The Drexel Men’s Basketball team had an eventful 2022-2023 season. They finished the season with a 20-12 record, which included going 9-0 at the DAC against CAA opponents. They joined the Big 5 for the first time this season and defeated #18 Villanova at the Big 5 Classic, earning their second ever win against Villanova, and their fifth ever victory against a nationally ranked team. Unfortunately, their season came to an end against Stony Brook in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament.
So with the focus shifting toward next season, how will Coach Spiker line up the team? With many players graduating or entering the transfer portal, there are sure to be some new faces to the lineup.
For starters, at this moment four players have entered the transfer portal. Sophomore Justin Moore has already transferred to Loyola Chicago in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Moore led the team in scoring, assists and steals while earning All-CAA 3rd Team honors. He joins a Ramblers team that finished first in the A10 with a 23-10 finish. Lamar Oden Jr. joins the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in the Big South Conference. This season he had 5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game while shooting 68.8% from the field.
Senior guard Jamie Bergens has also entered the transfer portal. Bergens was a solid guard who came off the bench scoring 4.5 points per game. The Dutchman spent two years with the Dragons after transferring in from Oral Roberts.
Forward Amari Williams has also entered the portal, making him one of the best players from a mid-major school. Williams scored 12.4 points per game and also led the team in rebounds and blocks. He won 3 consecutive CAA Defensive Player of the Year awards while making three All-Defensive CAA teams and three All-CAA teams. Williams already has visits scheduled with St John’s, Indiana, Florida and Creighton.
Other players will have graduated and lost their eligibility for the following year. The likes of Luke House and Mate Okros were key starters who played a huge role in Drexel’s success this season. Penn transfer Lucas Monroe will have finished his graduate season. In his only season with the Dragons, Monroe had 6.7 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Drexel currently has three recruits committed to them for the 2024-2025 season. Josh Reed is a 6’3 guard out of Archbishop Wood in Philadelphia and scored 9.7 points per game in his senior season.
They also added 6’9 forward Clemson Edomwonyim from London, England. Edomwonyim played a year at South Kent School in Connecticut before committing to the Dragons. A Spanish national, Edomwonyim also got the opportunity to play for the Spain U18 team. He will look to potentially fill the role that Amari Williams played.
Recently on Tuesday night, 7’0 forward Ralph Akuta announced his commitment to the Dragons. The senior from Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia also had D1 offers from Southern Utah, St Bonaventure, Eastern Kentucky and Northern Alabama. At the moment there are currently no incoming transfers that Drexel has signed.
With so many graduations and departures, next season’s team is sure to be one of the younger teams in the CAA. Here is how they could line up next season.
G: Shane Blakeney
G: Yame Butler
G: Kobe Magee
F: Garfield Turner
F: Clemson Edomwonyim
Along with Josh Reed and Ralph Akuta, Drexel has the likes of Horace Simmons, Cole Hargrove, Max Fuentes, and Max Davis returning next season. Some of these players could also make possible starts for the Dragons, depending on how Coach Zach Spiker chooses to play.
With a senior-loaded team from the previous season, Drexel has seemingly switched to one of the younger teams in the conference. How will they pan out next season? We will just have to wait until they tip off in November.