Charleston 56, Drexel 48
Player of the Game:  Freddie Wilson
Key to the game:  They were done
Next Game:  Friday November 13, 2015, Location TBA

There's only one way that this can start:  They got it right.

Some view these pages as a fan taking an opportunity to bash the team and the program.  They see the post all season on the four guard, the missed substitutions or the flat out failures, like the lack of adjustments from the first Hofstra debacle to the second.  They see the tweets about how empty the DAC VIP area is, and they feel my frustration when the building feels flatter than pita bread.  They ignore the recognition that is posted here when things are made right, when the team clicks, and when Tavon catches fire.  That's ok.  Part of that is my frustration as a fan and a writer showing through and creating a tone, and that's on me.  The larger part of it is that the program - all parts of it - simply hasn't been very good since this blog started in the fall of 2013.

The purpose of that last paragraph was to ensure no one misses this one: The coaches got it right in Baltimore.

The offense ran through the post.  Rodney Williams received a ton of touches, well beyond what the four field goal attempts noted in the box score insinuates.  It wasn't the Charleston defense that stopped the Dragons when the ball was in the post, it was more the Dragons themselves.  Rodney Williams' four turnovers and 50% free throw shooting were a disappointment and given the guards heavy legs, it was a very bad time for Drexel's best forward to have a bad game.  When the Dragons twitter account and Bruiser himself were talking about the guards fatigue in the first half of the game, coming off of a weeks rest, you knew the cavalry wasn't coming for the Drexel forwards.  So did the coaching staff, who continued to challenge Charleston in the post, running isolation play after isolation play for Rodney & Co in the second half.

The defensive game plan wasn't bad either.  Until the end of game foul shots, Charleston was held under a point per possession.  The pace of the game was in Drexel's favor.  But with Charleston crushing Drexel on the boards (they grabbed the offensive board on an alarming 42% of their shots) once again it was the frontcourt that let down the Drexel staff.  Rebounding  specialist Tyshawn Myles looked like he could help stem the tide, but with bogus fouls called on him for his 3rd and 4th fouls, the refs kept him out of the game just as much as Bru did,  When Austin Williams stepped in to help out, he proved again that he needs to further develop before he will be an effective part of this team.

With the forwards letting down the exhausted guards, maybe the calls for the four guard this year weren't warranted.  More likely, changing the entire offensive system in March with a team that can't practice to install it was the uphill battle that couldn't be overcome.  It sure seems the correct call to make, but fans have to wish it had been made well before March, so the team would have been ready to play a hard nosed defense, knock you around on the blocks style of game.  A Bruiser style of game.  But it was refreshing to see the return of a once great defense, something that will hopefully carry forward.

And so begins an off-season with more questions than answers.  The Dragons could return Bru and the whole team less Freddie and Sooren.  Less likely, but possible, we will see some program altering changes.  Come back here for thoughts along the way, and analysis whenever news hits the wire.

Thanks to all of you who have read all season long, your doing that allows me to continue enjoying this.  Our record is 0-0 again now.  Let's go Drexel.

CAA Tournament - Charleston - Preview

You can take the CAA out of the South, but you can't take the rockfight out of the CAA

And on the 8th Day, they drove to Baltimore.

For the last 12 years, on this weekend, I've joined my friends, hopped in a bus or car, and headed to Richmond or Baltimore.  I've met some of my closest friends on these trips, I've met some fantastic fans of other schools and VCU fans too (though I've still never seen a UD fan under 50 years of age). I've even met the people who inspired me to start writing on these electronic pages a couple of years ago.  Little known fact, this blog actually started when I began commenting on the pages of much better writers than I.  I've never been a guy who tries to bloom his rolodex, and at one point I was a quiet kid (some folk wish I still was), but all of these people are very much an influence on my life today, and I wanted to take this time to be thankful for this holiday we have.  It's not MARCH MADNESS, it's our madness, and I'm very thankful for those who I will see once again, those who I won't, and especially for those that I will meet for the first time.

Welcome to the conference tournament where none of the schools are close and all of the people are.

Family Tradition also speaks well to today because if this is your first time in the Tradition, you must fight.  Rockfight actually, which is a CAA tradition from Bruiser's first full recruiting class  in the league.  And at 8:30 tonight, we will have a doozy.

From Kenpom's 'Week in Review VII', and gloriously posted with his permission:

Slowest game: #285 Drexel 53, #235 College of Charleston 51 [48], Saturday. On the other 

end of the speed spectrum, Drexel played its second sub-50 possession game of the season. 

They got a 3 from Damion Lee with 17 seconds left to earn the victory.

Oh yes, the slowest game in the entire country that week went to DU/ C of C.  The following matchup featured a whopping 54 possessions.  Pretty basketball?  I mean, if four corners floats your boat and you're into that kinda thing, well then, still no.  The good news is aplenty for Drexel, and it begins with this nugget:  In games of 56 possessions or less this year, the Dragons are 6-0.  Now, those Dragon teams featured more players, included Damion Lee, and those wins were against... Towson.  Twice.  Charleston.  Twice.  Southern Miss, and...  interesting... William and Mary.  And that team only had 7 guys and no Damion Lee.

It's no secret that this Dragons team can't afford to run.  And the less possessions the less fouls, which also benefits DU, since playing with 4 guys is hard.  Charleston doesn't run.  As in, Charleston plays one of the slowest games in all of DI.  Music to Bruiser Flint's ears.  And he needs that music.  Because while Charleston has struggled all year, they've still got a lot that scares an opposing coach.  Seniors.  Shooters.  Nothing to Lose.

And that's the thing with this Charleston team.  They had the pieces.  Shooters in Canyon Barry and Cameron Johnson.  A very legitimate big man in Adjehi Baru.  Chealey has been a very good point guard in this league.  The pieces just never added up.  Normally this is where we point to a coach, but in this case it falls on the Athletic Director.  The late offseason firing of Doug Wojcik set this team up to fail but this goes well beyond that.  As the outstanding @King_Kresse pointed out to me, the seniors on this team have played for 4 coaches.  It's tough to mature and grow in a system when it's a different season every season.  That and accumulating knocks on Baru have added up to a class of seniors whose numbers don't nearly state their talent level, in much the same way as I spoke of Tavon Allen two weeks ago.  It not fun to watch from afar, and it's tough to imagine it's not much worse to watch as a Cougars fan.  The Cougs went 1-16 against top 200 teams this year, and Drexel is playing like a top 200 team (yes, it's like 199th).

Both of these teams have some exciting young talent.  Barry, Chealey, Gilmore and Johnson on one side, names like London, Williams, Bah and Mojica on the other.  All of these guys have played wire the wire this year and are the foundation of very bright futures, and in two years these squads could be playing each other on Monday night rather than Friday.  But for this year, it's a bad matchup for the Cougars.

Drexel Game

Prediction:  Drexel 51 - Charleston 43
Bold Prediction:  One teams score is in the teens at halftime
Vegas Line:  Charleston -1.5

Other CAA Games

Prediction:  Elon 64, Towson 58



Alan Boston's Notes:

With all the injuries, it is very difficult to answer, who is Drexel? Are they the team that got drilled at home by bottom feeder Delaware? Are they the team that won easily at first place William & Mary? Probably they are neither. One thing the injuries have done and both Dan and I have hammered this point home, is that Drexel was forced to play basketball, Drexel style. Rebound, play defense and limit turnovers. Sure, their half court offense will still be shaky at best, but Drexel has had a ton of success with that formula.  C of C is the type of team I typically like to bet on in conference tournaments. They were big time underachievers during the season, but C of C could not beat Northeastern in their last home game and failed in many good spots, so I do not think they have it in them, to return to the level that the Charleston program typically plays to. Drexel beat them both games during conference and if they play their game should do it again.

Drexel Game

Prediction: Drexel 52 - C of C 50

Other CAA Games

Also Elon 53 Towson 50