Drexel embarks on the 2019-20 season aiming to reverse some unfortunate, recent trends. The Dragons pursue their first winning season under fourth-year coach Zach Spiker, and the program’s first overall since 2013-14. 

A return to the postseason is an ambitious milestone, one last reached at Drexel in 2011-12. The 29-win Dragons that season reached the NIT after claiming the program’s only Colonial Athletic Association regular-season championship to date. 

It’s a steady building process for Drexel under Spiker, who came to Philadelphia from Army. In 2016, Spiker coached the Black Knights to their first postseason appearance since a young Mike Krzyzewski led them to the NIT. Spiker’s 19 wins that season matched Coach K’s mark in 1977-78. 

Continuing the steady progress, which saw Drexel move from 10^th to seventh to sixth in the CAA over Spiker’s first three seasons, will require replacing some important contributors. The Dragons must also navigate an especially top-heavy CAA: Five of the seven teams picked ahead of Drexel in the preseason poll received first-place votes. 

Head Coach: Zach Spiker (4^th year at Drexel, 35-62; 11^th year overall, 137-174) 

Assistant Coaches: 

2018 Record: 13-19, 7-11 CAA   

2019 Preseason Poll: 8^th, 125 points 

Key Returners

Five Dragons averaged in double-figures a season ago. The two returning – James Butler and Camren Wynter – both garnered preseason honors. Wynter’s a 2^nd Team nominee, coming off a breakout freshman campaign in which he averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. 

The all-around playmaker Wynter buoys a largely new-look starting backcourt compared to a season ago, though swingman Zach Walton isn’t a new face for Drexel. He appeared in seven games with four starts in 2018-19, but sustained a season-ending injury once he began to get rolling. The former JUCO transfer adds explosiveness and versatility both on the perimeter and in the paint. 

Also on the interior, Butler is a preseason All-CAA honorable mention choice who averaged 10.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game a season ago, all while shooting a shade below 60 percent from the floor. 

Drexel will have some offensive options. The question mark for the Dragons lies on the defensive side. Drexel ranked No. 327 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com metrics. Only 26 teams rated worse. 

Defending the 3-pointer (38.2 percent allowed) and generating turnovers (just 14.6 percent of possessions resulted in takeaways) will be keys for the veteran-led effort in 2019-20. Adding 6-foot-6 Walton on the perimeter should help give the defense greater length, and 6-foot-10 Tim Perry Jr., who appeared in 27 games a season ago, can expect a bigger role as a redshirt sophomore. 

Key Departures

Of the five Dragons to score in double-figures last year, two were seniors: Troy Harper and Trevor John. A third, 14.8-point, 6.4-rebound per game big man Alihan Demir, transferred to Minnesota. 

All told, Drexel loses 42.5 points per game from its starting rotation. The good news is that the lineup collectively was very young, averaging 1.3 years of experience in total. 

Among the departures, perhaps the biggest void to fill will be from John’s 3-point shooting. He attempted almost eight per game, and made more than 41 percent. Among returning Dragons who attempted more than 30 on the year, only Jarvis Doles shot above 35 percent (41.1). 

New Additions

Spiker’s staff recruited well in 2019, landing a class that ranked just outside of the 247Sports top 100 (No. 107), and earned the publication’s top ranking among CAA programs. 

Forwards T.J. Bickerstaff and Mate Okros both earned 3-star designation, and should add some versatility to the Dragons lineup. The 6-foot-9 Bickerstaff is the nephew of current NBA assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff, and great-nephew of longtime pro coach Bernie Bickerstaff. 

Bickerstaff averaged better than 20 points per game, and a hair below a double-double for Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. His 2.2 steals per game are noteworthy, adding a potential turnover-creating presence for a Dragons defense that needs exactly that. 

Days To Remember

Nov. 5 at Temple: Drexel is not an official member of Philadelphia’s Big 5 basketball fraternity. Any opportunity to plant its flag among its neighbors is a welcome challenge. 

Nov. 16 at Stephen F. Austin: NCAA Tournament stalwart Stephen F. Austin looks like the favorite in the 2019-20 Southland Conference, with Kyle Keller maintaining the excellent standard Illinois coach Brad Underwood set there earlier this decade. 

Nov. 30 at UMBC: The first-ever No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament (Virginia) comes with prestige in the non-conference slate. 

Dec. 4 vs. Princeton: Princeton lost scoring machine Devin Cannady midway through 2018-19, which forced new Tigers to step up. As a result, Princeton has an experienced and dangerous team in 2019-20. 

Dec. 7 vs. LaSalle: Another Big 5 opportunity for the Dragons. 

Dec. 28 vs. Charleston: The CAA’s leading first-place vote-getter brings explosive scorer Grant Riller to town for the conference opener. In last February’s meeting at Daskalakis Athletic Center, Drexel dropped an 86-84 heartbreaker. 

Jan. 3 vs. Delaware: In 2018, Drexel rallied from a 34-point deficit to beat the Fightin’ Blue Hens in the largest comeback in Div. I history. 

Jan. 25 at Hofstra: The Dragons fell to last year’s CAA regular-season champion and preseason 2019-20 favorite by just three points in their last meeting. 

Feb. 6 vs. James Madison: The teams split home-and-home decisions by a combined seven points last season. This year’s meeting in Philadelphia, the second of the season, follows a three-game road swing in CAA play. 

Feb. 22 vs. Northeastern: Last year’s CAA Tournament winner and NCAA Tournament representative is the season’s final visitor to Daskalakis Athletic Center.