Drexel coach optimistic despite two key losses

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Bruiser Flint is ready to move forward.

"We're going on with the guys we have in the program," the Drexel head coach said at Tuesday's Colonial Athletic Association media day. "You don't look back."

Flint shepherded his program through a chaotic off-season highlighted by a 10-day trip to Turkey and low-lighted by two players - senior Jamie Harris and junior Kevin Phillip - being tossed out of school following arrests stemming from an alleged on-campus armed burglary.

Harris, Drexel's leading scorer last season at 14.5 points a game, and Phillip, a key forward off the bench, are gone. A once-promising roster now includes only five players who averagedmore than five minutes per game last season. Coming off a 16-16 season with an 11-7 finish in the conference, Drexel has many question marks. Thus, the Dragons landed at No. 6 in the CAA's preseason poll.

"A lot of the younger guys have progressed, and because of the trip to Turkey we're further along," said Flint, whose team went 2-2 overseas. "I'm not worrying about replacing points from last year. The offense is going to be better than people think."

Sophomore Chris Fouch, Drexel's leading returning scorer at 11.3 points a game, is a preseason honorable mention all-CAA selection. He's joined by senior Gerald Colds, junior Samme Givens, and sophomores Derrick Thomas and Daryl McCoy as the Dragons' notable returnees.

Flint said freshman Frantz Massenat, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Ewing, N.J., will be Harris' primary replacement, along with Colds.

The Drexel women are also predicted to finish sixth in the CAA. The Dragons are coming off back-to-back postseason appearances, but lost all-everything forward Gabriela Marginean, the team's and the league's all-time leading scorer, to graduation.

"Those are big shoes to fill," said Drexel coach Denise Dillon. "Marginean averaged 24 or 25 points and was our leading rebounder. You don't just replace that. It will be a group effort."

Not surprisingly, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, a 6-5 sophomore from Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, is a preseason co-player of the year selection. The celebrated transfer from UConn ranked third in the nation in scoring last year with 26.7 points per game.

"There was a lot of hoopla about Elena's decision to play basketball at Delaware last year," said Delaware coach Tina Martin. "That's behind us. She feels at home and there's a calmness now."

Hofstra's Shante Evans, a 6-0 forward from West Chester-Henderson, was also named to the first team.