Zach Spiker Named Big 5 Coach of the Year

PHILADELPHIA – Drexel Head Men's Basketball Coach Zach Spiker has been named the Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year. Spiker led the Dragons to a 20-win season and a second-place finish in the Coastal Athletic Association. In addition, Amari Williams was named to the Big 5 First Team and Mate Okros was the Big 5 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The awards were voted on by the six Big 5 head coaches.

Spiker's team finished the 2023-24 season with a 20-9 record, only the 11th time in school history and the first since 2012 that Drexel won 20 games. The 13-5 record in league play was the best CAA finish for the Dragons in 12 years. Drexel closed the year with a 13-game home winning streak, the longest home winning streak since 2012 and was undefeated at home in CAA games (9-0). The Dragons picked up their first ever Big 5 win at the Wells Fargo Center, where they defeated No. 18 Villanova for only the second time in school history. It was also the school's first win against a top 20 team since the 2010 squad defeated Louisville.

Williams was named the Coastal Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Year for a record third time. Williams was also named to the CAA's First Team for the second straight season and led the CAA in blocked shots for the third straight season. He averaged 12.2 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. He finished his career fifth all-time at Drexel with 186 blocked shots. Okros, a fifth-year student, was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The school's all-time leader in games played, Okros is working on a masters degree in marketing tech & analytics in Drexel's business school. Drexel's Justin Moore was named an honorable mention selection.

Villanova's Eric Dixon was named the Big 5 Player of the Year, while Xzayvier Brown of Saint Joseph's was the Rookie of the Year. Temple's Hysier Miller was named the Most Improved Player. Penn's Clark Slajchert led the Big 5 in scoring, while Erik Reynolds was the top free throw shooter.

The First Team consisted of Dixon, Reynolds, Williams, Slajchert and Jhamir Brickus of La Salle. The CAA Second Team included Moore of Villanova, Khalil Brantley of La Salle, Brown, Miller and Villanova/s T.J. Bamba. Drexel's Moore, Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming and Temple's Jordan Riley were honorable mention picks.

Dragons Calendar.

Players Mentioned

Justin Moore

Mate Okros

Amari Williams

Drexel University Athletics