Drexel hoping Lee's return makes up for losing Massenat and Fouch

BALTIMORE - The Drexel men's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, but, only a few weeks later, in November, Damion Lee was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

The Dragons plan to have Lee in the starting lineup for the Nov. 14 opener at Colorado, but the departures of standout point guard Frantz Massenat and Chris Fouch might be two reasons Drexel was picked to finish fourth yesterday at the annual CAA media day in a vote of coaches, media members and media relations personnel.

Massenat (17.5 points per game last season) has been playing pro ball in Germany, while Fouch averaged a team-high 18.3 points last season.

"We never worry about what happens in the preseason" poll, said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint, in his 14th season. "We had some tough obstacles last year. You have to play through it. Hopefully, we will be a little bit better this year. If we are a little bit better, that means we may win 20 games."

The Dragons were 16-14 overall and 8-8 in the CAA last season without Lee, who was named to the CAA preseason first team yesterday. The junior guard, who is from Baltimore and played at nearly Calvert Hall in nearby Towson, Md., averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 2012-13.

Drexel also will count on junior Tavon Allen, who averaged 11.7 points last season and was named this season to the All-CAA honorable mention preseason team.

"I'm surprised he didn't make the [first] team, to be honest with you," Flint said. "I think he will be one of the better players in the league. I think he has made great strides since he has been at the school."

Flint hopes his players have been strengthened, on and off the court, by a four-game trip to China in August.

"We have six new guys, five who are going to play. We got a chance to see what guys can do in game situations," Flint said of the trip. "We had a great time. It was an amazing trip. China is an amazing place. I thought this was a close-knit group, anyway. We got to go on a trip and bond a little more."

Joining Lee and Allen in the likely starting lineup will be three sophomores - forwards Mohamed Bah and Rodney Williams and guard Major Canady - according to Flint. Williams averaged 5.4 points last season, Canady averaged 2.1 and Bah scored 2.0.

Delaware, the tournament champion last season, was picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams this season. The preseason favorite this season is Northeastern, which was 11-21, 7-9 last season, but returns four starters and its top reserve.

The CAA Tournament will be in Baltimore for the second year in a row, from March 6 to 9, after nearly 20 years in Richmond, Va.

The Dragons' home opener is Nov. 17 against Saint Joseph's, and the first CAA game is also at home, Jan. 4 against Elon.

The CAA announced a basketball package that will result in nearly 100 televised games this season. The games will be shown on NBC Sports Network, Comcast SportsNet's regional network (including CSN-Philly) and the new American Sports Network.