The Drexel women's team started their season off with two home games. They dropped the season opener to Penn State on Friday night, 71-61. On Sunday afternoon, they beat rival Penn 56-42.
The defending CAA champs got off to a rough start against the Nittany Lions. The bigger PSU squad had their way on the boards early on and the Dragons offense sputtered. They turned the ball over frequently and their motion offense was stagnant. Drexel found themselves down 35-15 in the first half, before cutting the lead to 10 at the intermission.
The Dragons continued to fight in the 2nd half. Star player, Gabriela Marginean, played well after a slow start. She eventually finished with 27 points. The Drexel offense moved the ball much better and at one point, cut the lead to 4 points. They couldn't get any closer though, as Penn State countered every run.
The Dragons are replacing two starters and it showed on Friday. Marisa Crane struggled in her first game at the helm. Drexel ran some good offensive sets, but shooters Jasmina Rosseel and Kamile Nacickaite struggled from deep.
Much like last season, Tyler Hale provided a spark for Drexel. She struggled early as a starter. After coming back off the bench, she got the Dragons going with rebounding, tough defense and hustle. It wasn't enough though, as Drexel didn't have enough offense.
Drexel's offense sputtered again on Sunday against Penn. The difference in that contest was strong defense and rebounding, combined with poor play from the Quakers. Neither team could do much, and Drexel's inability to score allowed Penn to hang around.
Gabriela Marginean, had one of her worst games ever. She's closing in on the school scoring record and uncharacteristically struggled to finish around the hoop. She ended the game two points shy of that record.
Jasmina Rosseel had another rough outing, but lucky sophomore Kamile Nacickaite stepped up. She was on fire from deep, as she hit 5 three pointers en route to a career high 19 points. If she can be a true 3rd scorer for the Dragons, it'll be a huge plus.
Some of the other young Dragons played well. Ayana Lee came off the bench and sparked the offense with 6 first half points. Unfortunately, she was in foul trouble shortly after that. Hollie Mershon and Taylor Wootton look like freshman that will contribute a lot as the season wears on. Hollie is a fine all around player who can drive, pass, rebound and shoot. Taylor has some nice size and looks like she'll be a good rebounder when she gets more comfortable. Renee Johnson-Allen was solid at the point guard spot off the bench.
It's still early in the season and the Dragons have often stumbled out of the gate. They have some nice pieces and should be a contender again this year, once they put it all together. Marginean and Rosseel (2 for 15 from three) haven't played their best and Drexel is still 1-1.
Nacickaite played well on Sunday and that'll need to continue. They need big contributions from the sophomore class. Kamile looks to be the scorer and Tyler Hale will be the rebounder and high energy player. Marisa Crane as really struggled at the point and she'll need to get better. She doesn't need to score, just be steady running the offense.
Up next is a trip to Richmond on Friday. That was one of the December losses last season. It should a big early road trest. There are still plenty of games left to work out the kinks.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Let the Madness Begin!
It's that time of year again. The basketball practices are starting up and the games are just around the corner. Earlier this week, the CAA held its annual media day and last night Drexel hosted Midnight Madness at the DAC.As expected, the women's team was the preseason favorite to win the league title after taking home their first CAA title with a program best 24-9 season. Also, it was no surprise that last year's Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year.
The team came into last year as a upper level CAA program, but no one could have predicted the run that would ensue. It consisted of a 16 game winning streak before bowing out in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Dragons also handed ODU their only CAA tournament defeat in the history of their program.
As has been the case since she stepped on the campus four years ago, everything begins with Gabriela Marginean. She's shattering school record after school record and is just 47 points shy of being Drexel's all time leading scorer. She was one of the nation's leading scorers last year (23.3 points per game) and has built up some national recognition along the way too. Gabi has been added to the Wooden watch list as one of the top players in the entire country. With another year remaining in her career, she is already the greatest player to every don a Drexel uniform.
Anchoring the backcourt is the Dragons' second leading scorer from a year ago, Jasmina Rosseel. The sharpshooting Junior is already the single season record holder for three pointers in a season. She was a third team CAA selection and year ago and was voted on the 2nd team earlier this week. All of her success came last year while she was playing on a bum. She should be back to 100% now after offseason surgery.
Jennifer Stjarnstrom is the third returing starter from last season and all three hail from overseas (Stjarnstrom from Sweden, Marginean from Romania and Rosseel from Belgium). With Brooke Cornish lost to graduation, Stjarnstrom is now the tallest player on the team. She's a sound defender and smart player that anchors the middle. She didn't provide much offensive firepower last year, but she also didn't need to with the Dragons one two punch of Marginean and Rosseel. Jen did show flashes and she capable of playing on the perimeter as well as on the inside. If she can provide additional scoring, that would be a nice bonus for the Drexel.
It's not often that a championship squad receives significant contributions from their freshmen class, but the young Dragons stepped it up last year when they had to. With wile veterans Nicole Hester and Andrea Peterson lost to graduation, the group of talented youngsters will be asked to do more and could be the biggest key to Drexel's success this season.
Speedy point guard Marisa Crane takes over for Peterson. While Andrea was one of the most steady lead guards in the country, Crane provides more flash and flair. She can get to the rim quickly off the bounce, but also hit the jump shot if left open. She doesn't seem to be fazed by much, as she made big plays throughout her freshman campaign, including the game winning shot against William & Mary.
Taking over for Hester at the small forward spot will be Sophomore Kamile Nacickaite. Kamile got off to a quick start a season ago. She had a red hot November and December where it seemed she couldn't miss from the perimeter. She did cool off, but still led the Dragons in three point shooting percentage at over 40 percentage. Hester was a solid all around player and Kamile showed some of that potential last year as well. She was the 4th leading scorer a year ago and look for her numbers to improve now that she'll be in a starting role.
On most teams, you could pencil in talented Sophomore Tyler Hale in a starter. Here though, she's stuck behind all everything Gabrieal Marginean. Certainly not a bad player to learn from. Hale does provide a strong rebounder and a physical presence inside. She'll still see a lot of minutes as the undersized forward often spells Stjarnstrom in the middle. Tyler had a huge game in the big tournament victory over Old Dominion as she pulled down rebound after rebound and held the bigger Monarch frontcourt in check.
Senior guard Alison Lupariello only saw action in 14 contests last year, but with the loss of Andrea Peterson, look for her role to increase. She's a very capable three point shooter, although she didn't have many opportunities a season ago. Look for her to provide some Senior leadership to a Dragons team that still has a lot of young players.
Ayana Lee had a typical freshman campaign for Drexel. She averaged just 1.1 points per game and played in only 20 contests. With a lot of talented players ahead of her though, that can be expected. Head Coach Denise Dillon recently commented that "“She will be ready. She has a great attitude.” That attitude could help make her and everyone around her better.
With two starters and three players lost from last year's squad, there is plenty of opportunities for the Dragons' freshman class, particularly in the backcourt. Ashley Davis is a sharpshooting lefty from Maryland who should be able to spell Rosseel. With 6-4 Brooke Cornish gone to graduation, Taylor Wootten provides another body down low. Local products Hollie Mershon and Fiona Flangan should fit well into coach Dillon's motion offense. Mershon helped Philadelphia Catholic League power Archbishop Carroll capture the state crown a season ago. Yet another foreign product, Renee Johnson-Allen from London, could provide depth at the point guard spot.
Head Coach Denise Dillon now enters her 7th season at the helm for the Dragons. She has taken the program to new heights, including the school's first ever CAA Title. She took home her second CAA Coach of the Year award a season ago. Her motion offense has created fits for opposing coaches around the league.
Much credit has to be given to the rest of the staff as well though. All of the assistants have been together for three years now, with Grad Assistant Stacy McCollough returning for her second season. Associate Head Coach Amy Mallon had some opportunities to move on, but elected to stay around for another season. She's been instrumental adding foreign flavor to the Drexel roster.
Melissa Dunne is back for her third straight year and fifth overall on the Dragons' bench. She's been a key to Drexel's strong recruiting in recent years. Assistant Coach James Clark bring a shooting background to the court as well as any intensity on the sidelines. Former walk on point guard Stacy McCollough's knowledge of the program is an invaluable asset for the Dragons.
While Drexel returns a lot of firepower, so do the other top CAA contenders. James Madison, Old Dominion and VCU were all picked ahead of the Dragons before the beginning of last season and they all finished among the top four teams in the league. All three should be contenders again this year, with VCU being the hardest hit by graduation.
JMU will once again host the CAA tournament and looks to be a team that could potentially knock Drexel from their top perch. Guard Dawn Evans had a higher scoring average last season that Marginean. The Delaware Blue Hens are another team that could be in the mix. 2008 High School Player of the Year Elena Delle Donne joins the squad after transfering in from Connecticut and sitting out last season. She could instantly propel the young Delaware squad towards the top of the league.
In addition to having a talent laden roster, one other thing that the Dragons gained a season ago was a wealth of experience. They reach the postseason by knocking off 17 time defending CAA champions ODU. They then followed that up the next day in the finals by beating JMU on its home court. Drexel was resilient a year ago, as they had some big comebacks and late wins, such as battles against William & Mary and Northeastern. Can they continue to find that magic again this year and make all the big plays down the stretch? That remains to be seen.
The Dragons schedule this year is as strong as it has been in recent memory. They open up with Big Ten power Penn State at home on November 13th. They then travel to Maryland to play the Terps in another huge test. A third potential elite opponent awaits in Villanova, if they both advance in the Wildcat Classic. That could pit Coach Dillon against her mentor Harry Perretta. In conference games, JMU, VCU and Delaware will all make trips to the DAC.
It should be another exciting season in University City. This time the expectations are higher and there is now a target on the backs of the Dragons. If last season is any indication though, they should have no problem handling the pressure as they look to repeat.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Looking Ahead
Wednesday will be the close of the incredible 2008-09 season for the Drexel Women's team. That's because the basketball banquet will take place to honor the CAA Champs as well as Seniors Andrea Peterson, Nicole Hester and Brooke Cornish. It caps an incredible run in which the finished the season on a 16 game winning streak before falling to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. They ended ODU's NCAA tournament run in the CAA semifinals and then knocked off JMU on their home floor in the final.
The women return a ton of talent next year too as they look to defend their title. CAA Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean comes back as does 3rd team player and all CAA tournament team member Jasmina Rosseel. The seniors will be a big loss, especially from a leadership standpoint. Hopefully the talented group of rising sophomores can take the next step and fill in for those losses. Three of the four players had productive freshman campaigns off the bench and hopefully Ayana Lee will be able to show more off the bench. The incoming freshmen have the potential to provide depth next year as well.
The Dragons didn't have a lot of players missing games because of injuries, but they were banged up. Jasmina had a great second season, but was bothered by kneed trouble all season. She had offseason surgery as did rising sophomore Tyler Hale. Kamile Nacickaite was bothered by foot problems too. Silvia Jankova has yet to take the court after battling knee injuries the first two seasons. A healthy Drexel team could even be more dangerous in 2009-10.
The most interesting thing to me this offseason is following the WNBA and seeing where Gabriela Marginean is projected to be drafted after next year. She's easily the best player in Drexel history and will break numerous records next season. I'm not an expert on the WNBA and hope to watch some games over the summer. I assume she'll have to play small forward at that level and that showing more from the outside would help. She's not the most explosive, athletic or strongest player so I don't know how well she can finish inside against higher competition. She's very crafty, smart and can do a little bit of everything though. Gabi is amazingly productive. She was held under 15 points only once all season. Her free throw shooting is a huge plus too. She's also an outstanding competitor and extremely hardworker. I think she can have success at that level, just hoping she gets a good chance.
Here is the first mock draft that I've found with Gabi listed.
http://wnbadraftsite.com/2010Mock.htm
I didn't update the blog last year for various reasons, but I will try to keep everyone informed on the team next year. I hope the fans that the Dragons have developed will be interested as well as the alumni who are setup throughout the world now. This is a great group to cheer for and this past season has been a fun run. Hopefully next year will be even better.
The women return a ton of talent next year too as they look to defend their title. CAA Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean comes back as does 3rd team player and all CAA tournament team member Jasmina Rosseel. The seniors will be a big loss, especially from a leadership standpoint. Hopefully the talented group of rising sophomores can take the next step and fill in for those losses. Three of the four players had productive freshman campaigns off the bench and hopefully Ayana Lee will be able to show more off the bench. The incoming freshmen have the potential to provide depth next year as well.
The Dragons didn't have a lot of players missing games because of injuries, but they were banged up. Jasmina had a great second season, but was bothered by kneed trouble all season. She had offseason surgery as did rising sophomore Tyler Hale. Kamile Nacickaite was bothered by foot problems too. Silvia Jankova has yet to take the court after battling knee injuries the first two seasons. A healthy Drexel team could even be more dangerous in 2009-10.
The most interesting thing to me this offseason is following the WNBA and seeing where Gabriela Marginean is projected to be drafted after next year. She's easily the best player in Drexel history and will break numerous records next season. I'm not an expert on the WNBA and hope to watch some games over the summer. I assume she'll have to play small forward at that level and that showing more from the outside would help. She's not the most explosive, athletic or strongest player so I don't know how well she can finish inside against higher competition. She's very crafty, smart and can do a little bit of everything though. Gabi is amazingly productive. She was held under 15 points only once all season. Her free throw shooting is a huge plus too. She's also an outstanding competitor and extremely hardworker. I think she can have success at that level, just hoping she gets a good chance.
Here is the first mock draft that I've found with Gabi listed.
http://wnbadraftsite.com/2010Mock.htm
I didn't update the blog last year for various reasons, but I will try to keep everyone informed on the team next year. I hope the fans that the Dragons have developed will be interested as well as the alumni who are setup throughout the world now. This is a great group to cheer for and this past season has been a fun run. Hopefully next year will be even better.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Women Pick Up First Win Against City Rival
For awhile this contest looked like a repeat of the opening loss at American. A furious second half, in which they outscored the Hawks 44-26, gave Drexel a 76-61 victory in their first home contest. The game started off slowly, much like the first time around. The Dragons found themselves trailing 10-0 before they knew what hit them. After an ice cold start, Gabriela Marginean got things heated up. Her scoring ability along with more strong play from freshmen Marisa Crane and Kamile Nacickaite really helped turn the tide. The Dragons found themselves down just three at halftime.
The second half started out in similar fashion to the first half, with the Dragons giving up easy baskets and struggling themselves on the offensive end. Marginean continued to look unstoppable as she scored time and time again off the dribble. She's so tough to guard because she has the ability to get all the way to the rim, change directions or pull up and shoot in the lane when a defender steps in. She finishes so well and often draws contact with her playmaking ability. Thanks also to an 8-9 night from the charity stripe, Gabi posted her second straight game over thirty points (35). She was also a key to a Drexel defense that stifled the St. Joe's attack. Gabi drew several offensive fouls on the Hawks throughout the contest.
Sophomore guard Jasmina Rosseel was on fire again from the perimeter as she buried 4 three poitners en route to 16 points. Jasmina nailed a huge bucket down the stretch to extend the Dragon's lead. She also had a very impressive 5 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. Jasmina could look to attack more, but she was very solid during this contest.
As mentioned earlier, the play of the freshmen was outstanding once again. Point guard Marisa Crane brings a speed element to the table that adds another dimension in the Dragons backcourt. She ran the offense effectively, dishing out 4 assists and turning the ball over just once. No one hit bigger shots in the game than the pair of three pointers that Marisa buried. The second one was really a dagger to St. Joe's comeback attempt.
Kamile Nacickaite struggled some from the field, but the freshman lead the way on the glass with 8 rebounds. She also displayed her fine all around game with solid 3 assists and 2 blocked shots to go with her aggressive defense. Both of the freshmen played well on the opponent's half of the court.
Drexel played much more aggressive on the defensive end in this one and forced more turnovers than in their opener. The defense continued to be a problem early on and the team clearly needs to start faster. The full court pressure defense plagued the Dragon's offense down the stretch. They were at least effective enough against it to hold onto a double digit victory.
Gabriela Marginean had a strong season last year, but is just playing out of her mind through the first two games of the season. She is averaging nearly half of Drexel's point thus far. She should see constant double and triple teams throughout the remainder of the season and others will need to step up. When everything comes together, it looks like this team can be a real force in the CAA.
Record Watch
Gabriela Marginean
Season Points to Date: 66 (33 ave.)
Career Points: 1,151 (11th all time)
Michelle Maslowski
Single Season Points Record: 625
Career Points Record: 1,900
Monday, November 17, 2008
Women Drop Opener to American
While you might have a pretty good idea of what to expect out of your team throughout the season prior to the start, how the team will come out and play in the first game is always a mystery. The Drexel women's basketball team opened their season on the road on Sunday afternoon at American University. The Dragons dropped their first game 74-65.
The women return several key components from last year's 18-12 team, including preseason Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean. With that said, they did have four seniors to replace. The Dragons got off to a slow start. They struggled with turnovers against the American press defense and also played poor defense on the other end of the court. About midway through the half, they found themselves is a hole that they'd be forced to climb out of throughout the remainder of the afternoon.
Drexel had no answer for American's duo Michele Kirk and Liz Lear. Jen Starnstrom, making just her fourth career start, struggled both on defensely and offensively (0-2 shooting and 3 turnovers) at the center position. Talented sophomore guard Jasmina Rooseel started off on fire from the outside, but turned the ball over four times and didn't play well on the defense end either. She was also in foul trouble through most of the game and that limited her minutes. Drexel tried to slow American down on the inside by inserting 6-4 Brook Cornish into the lineup. The struggles continued though for the Dragons as the stumbled into the locker room down 38-23.
Things weren't much better at the start of the second half. Drexel finally got it going with a lineup that included three freshmen, Kamile Nacickaite, Tyler Hale and Marisa Crane. All three brought energy and aggressive defense to the table. Kamile showed her fantastic all around skill set as she shot the ball, drove to the hoop, set up teammates and rebounded. Crane's quick ball handling helped Drexel break the American press. Hale brought effort and activity on both ends for the floor.
The Dragons eventually cut the score to 48-46 before youth got the better of them. They went back to turning the ball over as they had in the first half and had some breakdowns defensively too. The sharper American team was too much to overcome.
While the play of the freshmen was key to keeping Drexel in it for awhile, Marginean was really the catalysis as usual on the offensive end. The star player carried her teammates on her back during that second half run. Despite facing constant double and triple teams, Gabi still managed to score 22 second half points. Even though she had a great game, she uncharacteristically missed 3 or 4 shots from point blank range and that really could've help the Dragons even more in their comeback bid.
One of the big questions coming into this season was how deep this team would be. You never know what to expect from the incoming freshmen until they take the court. The three rookies far exceeded expectations in their debut. That said, they also still made youthful mistakes which cost this team in the end. This squad should only get better as they become more seasoned.
Drexel certainly looks deep at the SF and PF spots. Marginean was a known commodity there, but the play of Nacickaite and Hale should give them a solid rotation (although Marginean won't leave the court much) and flexibilty. Surprisingly absent from that spot was do everything senior forward, Nicole Hester. She has been slowed by injury during the preseason and appeared out of shape in her 12 minutes on the floor. When she works her way back into condition, Dragons forward positions could be downright scary.
The other achilles heal for the Dragons over the last few years has been ball handling and more specifically breaking the full court press. Andrea Peterson had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio in the game, but still seemed a bit slow after coming back from a knee injury. Marisa Crane was effective beating the American press when she was inserted into the game, but she needs to improve her decisioning making as was evident by her four turnovers. The turnovers were nearly even in the end, but American's 22-4 advantage in fast break points was the difference in the game.
Drexel is much better at beating the press when Gabi handles the ball, but often they don't look to her to do so until they've turned the ball over several times. The other issue is that even when they successfully break the press, the Dragons rarely convert for easy baskets. Often they waste a lot of time in the backcourt and don't even get into their offensive sets until the shot clock is winding down.
It wasn't a pretty start for the Drexel women, but if last year taught us anything it's that you can't count this team out early. A slow start didn't hinder the team as in 2007-2008 as they still finished 18-12. If they want to improve upon that though, they're going to have to make adjustments in the areas that have hurt them in the past.
Record Watch
Marginean came into her junior campaign just over 800 points shy of the career scoring mark. A running tally of her single season and career total will be posted on here throughout the season.
Gabriela Marginean
Season Points to Date: 31 (31 ave.)
Career Points: 1,116 (13th all time)
Michelle Maslowski
Single Season Points Record: 625
Career Points Record: 1,900
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
2008 Preview
Losing four seniors is normally desvating to any basketball team. Make no mistake about it, 2008 Drexel Women's team will have some holes to fill. Things are made much easier though when you have the Preseason Player of the Year who after just two seasons has already reached the 1,000 point plateu. That's exactly what the Dragons return with forward Gabriela Marginean (1,085 career points) leading the squad after a surprising 18-12 season and fourth place finish in the CAA.
As a freshman, Gabi broke the single game scoring record and was CAA Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore, she reached 1,000 career points and was runner up in the CAA Player of the Year voting. Gabi is a fantastic scorer because she's nearly impossible to stop off the dribble. She possesses good size and is an outstanding finisher around the rim. Gabi also has a good face up jumper and last year improved by extending her range beyond the three point line. She improved some as a passer too. If she can become more effective at setting up her teammates, the Dragons will be even better offensively. Gabi is a strong rebounder as well on both ends of the floor and often gets points via the offensive glass.
Narissa Suber made her mark over the last 4 years as a sniper in the Drexel backcourt. She shattered virtually all the three point shooting records and her 41% from beyond the arc last year will be tough to replace. Making up that kind of production will likely have to come from multiple players. The good news is the rest of the Dragons combined to shoot 35% from deep. Sophomore Jasmina Rosseel figures to do the most to fill the void left by Suber. As a first year player, she shot nearly 37% from three point land.
As a All CAA Rookie Team Member, Jasmina found herself in the thick of things at key moments down the stretch. She can score off the dribble as well as from deep. She hit some very difficult shot in several of the Dragons' key victories last year. During a few of their toughest losses, she often missed jumpers and/or had key turnovers. More consistency in her second year should be expected a could go a long way to making for another successful Drexel season.
During the 2006-2007, Nicole Hester went through something no player should have to experience. The Dragons forward was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed the entire season. She came back last season and was sluggish early on as Drexel got off to a slow start. Once Nicole got back into the shape and started playing well, the Dragons took off. The do everything forward is a glue player for this squad. She can score, rebound, pass, shoot and defend. With her out of the lineup in the CAA tournament, the Dragons once again sputtered and exited in the the quarterfinal round. Nicole's ability to stay healthy during her senior campaign will certainly be a big factor in determining Drexel success.
When steady senior point guard Andrea Peterson went down with an injury early last season things looked bleak for the Dragons. Stacy McCollough (now on the coaching staff) filled in admirably. McCollough is now gone, but Peterson is back for another senior campaign after a medical redshirt. During her first season at Drexel (after transferring from St. John's), Andrea had a solid 1.6 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. She'll certainly give the Dragons a veteran presence at the lead guard spot. Whether she's fully healthy remains to be seen.
Delise Johnson might not have put up big numbers last year in her senior season, but she was a big key to the Dragons success. The energetic center was Drexel's most physical player and a good post defender. She was also a solid rebounder and an emotional leader. On a team that wasn't very physical, her toughness will be difficult to replace.
Brooke Cornish, the 6-4 back up center a year ago, likely won't develop into a physical player, but she did prove to be a very effective shot blocker off the bench a year ago. Improving even more on the defensive end could really help the Dragons out to against the much bigger front courts that they typically face in the CAA.
On the offensive side of things, Brooke started off the year by struggling convert on the most basic shots. A very encouraging sign though is that she improved in that area as the year when on and became a pretty efficient player by season's end. The Dragons don't need her to be a dominant scorer, but they do need her to be a scoring threat in the low post (particularly for her size). Brooke will need to be strong on the boards too as the Dragons were near the bottom of the CAA in that category last season.
The Dragons are losing several key players from a year ago and while they might be fine in the starting rotation, the bench play will certainly be a big question mark. The fourth senior that they lost was Anora Suber (Narissa's twin). A four year role player for Drexel will be something that they'll need to replace.
Alison Lupariello (2.1 points per game) will be the leading returner on the bench. Alison is another long ball threat and most of her shots come from beyond the arc. She has near unlimited range. The junior guard must improve on her 26 assists to 28 turnovers from a season ago.
Jen Stjarnstrom, 6-1 junior forward, should see more action than in her first two seasons due to the departure of Delise Johnson. Jen has shown to be a solid defender at times and she provides some size in the front court that really could help out against bigger CAA front court. Her ability to defend and rebound will go a long way in determining how much of a factor Jen can be off the bench.
While depth looks to be an area of concern, the Dragons will likely call on their newcomers to ease some of the burden. Reshirt freshman Silvia Jankova is an unknown commodity at guard after missing her first season due to injury. There will certainly be an opportunity to play in the back court with the losses of Narissa Suber and Stacy McCullough.
Speaking of the backcourt, while Andrea Peterson is a clear cut starting point guard, the back up spot is up for grabs. Jasmina Rosseel can play that position at times, but is most suited at the off guard spot. Alison Lupariello needs to cut down on turnovers to see more time at that spot. That leaves an opportunity open for freshmen Marisa Crane (5-5). Some more speed in the back court could certainly be helpful too. Ayana Lee should via for some playing time as well.
The Dragons brought in two forwards in the freshman class. Tyler Hale (6-0) was the Dragons highest rated player and should provide some athletic ability in the front court. Drexel has recently struck gold with foreign players. Will that happen again with 5-11 Kamile Nacickaite from Lithuania?
One of the other majors factors in Drexel's strong 2007-2008 campaign was their ability to hit free throws. Gabriela Marginean is one of the best free throw shooters in the nation and gets to the line at a high rate of frequency. In addition to strong free throw shooting and three point shooting, the Dragons also had the league's top scoring defense a year ago. They will need to sustain that play in all three areas for another successful season.
Anytime you have a player the caliber of Gabriela Marginean you should be competitive. How much the other players around her can step up and replace the four graduated seniors will determine how far this team goes. Some of the younger players will have to improve and production from the bench will be a key. Look for the Dragons to make more noise this upcoming season.
As a freshman, Gabi broke the single game scoring record and was CAA Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore, she reached 1,000 career points and was runner up in the CAA Player of the Year voting. Gabi is a fantastic scorer because she's nearly impossible to stop off the dribble. She possesses good size and is an outstanding finisher around the rim. Gabi also has a good face up jumper and last year improved by extending her range beyond the three point line. She improved some as a passer too. If she can become more effective at setting up her teammates, the Dragons will be even better offensively. Gabi is a strong rebounder as well on both ends of the floor and often gets points via the offensive glass.
Narissa Suber made her mark over the last 4 years as a sniper in the Drexel backcourt. She shattered virtually all the three point shooting records and her 41% from beyond the arc last year will be tough to replace. Making up that kind of production will likely have to come from multiple players. The good news is the rest of the Dragons combined to shoot 35% from deep. Sophomore Jasmina Rosseel figures to do the most to fill the void left by Suber. As a first year player, she shot nearly 37% from three point land.
As a All CAA Rookie Team Member, Jasmina found herself in the thick of things at key moments down the stretch. She can score off the dribble as well as from deep. She hit some very difficult shot in several of the Dragons' key victories last year. During a few of their toughest losses, she often missed jumpers and/or had key turnovers. More consistency in her second year should be expected a could go a long way to making for another successful Drexel season.
During the 2006-2007, Nicole Hester went through something no player should have to experience. The Dragons forward was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed the entire season. She came back last season and was sluggish early on as Drexel got off to a slow start. Once Nicole got back into the shape and started playing well, the Dragons took off. The do everything forward is a glue player for this squad. She can score, rebound, pass, shoot and defend. With her out of the lineup in the CAA tournament, the Dragons once again sputtered and exited in the the quarterfinal round. Nicole's ability to stay healthy during her senior campaign will certainly be a big factor in determining Drexel success.
When steady senior point guard Andrea Peterson went down with an injury early last season things looked bleak for the Dragons. Stacy McCollough (now on the coaching staff) filled in admirably. McCollough is now gone, but Peterson is back for another senior campaign after a medical redshirt. During her first season at Drexel (after transferring from St. John's), Andrea had a solid 1.6 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. She'll certainly give the Dragons a veteran presence at the lead guard spot. Whether she's fully healthy remains to be seen.
Delise Johnson might not have put up big numbers last year in her senior season, but she was a big key to the Dragons success. The energetic center was Drexel's most physical player and a good post defender. She was also a solid rebounder and an emotional leader. On a team that wasn't very physical, her toughness will be difficult to replace.
Brooke Cornish, the 6-4 back up center a year ago, likely won't develop into a physical player, but she did prove to be a very effective shot blocker off the bench a year ago. Improving even more on the defensive end could really help the Dragons out to against the much bigger front courts that they typically face in the CAA.
On the offensive side of things, Brooke started off the year by struggling convert on the most basic shots. A very encouraging sign though is that she improved in that area as the year when on and became a pretty efficient player by season's end. The Dragons don't need her to be a dominant scorer, but they do need her to be a scoring threat in the low post (particularly for her size). Brooke will need to be strong on the boards too as the Dragons were near the bottom of the CAA in that category last season.
The Dragons are losing several key players from a year ago and while they might be fine in the starting rotation, the bench play will certainly be a big question mark. The fourth senior that they lost was Anora Suber (Narissa's twin). A four year role player for Drexel will be something that they'll need to replace.
Alison Lupariello (2.1 points per game) will be the leading returner on the bench. Alison is another long ball threat and most of her shots come from beyond the arc. She has near unlimited range. The junior guard must improve on her 26 assists to 28 turnovers from a season ago.
Jen Stjarnstrom, 6-1 junior forward, should see more action than in her first two seasons due to the departure of Delise Johnson. Jen has shown to be a solid defender at times and she provides some size in the front court that really could help out against bigger CAA front court. Her ability to defend and rebound will go a long way in determining how much of a factor Jen can be off the bench.
While depth looks to be an area of concern, the Dragons will likely call on their newcomers to ease some of the burden. Reshirt freshman Silvia Jankova is an unknown commodity at guard after missing her first season due to injury. There will certainly be an opportunity to play in the back court with the losses of Narissa Suber and Stacy McCullough.
Speaking of the backcourt, while Andrea Peterson is a clear cut starting point guard, the back up spot is up for grabs. Jasmina Rosseel can play that position at times, but is most suited at the off guard spot. Alison Lupariello needs to cut down on turnovers to see more time at that spot. That leaves an opportunity open for freshmen Marisa Crane (5-5). Some more speed in the back court could certainly be helpful too. Ayana Lee should via for some playing time as well.
The Dragons brought in two forwards in the freshman class. Tyler Hale (6-0) was the Dragons highest rated player and should provide some athletic ability in the front court. Drexel has recently struck gold with foreign players. Will that happen again with 5-11 Kamile Nacickaite from Lithuania?
One of the other majors factors in Drexel's strong 2007-2008 campaign was their ability to hit free throws. Gabriela Marginean is one of the best free throw shooters in the nation and gets to the line at a high rate of frequency. In addition to strong free throw shooting and three point shooting, the Dragons also had the league's top scoring defense a year ago. They will need to sustain that play in all three areas for another successful season.
Anytime you have a player the caliber of Gabriela Marginean you should be competitive. How much the other players around her can step up and replace the four graduated seniors will determine how far this team goes. Some of the younger players will have to improve and production from the bench will be a key. Look for the Dragons to make more noise this upcoming season.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Nine Straight Wins
The red hot Dragons have yet to cool off as they won their ninth straight with a 63-50 victory over UNCW at the DAC on Sunday afternoon. The great shooting that has been one of the staples of this current run continued again as Drexel buried 11 three pointers. Not only did they shoot well, but the Dragons played excellent defense once again too. They jumped the passing lanes a number of times and made the Seahawks work for every basket.
I've talked all year about the big three (Gabriela Marginean, Narissa Suber and Nicole Hester) and they were good once again, but it's the depth and the role players that have been a huge success for this team too. Stacy McCullough isn't a flashy point guard, but she plays hard and smart. She took advantage today and buried a couple open jumpers for 8 points. She also had some really nice passes and a few steals with her aggressive defense too. Stacy has really taken advantage of her playing opportunity (following Andrea Peterson's injury) and provided steady senior leadership on the court. Alison Lupariello came off the bench today and hit several big shots including a three pointer that pushed the Dragons lead to double digits. She finished with 9 points. Delise Johnson doesn't provide a lot of scoring, but she has been playing with a lot of energy and effort. She could be found diving on the floor for loose balls today as well as applying tough pressure defense. She also had several nice passes. This entire team moves the ball well and excellent passing is leading to open shots.
The big three played strong as usually. Nicole Hester was huge, especially early on a she hit three baskets from beyond the arc. She also distributed the ball very well and matched a career high with 8 assists. Narissa Suber buried a few three pointers as usual and also had several nice drives.
Gabi still got her points, but was stifled by the UNCW defense early. She was clearly frustrated and forced some shots. She's a solid shooter, but much better in that area when she gets open jumpers within the offense. Her teammates were playing well and she didn't need to try to force the action. In the second half, she played much more within the system and scored several easy baskets. She took advantage of her teammates breaking the UNCW press. Gabi still had a solid game.
The Dragons faced a tough opponent today and weren't fazed. They are clearly going to be able to compete with some of the better teams in the league. UNCW went to a full court press defense early in the second half and Drexel was flustered for awhile. They regain control and began getting easy baskets. While their ball handlers aren't outstanding, it is really tough to press them when Gabi can dribble so well.
Thursday will be a huge road test and unbeatens collide in Towson, Maryland. This will be a good opportunity to show the rest of the league that they are going to be a force the remainder of the season. Let's hope they can extend the win streak to double digits.
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