Drexel begins CAA tourney with NCAA on its mind

Drexel senior point guard Frantz Massenat concedes that he's feeling nostalgic as he competes in his fourth and final Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Fourth-seeded Drexel will meet No. 5 Northeastern in a quarterfinal at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Baltimore Arena.

Drexel needs a huge tournament from its veteran backcourt of Massenat and sixth-year senior Chris Fouch, who combine to average more than 35 points per game.

"You can kind of say it's emotional a little bit," said Massenat, the CAA leader in assists, averaging 4.8 points per game.

Fouch remembers how close Drexel came to earning a bid to the NCAAs two years ago. The Dragons advanced to the CAA final, losing to VCU, 59-56, but Drexel was still considered a contender for an NCAA bid. The Dragons didn't receive one and competed in the NIT.

"I felt real confident we would get to the NCAA tournament even though we didn't win the [CAA] championship," Fouch said. "Now we are able to play in that tournament again and kind of finish the job and win that championship and not leave it up to a committee to select us."

Unlike in 2012, there will be no suspense if the Dragons (16-13) don't win the CAA tournament. It's either win the tournament or go home.

Of course it won't be easy, starting with Northeastern. Drexel won a 93-88 double-overtime victory at home and then closed the regular season with Saturday's 54-52 loss at Northeastern.

A key will be stopping Northeastern's 6-foot-8 Scott Eatherton, who is averaging 15.6 points and 10.1 rebounds. In the two games against Drexel, he averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds, although Eatherton shot just 3 for 15 in Saturday's win.

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said Eatherton is strong off the offensive glass and shows a variety of skills.

"He can play on top, throw it down low, and he can shoot the three and take his defender off the dribble," Flint said.

Of course Northeastern has to be worried about Fouch and Massenat, who have scored 1,627 and 1,714 career points, respectively, and will do anything to extend their careers as long as possible.

"Getting to the NCAA tournament would mean everything," Massenat said.

Honors. Massenat was named to the all-CAA first team on Thursday in a vote of the league's head coaches, media-relations directors, and media members. Fouch was named to the second team.