Drexel's Forgetting About The Past

Dragons are moving on after NCAA Tournament snub last year

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Oct. 20, 2007

By Andy Jasner
Special to CSTV.com

A trip to the National Invitation Tournament would have been welcomed in any other season.

Not for Drexel. Not last season.

The Dragons finished with a stellar 23-9 record, including 13 road victories over nationally-ranked opponents such as Syracuse, Villanova and Creighton. The 23 wins were the most in coach Bruiser Flint's six seasons, but Drexel was left out of the NCAA Tournament.

When the NCAA selections were made, the silence in the room spoke volumes about how disappointing it was to be snubbed from the Big Dance. Drexel was only 1-5 against the top three teams in the conference and lost in the tournament semifinals. The Dragons also lost both games against Old Dominion, which earned the one-at-large bid in the CAA.   

"It was tough," said 6-foot-9 senior center Frank Elegar. "It lingered for a little while, but we've gotten over it. What can you do? We played a good game in the NIT and came up a little short against N.C. State. If we had hit a few shots down the stretch, we would have won."

Drexel was forced to settle for its fourth NIT appearance in five years, but the experience was short-lived with the 63-56 loss to the Wolfpack. However, the Dragons' on-campus arena -- the 2,700-seat Daskalakis Athletic Center -- was overflowing with a passionate fan base which treated the event as if it was an NCAA Tournament game.

"The fans were great," Elegar said. "It was loud from the moment it started, even before. We're excited about getting the fans into it this season."

The fans should have plenty to be excited about once again in 2007-08. Despite the loss of the terrific guard tandem of Bashir Mason and Dominick Mejia, there's plenty of talent and a strong freshmen class to support a potential berth in the NCAAs this time around.

"We only just started practicing, but I like this team," Flint said. "I think if the young kids come along and produce, we have a chance to be very good."

Any success this season will start with Elegar, who led Drexel in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (6.7) as a junior. Elegar, a Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection, was fifth in the league in scoring, sixth in rebounding and third in field goal percentage (.528).

What may have helped Elegar more than anything was his participation on the U.S. Virgin Islands National Team at the Pan American Games and the FIBA Americas Championship over the summer.

"Frank played well over the summer," Flint said. "He's a kid who has gotten better every year. He's in the gym working hard on his game. He has a lot of pride. He'll play a leadership role because he's that type of kid. Playing international basketball gives you experience you can't get anywhere else. I think he's gotten better and he'll continue to get better. The international experience against some of the top talent in the world certainly helps."

Elegar's team was almost always the underdog, leaving him guarding some of the best international players.

"Most definitely the experience has helped me," Elegar said. "Going against these types of players is beneficial. I got personal tips from NBA players like Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony. They would tell me what I was doing wrong or how I could improve my game. Those are things I took from the experience and I've applied them on the court."

Drexel's backcourt will consist mainly of juniors Tramayne Hawthorne and Scott Rodgers. They will receive plenty of extra playing time with the loss of Mason and Mejia.

"I have a lot of confidence in them," Flint said. "It's up to them to step up and take it to the next level. They have the talent to do it."

Flint has the ability to coax and cajole that talent into a winning team. Last season, he became the first coach in Drexel history to beat three Big 5 teams in one season -- Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova.

Flint has compiled a 106-74 record in six seasons, including a 69-39 mark in CAA games. He is fourth in career victories at the school, and since his arrival in 2001, Flint has coached 10 players who made the All-CAA team, nine members of the league's all-defensive team and four players who have been named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

"Every season is different and I've had a good run here," Flint said. "There's a new challenge every season and this is a new group of kids. I don't think the NCAA thing will be an issue. Kids bounce back quickly and forget about things. Since last season ended, I've been getting ready for this season. I think we have a good team. It's time for our next mission."

It's a mission, he hopes, concludes with an NCAA berth.

"We can win the league and go to the tournament if the young players produce and everything falls into place," Flint said. "Our league is tough. Game in and game out, it's a battle. We'll see what happens."