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Drexel basketball feeling the madness
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Last night while attending the Basketball Madness event at Drexel University, I could feel the magic and enthusiasm in the air. In Drexel’s version of the common college basketball ritual ‘Midnight Madness,’ the university’s students, fans, alumni and season ticket holders got their first glimpse of the Dragons men’s and women’s basketball teams for the 2009-2010 season.
After some contests for students and choreographed routines from the cheerleaders and dance team, the players were introduced one-by-one by Drexel men’s basketball play-by-play announcer Dan Baker, coming out to a roaring greeting from the Drexel faithful.
The biggest ovation of the night went to Drexel women’s senior standout Gabriela Marginean, who won the Colonial Athletic Association player of the year award and this year was selected as one of the 31 players in women’s college basketball as a pre-season candidate for the John R. Wooden award. As Mr. Baker read off her career accomplishments while she stood in the make-shift tunnel, the applause and cheers for Gabby grew louder and louder. All of the Drexel men’s and women’s players stood on the court applauding, looking at the tunnel, waiting for her to make her grand entrance. When she finally raced onto the court, the entire crowd at the Daskalakis Athletic Center was on their feet for a standing ovation. It was at that moment that I could feel the magic at the DAC.
With the Drexel women’s team winning the CAA and earning an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in the program’s history, there is a lot of optimism this year for Coach Denise Dillon’s bunch. It was announced earlier this week that the Dragons were voted to win the CAA championship once again in the conference pre-season poll. With the return of Marginean, as well as the sharp-shooting junior from Belgium, Jasmina Rosseel, there is no reason to think the Dragons can’t repeat.
In addition to Marginean and Rosseel, seniors Jennifer Stjarnstrom and Allison Lupariello are back in the mix, as well as last year’s talented freshman class of Marissa Crane, Kamile Nacickaite, Tyler Hale and Ayana Lee. There is also great group of freshman on Coach Dillon’s team this year including Philadelphia-native Hollie Mershon, who led her Archbishop Carroll squad to the 2009 PIAA State Championship. Drexel also welcomes guards Ashley Davis, Fiona Flanagan and Renee Johnson-Allen to the program as well as 6’1” forward Taylor Wootton.
There is also some renewed enthusiasm surrounding the Drexel men’s program. Coach James “Brusier” Flint has some great athletes coming back this year, including the starting guard tandem of Jamie Harris and Gerald Colds. The best news for this year’s Dragons squad is that Coach Flint returns a plethora of veteran big men, including seniors Evan Neisler , Leon Spencer and Kenny Tribbett. Junior Yannick Formbor and sophomores Kevin Phillip and Samme Givens, who was named to the CAA All-Rookie team last season, are all returning with more experience for the 2009-2010 campaign.
The men’s freshman class also has some future stars in the mix and perhaps the most intriguing player in that group is redshirt freshman Chris Fouch, who missed the entire 2008-2009 season with a knee injury. There are a lot of high hopes for the sharp-shooter from New York and he is certainly anxious to get out on the court and show the Drexel faithful what he can do. Also new to the team this year are guards Derrick Thomas and Shannon Givens, the younger brother of Samme, and 6’9” forward Daryl McCoy, who will add even more size to Coach Flint’s deep frontcourt.
Included in the festivities of Drexel’s Basketball Madness were scrimmages by both the men’s and women’s teams. While both teams were playing at a much lower level than they would in regular season games, one could still see the athleticism and the talent that these Dragons have for this season. On the men’s side, Fouch knocked down a few three-pointers with ease while Neisler and Spencer were flying in for show-stopping several dunks. When the women took the floor, it was the Marginean and Rosseel show as both players, who were on opposing teams in the scrimmage, were knocking down outside shots with ease from all over the court.
There are certainly some high expectations for both Drexel Dragons teams this year and even in late October, only a week after practices began, you can feel the enthusiasm from the program and the excitement to come from inside the DAC.
The Drexel men’s and women’s teams both open their respective seasons on Friday November 13th with the men playing city rival Saint Joseph’s and the women hosting Penn State.
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