Princeton returns to Jadwin Gym tomorrow afternoon and Know! Your! Foe! returns one day prior to preview the Drexel Dragons.
Joining the site to answer my questions is a familiar name for regular readers, philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald (commemorated via statue above). While Jonathan isn't on the basketball beat as much as he had been in years gone by, he's still a superb point person when you want details on any of Philadelphia's "City Six" teams.
My questions and JT's answers follow after the jump.
If you cover a team the Tigers will face down the line, let us know. I'd love to talk with you.
Can you walk people through the issues Drexel have already faced this season?
No. I don’t think anyone really can, potentially including Bruiser Flint. This team was picked to finish first in the CAA and it’s just been a wreck.
In all seriousness: Chris Fouch’s injury was a killer (Fouch had season-ending ankle surgery last month after getting hurt against Penn. - JS). Frantz Massenat averaging almost four turnovers per game is also a big problem. And perhaps most surprisingly, the trademark defense hasn’t really shown up. Drexel is giving up 1.037 points per possession, which is 266th in Division I. That’s very unlike how the Dragons have played in recent years.
With Fouch gone for 2012-13, who - if anyone - has stepped forward to replace him?
Damion Lee is leading the team with an average of 17.5 points per game, but if anyone has really stepped up it’s Tavon Allen. The freshman was called into action against Penn when Fouch got hurt, and responded with 15 points in 24 minutes.
Lee, a sophomore, also missed a pair of games due to a neck injury, then scored 26 in a recent home loss against Rider. What sort of player has he developed into? I recall he scored 13 points in 39 minutes versus the Tigers last year...
A good scorer (as noted above), but not a good three-point shooter. He’s only 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, which isn’t nearly enough to make up for Fouch’s absence.
It seems the Dragons have taken a small step backwards defensively through eight games. Any one thing the root cause for Bruiser Flint's squad?
That’s the biggest question, and I really don’t know the answer. This team is reasonably experienced but that intensity just isn’t there.
I haven't even mentioned the returning First Team All-CAA guard Frantz Massenat yet. Any new tricks in his arsenal as a junior?
If you want to call turning the ball over a trick...perhaps. Two seasons ago he averaged 1.8 turnovers per game; last season he averaged 2.1 turnovers per game. This year it’s 3.6 turnovers per game. That’s a big jump.
To his credit, Massenat is averaging five steals per game, and his scoring is up a little bit on last year. But his three-point shooting is down.
How did things unfold against Tennessee State on Tuesday?
(I don’t know, I didn’t watch it or really follow it because I was out at other things.)
Ooh! That means I get to answer my own question! Tennessee St. closed on a 21-9 run to achieve a 76-66 victory - another tough loss for the Dragons. Lee scored 18. Drexel lost despite 19 offensive rebounds and fell to 2-6. - JS
Drexel sweeps a home-and-home against the Tigers if...
They finally put together a full 40 minutes of defensive effort and get enough scoring. In other words, play the way they’ve played in recent years. They should be able to win this game, but I suspect some of their problems are psychological at this point.
Princeton wins their first of the year at Jadwin Gym if...
They don’t turn the ball over and make threes. That will push Drexel to really force the issue on offense, and they need more than one perimeter threat without Fouch on the floor.
You know the drill by now. This spot is reserved for letting people know who you are and what you do. Get to it!
Well, I think your readers know who I am by now...by my count, I’ve been featured in Know! Your! Foe! four times so far - though this is the first time it has been for an opponent other than Penn.
This may somewhat dismay your readers, but I don’t cover basketball as much anymore as I have in the past. I spend most of my time covering soccer, which is my first love as sports go, and there are a lot of cultural connections between soccer fans and college basketball fans.
(For the record, the Philadelphia Union’s roster includes Princeton product Antoine Hoppenot. He made some impressive contributions to the team as a rookie and became quite popular with fans.)
I still enjoy a good night out at the Palestra or elsewhere in Philly, though. I’d come up to Jadwin this weekend but I’ll be at the Army-Navy game.
And I will be present for your 24-hour holiday music show. I have my annual request ready too.
