Damion Lee's healthy return key for Drexel

It is the phone call that comes like clockwork, according to Damion Lee.

Almost every day, Lee, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound Drexel guard, either receives a call from former teammate Chris Fouch or places one to him.

"We're very close," is how Lee, a redshirt junior named to the preseason first team All-Colonial Athletic Association team, describes his relationship with the team's departed leading scorer last season. "He's been very supportive through the process."

The process Lee speaks of is his recovery from the season-ending right anterior cruciate ligament he shredded on the floor at Madison Square Garden last December, just five games into the season. Coming off a sophomore season that saw him average 17.1 points, Lee was set to form a lethal trio with Fouch (18.3 points) and Frantz Massenat (17.5) that could legitimately vie for the top spot in the conference.

"We were really, really excited about the things we could do," said Fouch. "But you make adjustments when things happen."

Instead, Drexel finished the regular season 16-14. Late in the season they suffered another setback, losing 6-7 forward Kazembe Abif (7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds) to a knee injury that will force the senior to miss this season as well.

Fouch, a guard, was there to support Lee not just because they were teammates but also because he has been through the same injury. A torn ACL and a dislocated ankle forced Fouch to redshirt twice at Drexel, the second time in 2012-13.

"[Lee] helped to keep me positive through it all," Fouch said. "I took him under my wing when he got to Drexel. When I was at my lowest points, Damion was always there giving me encouragement. I wanted to do the same thing for him."

Picked fourth in the CAA preseason rankings, Drexel, two seasons removed from winning the regular-season crown, is going to rely heavily on Lee and his reconstructed knee.

Heading in his 14th season at Drexel, coach Bruiser Flint believes that Lee is ready for the challenge.

"His rehab has gone well; he's done everything the doctors have asked of him," said Flint, the winningest coach in school history (228). "Along with the rehab he's had the benefit of bulking up and adding about 15 pounds of muscle."

According to many doctors familiar with ACL injuries, athletes usually don't return to the top of their game until about a year after they have resumed playing. Lee's recovery, however, has been swift. He suffered the injury Nov. 27, had surgery Dec. 12, was cleared to do light shooting on March 14 and, nine months to the date removed from surgery, began full contact drills on Sept. 12.

"I feel like I'm 100 percent now," Lee said. "Every now and then I pace myself. But my knee feels stronger now than it ever has before."

Along with the departures of Fouch and Massenat, the fifth- and sixth-leading scorers in school history, respectively, in all Drexel lost seven seniors.

Two weeks ago, Flint lost projected starting point guard Major Canady - a steady and consistent player who started 14 games at the point last season - for the season with a dislocated ankle. The Dragons will be forced to go with 6-2 Roman Catholic freshman Rashann London in his place.

With Lee unable to play last season, 6-7 junior forward Tavon Allen improved his scoring from 6.6 points per game as a freshman to 11.7. Allen has not practiced the last two weeks due to a knee injury. However, Flint said he expects him to be in the starting lineup when the Dragons open the season Friday at Colorado.

Sophomore forward Rodney Williams (6-7) was a conference all-rookie selection after averaging 5.4 points, 5 rebounds and blocking a team-high 35 shots. He and 6-9 sophomore Mohamed Bah will be counted on to provide interior defense, rebounding and hopefully more inside scoring for a Drexel team that relied heavily on three-point shooting (154-for-491) last season.

Flint is looking to a trio of freshmen (6-8 Tyshawn Myles, 6-8 Austin Williams and 6-3 Sammy Mojica) to contribute. Senior Freddie Wilson returns to help out in the backcourt and 6-10 UCLA transfer Sooren Derboghosian should also help.

But the success or failure of the Dragons rests largely on Lee's shoulders - and a healthy knee.

"We'll all do our best as a team," Lee says. "I'm ready to carry a load."

Last season: 16-14; 8-8 Colonial Athletic Association, fourth.

Coach: Bruiser Flint (14th season, 401-228; 559-314 in 18 seasons).

Roster

No.   Name   Pos.   Ht.   Wt.   Year   

0   Sooren Derboghosian   C   6-10   255   Gr.

1    Freddie Wilson    G   6-3   204   Sr.

2    Sammy Mojica    G   6-3   175   Fr.

5    Austin Williams    F   6-8   230   Fr.

11    Tavon Allen    G   6-7   190   Jr.

13    Rashann London    G   6-2   175   Fr.

14    Damion Lee    G   6-6   200   Jr.

15    Mohamed Bah    F   6-9   225   So.

24    Rodney Williams    F   6-7   220   So.

25    Major Canady    G   6-4   200   So.

32    Kazembe Abif    F   6-7   215   Sr.

55    Tyshawn Myles    F   6-8   245   Fr.

-   Ahmad Fields    G   6-5   195   So.

Schedule

14 at Colorado. . . 8

17 St. Joseph's. . . 7

20 Miami (Fla.)%. . . 3

21 Southern Cal or Akron%. . . TBA

23 TBA%. . . TBA

30 Southern Mississippi. . . 5

4 U. of the Sciences. . . 7

13 La Salle. . . 1

16 at Buffalo. . . 7

20 Penn State#. . . 2

28 Iona. . . 1

1 Elon. . . 4

5 William and Mary. . . 7

8 at Towson. . . TBA

10 at UNC Wilmington. . . TBA

15 James Madison. . . 7

17 at Delaware. . . TBA

21 at Hofstra. . . TBA

24 Coll. of Charleston. . . noon

28 Northeastern. . . 7

31 UNC Wilmington. . . 4

5 at Elon. . . TBA

7 at Coll. of Charleston. . . TBA

10 Towson. . . 6

15 Hofstra. . . 5

18 at James Madison. . . TBA

21 at Northeastern. . . 4

26 Delaware. . . 7

28 at William and Mary. . . TBA

6-9, CAA tournament, Baltimore

Home games in bold

% – Charleston Classic, Charleston, S.C.

# – at PPL Center, AllentownEndText