With 5.9 seconds in the second half to go, Frantz Massenat received the ball and dribbled toward the half line. The game was tied, and two Hofstra defenders were on him, trying to prevent a pass or shot. The crowd grew rowdy, supporting the home team with loud “Defense GO” shouts.
Massenat skillfully dribbled through both defenders and took the half-court shot. Suddenly, it got quiet in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibit Arena as the ball flew high with tempo towards the rim. The buzzer sounded while the 3,000 visitors watched the ball dip straight through the hoop.
The whole Drexel basketball team jumped off the bench and ran toward Massenat while screaming in excitement. Massenat disappeared in a blue and gold crowd as Drexel celebrated the 62-59 away win at Hofstra.
After nine years of playing professional basketball in Europe, Massenat said he still loves to look back on the shot that made ESPN’s Top 10 moments in January 2013.
Massenat started his journey at Drexel in 2010. In his four years being a Dragon, he did not miss a single game and eventually became the seventh all-time scorer and fourth all-time assists leader.
“I had such a great time at Drexel. Oh my gosh, I remember the gym being sold out, the DAC Pack going crazy every game,” Massenat said.
After being undrafted in 2014, Massenat signed with German BBL team MBC Weissenfels and started a successful basketball career in Europe. The now 33-year-old Massenat played six years in Germany, and one year in France, Italy and Spain, respectively.
“I’ve had incredible experiences in Europe. I remember waking up at the Monaco port during the Formula 1 race. You can see the rubber marks on the floor, all these rich Russian guys walking around with all these Ukrainian models. It’s stuff you only see in the movies,” Massenat said.
Although Drexel University is not known to be a school that produces professional athletes, Massenat is one of several notable Dragons who made it to the professional level.
Damion Lee wore the blue and gold jersey from 2011 to 2015, before transferring to the Louisville Cardinals for his final collegiate season. Lee, a current NBA player for the Phoenix Suns, has also had several appearances for the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors.
In 2016, Chris Crawford, a former Drexel golf player, made headlines when he qualified for the U.S. Open.
And in 2024, former Drexel rower Justin Best won the gold medal competing in the men’s four boat at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Massenat, Lee, Crawford and Best might seem like exceptions, but over the last few years, more athletes have been following their paths.
Chris Donovan signed with MLS team Philadelphia Union in 2022, Keishana Washington joined a WNBA team, Minnesota Lynx, in 2023, and Luke House and Melik Martin signed with professional basketball teams in Europe. After playing on the Vidas turf, Kyle Tucker and Dominik Bachstein secured professional soccer contracts with Philadelphia Union II and USL 2 club Des Moines Menace.
More Drexel athletes could potentially follow in these big footsteps. Three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year Amari Williams played four years at Drexel before transferring to Kentucky to play his final collegiate basketball season. The 23-year-old has realistic chances of getting drafted into the NBA this year, according to a 2025 Sports Illustrated article.
Drexel Women’s lacrosse goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco probably played the best season of her career in 2025. The redshirted sophomore made save after save and received USA Lacrosse All-American Second Team awards.
“I think it proves that it is possible and that great athletes can be developed, not just recruited,” said Drexel University Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer Nick Gannon.
“I think that has always been our niche. We may not recruit the player of the year, but we may recruit someone who we can develop into the player of the year,” Gannon said.
Gannon has been at Drexel University since 1998 and has seen many athletes come and go. He said he knows what it takes for athletes to make it to the next level.
“Chris Donovan, for example, had pure athleticism, but his skills weren’t refined enough. To play on the next level you need to have something special and Dono’s athleticism was something special,” Gannon said.
Donovan’s journey into professional soccer reads like a dream. Eleven months after getting cut by Columbus Crew, he played in the 2022 MLS championship final for the Philadelphia Union.
“That was one of the best moments in my career. To get subbed in in such an important game and to play against legends like Gareth Bale, felt unreal,” said Donovan.
It is possible to make the jump from college to professional sports, but the reality is that most athletes will not ever get to experience moments like Donovan’s. According to a 2014 NCAA report, less than 2 percent of all college athletes make it to the professional level each year.
Even though German student athlete Daniel Nesseler could not fulfill his dream of professional soccer, he got a lot out of his two years at Drexel.
In 2023, Nesseler graduated with a master’s degree in finance and took part in the College of LeBow’s renowned Lawrie program, a special program enhancing leadership skills.
“When I returned to Germany, I found a job close to my family that I liked a lot and after the first year I got my first promotion. Without taking part in the Lawrie program I would have never gotten the job,” said Nesseler.
In the summer of 2023, Massenat’s phone rang repeatedly. The then 31-year-old just finished his season in France and came back to the U.S., like every summer. Massenat said he planned on finding another team to continue his professional basketball career in Europe.
His plans changed after he hung up the phone. Zach Spiker, the head coach of Drexel’s Men’s basketball team, asked Massenat to come back to University City as assistant coach. An offer Massenat said he could not say no to.
“Spike called me at the right time. If it had been any other school, I would still be playing,” said Massenat.
He immediately felt the trust when coming in as assistant coach, he said. During the offseason, Massenat leads the practices and passes on his experience of nine years of professional basketball. Drexel is home for Massenat, and he can imagine having a long coaching career at Drexel.
“It would be a dream come true to be head coach here at some point because I’ve been a player here, I coached here. That’s a Drexel guy,” Massenat said.