Hoopin' it Up 539 Drexel -7/-7.5 over @Kent State
Drexel is a 29-win team with all but one player back. Frantz Massanet is their star, the preseason CAA player of the year. He shot 45% from behind the arc last year and scored in double figures in 29 of the Dragons 31 games. Drexel is focused on starting strong, as a couple of losses early last year is what kept them out of the tournament and relegated them to the NIT. They sound ready for bear this season. “Last season, our motto was the ‘Year of the Dragon,’” sophomore guard Damion Lee said. “Since we fell short in the championship game and played in the[National Invitation Tournament], … it wasn’t our goal. So this year, our mantra is ‘Revenge of the Dragon.’”
Kent was a 21-win team that lost in one of the minor tournaments early. But that was a senior-dominated squad and this group is young and inexperienced. Their lone returning starter is guard Randal Holt, but he was just cleared to practice last Thursday after offseason knee surgery and is not in game shape. He has played very little with the new players, so don't expect their chemistry to be terrible impressive.
While Kent will struggle to get their footing, Drexel isn't fooling around early. "I say we're read to start the season," says Drexel forward Darryl McCoy. Look for a double-digit road win by the Dragons.
