Dragons Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against UT Arlington

Monday, November 21

Estero, Fla.

5 p.m.

Drexel University

UT Arlington

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Dragons Open Gulf Coast Showcase Against UT Arlington

11/20/2022 11:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Game Info: Monday, November 21, 2022 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Hertz Arena - Estero, Fla.

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@DrexelMBB | @DrexelDragons

ESTERO, Fla. - The Drexel men's basketball team begins the Gulf Coast Showcase on Monday evening against UT Arlington at 5 p.m.. The three-day tournament at Hertz Arena features eight mid-major schools. The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker's Local 98.

About Drexel
The Dragons opened the year by winning two of their first three games in the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Drexel defeated Arcadia on Friday, 85-45. Lamar Oden, Jr. and Garfield Turner each had double-doubles as the Dragons had a chance to get minutes from all of their new faces. Monday will be the first of three games in three days at the Gulf Coast Showcase. The winner of the Drexel-UT Arlington game will take on either Northern Kentucky or Florida Gulf Coast.

About UT Arlington
The Mavericks are 2-2 after falling to Nevada on Friday. UTA has wins against two non Division I schools and has losses to two perennial NCAA teams in Nevada and Oklahoma State. They rank in the top-10 nationally in rebounds per game and in free throw attempts. The Mavericks have seven players that average between 7.5 points and 11 points per game. Taj Anderson leads the way with 10.5 points per contest.

Against the Gulf Coast Field
The Dragons have only played against three teams in the field. They have never faced UT Arlington, their first round opponent. Drexel has a 2-0 record against both Florida Gulf Coast and against ECU. The Dragons are 2-1 against East Carolina. Drexel Head Coach Zach Spiker has not faced any of the teams in the field as the Dragons' Head Coach.

Preseason Prognostications
The CAA preseason pollsters picked the Dragons for seventh place in 2022-23. Towson was the overwhelming favorite, receiving 12 of the 13 first-place votes. The Dragons were picked just behind Northeastern. Drexel junior Amari Williams was a Second Team All-CAA preseason pick. He had an outstanding sophomore year, averaging 9.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. Williams also led the league in blocked shots with 57.

The Captains
This season's captains are Lamar Oden, Jr., Mate Okros and Coletrane Washington. Oden is one of the emotional leaders of the team who should play more of a role this season. Okros is among Drexel's all-time leaders in career 3-point percentage, despite being hampered by injuries the last two years. Washington, a fifth-year student-athlete, is another sharpshooter from deep. He led the CAA as a freshman in 3-point percentage.

Drexel From Downtown
Drexel Head Coach Zach Spiker's teams have been known for their 3-point shooting. Last season, Drexel shot .346 from long range and led the league by shooting .374 from deep in conference games. This season, DU opened the year by making seven of its 22 long-range shots. However, the Dragons are just 22-for-79 in their first three games (.279). The Dragons return three regulars who shot better than 35 percent a year ago. Lamar Oden shot .435 from deep and sank 27 treys. Mate Okros was a 39 percent shooter from long range and is fifth on Drexel's career 3-point percentage list. Coletrane Washington made a team-best 42 3-pointers last season and led the CAA in 3-point shooting as a freshman.

At The DAC
Drexel has been a tough team to face at the DAC over the last few years. Last season, Drexel was 8-4 on its home court. The Dragons have a 22-12 record over the last three plus seasons at home. They have had a winning record at the DAC in five straight seasons. Overall, Spiker has a 46-32 mark at the DAC in now his seventh season at the school.

The Road Isn't So Bad
Drexel had its best season on the road in quite some time in 2021-22. Spiker's team won five CAA road games, which was the most for a Drexel team since the 2011-12 team won five road games. Drexel's six overall road wins were the most since the 2014-15 team won six games. The Dragons beat Saint Joseph's on the road, snapping a nine-game losing streak on Hawk Hill. It was the first time Drexel won on Saint Joseph's campus since the 1977-78 season.

Players in the Pros
Since 2000-01, the Dragons have had more than 30 players sign professional contracts. Former players still active include Damion Lee of the Phoenix Suns. Other players who are still active include Austin Williams, Tramaine Isabell, Samme Givens, Melik Martin. Frantz Massenat, Dartaye Ruffin, Chaz Crawford, Kazembe Abif, Frank Elegar and Trevor John.

All in The Family
Drexel has had a number of players whose families have been involved in college and pro sports. Junior Lamar Oden, Jr. is the second cousin of Greg Oden, a second team All-American at Ohio State and the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Both of freshman Terrence Butler's sisters played college basketball, one at JMU and one at Syracuse. Jamie Bergens father played professionally in the Netherlands. Shane Blakeney's grandfather and uncle both played at Cheyney. His uncle, Charles Kirkland, was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Justin Moore's father, Malik Moore, played at Temple.

Trane is Back
Drexel's Coletrane Washington is back for his fifth year. The guard from Western Pennsylvania played well down the stretch last season and will complete his eligibility this season. Washington shot 41 percent from downtown in CAA games last season and 36 percent overall. He is a 37 percent career shooter from behind the arc and led the league as a freshman. This year, Washington will be counted on not only to make shots, but to emerge as a leader for a young Drexel team. He began the season with 15 points against Old Dominion.

Big Man in the Middle
Amari Williams quietly became one of the top big men in the CAA last season. Williams played sparingly as a freshman, but emerged as a dominating force in the paint. The 6-foot-10 forward led the CAA in blocked shots and was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and had six double-doubles. Williams shot .521 from the floor. He picked up his seventh career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Old Dominion and followed that up with 20 points against Penn.

Lots of New Faces
Fans will need to check out the game program early this year to get to know all of the new student-athletes on this year's team. There will be 10 new faces making their first appearance in the Blue and Gold. Jamie Bergens, Yame Butler and Garfield Turner are first-year transfers for coach Spiker. The Dragons will have four scholarship freshmen on the roster this year. Shane Blakeney, Cole Hargrove, Kobe MaGee and Justin Moore will all have an opportunity to contribute this season. Drexel also added three walk-ons in Hubert Bayigamba, Max Davis and Maximus Fuentes.

Myerscough Connection
Mate Okros and Amari Williams were teammates before coming to Drexel. Okros, now a senior, and Williams, a junior, attended Myerscough College in England. Okros was a major factor in Drexel's CAA Championship run. He finished the year in the top 10 in the CAA in 3-point percentage. Okros enters his fourth-year as one of the best sharpshooters in Drexel history. He is tied for fifth all-time in career 3-point percentage. Williams is one of the most improved players in the CAA. He was a All-CAA Second Team pick this preseason after being named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

In The Community
Drexel has been active over the last few years in the West Philadelphia community. The team organized a coat drive that has turned into an annual event. Members of the team were part of the Vidas Field Day held on Halloween at Vidas Field. The event brought more than 100 children from a nearby local elementary school in for a field day which included games and lunch with members of SAAC and different Drexel teams. Head coach Zach Spiker has been involved since he arrived on campus. He was named the 2021 Lindy Center for Civic Engagement Award winner. He was given the Staff Award for Campus and Community Engagement by the Lindy Center and became the only Drexel coach to win the award. It goes to one staff member each year that exhibits the tenets of good campus or community partnership in their efforts regardless of their university role. Spiker has been a vocal supporter and helped raise funds for the creation of the Center for Black Culture.

Milestones
Coletrane Washington
*Has 104 career 3-pointers and is 10 away from moving into the top 20 in career treys all-time at DU

Amari Williams
*Needs 31 blocked shots to move into a tie with Samme Givens for 10th on Drexel's career list

Mate Okros
*Has 106 career 3-pointers and is eight away from moving into the top 20 in career treys all-time at DU
*Is two assists shy of 100 in his career

Classroom Success
Drexel student-athletes have been performing well in the classroom as well. The Dragons had a 3.26 grade-point average last semester. It was the ninth straight semester that the men's basketball team earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

Presenting Sponsor
International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker's Local 98 is the presenting sponsor of the 2022-23 Drexel Men's Basketball season. IBEW Local 98 is a proud supporter of Drexel Athletics and Drexel University for the third-straight season.