After a demoralizing 6-25 season that saw Drexel finish ninth in the CAA and led to the dismissal of 15-year head coach Bruiser Flint, it seemed as if the Dragons had lost the identity of their program.
Enter Zach Spiker.
When Spiker was introduced as Drexel's head coach back in March, he was not only excited to get started, but eager for the challenge that awaited him in Philadelphia.
Prior to joining the Dragons, Spiker enjoyed a seven-year stint at Army that saw him go 102-112 (.476). Despite his deceiving losing record, Spiker was one of Army’s most successful coaches since Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski.
From 2012-16, Spiker was the first Army head coach to lead the Black Knights to four straight 15-win seasons since 1920-24.
In his first year at the helm of the Drexel program, Spiker admitted this is a “transition year” and that turning a program into a contender takes time to build.
“I think every scenario you have to establish things and I think transition years are just that,” he said. “We're in the process of establishing what our culture needs to be about for us to be successful and I think we’re going about it the right way. Our goal right now is daily progress and we don’t get caught up in what other teams are doing and what’s going on around us, we just want to get better today and move forward.”
To add to his challenges, Spiker inherits a very young and inexperienced Drexel roster after four of the team's top scorers from last season — Tavon Allen (13.1 ppg), Terrell Allen (9.8 ppg), Kazembe Abif (9.3 ppg) and Rashann London (7.5 ppg) — either transferred or exhausted their eligibility.
Despite the roster turnover, one valuable asset that Spiker has at his disposal is the leadership and experience of his two returning seniors in Rodney Williams, the team’s lone returning double-figure scorer (10.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and Mohamed Bah (2.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg).
“We’re asking Rodney and Mohamed to really stretch and do things that they haven’t done a ton of, which as leaders is being vocal and trying to set an attitude and they’re really doing it,” Spiker said. “They might be a little sore but I’m pleased that they understand what we’re trying to do and I want them to continue to be sore and uncomfortable. I think you’re at your best when you’re uncomfortable.
"You want guys that bring effort and will give their best every day and after that, we’ll put them in a position to be successful and we try to do that on a day by day basis, and that’s certainly what Rodney and Mohamed do.”
After enduring three consecutive losing seasons in his first three years at Drexel, Williams has made it a priority to assert himself as a leader both on and off the court and make sure the new players are ready for what’s to come.
“I think that it’s just going to take buy-in," Williams said. "We have a new coach and a lot of new faces actually, four freshmen and two transfer students, so we just want to get guys buying into what we want to do and also take senior leaders like myself and Mohamed Bah to help the coaches in all phases with getting the team ready and also to buy into whatever we’re trying to do."
Heading into his final season at Drexel – first under Spiker – Williams knows what it would mean to be able to bring a winning identity and culture back to the school that has given him so much, and in Spiker, he sees someone who is up for the challenge and the right man for the job.
“I’ve seen somebody who is really invested in the team and in the program and in the players,” Williams said. “Somebody who is keying on having the right type of leadership on the court and off the court and just building a brand of Drexel basketball that can be successful in both phases academically and athletically.”
Despite Drexel's ninth-place ranking in the CAA preseason poll, Spiker assures that rankings won’t define who the Dragons are and what their identity is.
“I think we want to embrace opportunities and make sure we have a great attitude and effort regardless of what’s going on,” he said. “We’re not going to let the result define us, but our process is what is going to define us.”
Drexel at a glance
Head Coach: Zach Spiker, 1st year
Last year: 6-25 (3-13 CAA)
Top returners: Sr. F Rodney Williams, Sr. F/C Mohamed Bah, Jr. G Sammy Mojica
Key losses: G/F Tavon Allen, G Terrell Allen, G Rashann London, F Kazembe Abif
Impact newcomers: G Kari Johnson, G Kurk Lee, F Sam Green, G Miles Overton, F/C Jeremy Peck
Games to watch: Nov. 11 at Monmouth; Nov. 27 vs. La Salle; Dec. 11 vs. St. Joe's; Dec. 28 at Penn (at Palestra)
Best-case scenario: Drexel’s many new faces begin to build chemistry under first-year coach Spiker and finish in the middle of the CAA while building toward next season.
Worst-case scenario: Spiker’s inexperienced roster fails to mesh, the loss of four top scorers hurts the Dragons too much and Drexel’s trend of finishing in the bottom of the CAA continues.