GAMEDAY

There is no denying the excitement, the joy and the unbridled school spirit that can be generated on a college campus by a winning sports team. No matter the school, no matter the sport, history tells us that few things can bring more energy to a university like success on the football field, or glory on the baseball or softball diamond, or here at Drexel, a winning streak on the basketball court.

And this year, well, we had ourselves quite a winning streak. (19 straight wins, in case you were wondering).

While our friends in the so-called Big Five may not want to admit it, the facts are clear: Drexel basketball has arrived. Under coach Bruiser Flint, the Dragons have methodically gone about the work of building their own hoops tradition in a town that stands at the very center of the sport. That was especially the case this year, and for one day, at least, Drexel Magazine was there to see history in the making.

In early February, contributing photographer Steve Boyle arrived at the DAC bright and early to carry out the assignment that we had given him. We wanted him to spend one entire day—from 7:30 a.m., when the Dragons first arrived for their morning shootaround, until nearly midnight, when the DAC lights were turned off for good—documenting what gameday is like for the players, the coaches, the support staff, the students and the fans of Drexel basketball.

The gameday in question was the team’s Feb. 14 showdown against William & Mary, and in the pages that follow, you’ll see precisely what Steve saw during his long, long day at Drexel—a day on which he took a staggering 2,000 photos, and offered us a unique glimpse into all of the hours and work and nail-biting excitement that goes into a big basketball game here at Drexel, Philly’s new hoops power. – T.H.

For Flint and his players, gameday begins a full 12 hours before tip-off. At the team’s morning shootaround, Flint and his assistants run the team through a series of drills and simulations to make sure they’re ready for the night’s opponent. Flint, famously animated during games, remains mostly quiet during these sessions. He watches, he listens. And yes, occasionally, he’ll let his guys know when they’re doing something wrong.

Every shootaround session ends the same way: With a team-wide half-court shooting contest. Each member of the team lines up and takes their shot. But not before Flint, a former star player himself at St. Joe’s, gets his chance. (On this day, it should be pointed out, nobody managed to drain one).

Mario puts in a long shift on gameday, too, making it a point to visit students all over campus to remind them (without speaking, of course) that, yes, there is a game this evening, and yes, the team could really use their support. Other athletics staffers spend the day dotting the campus with signs promoting the game as well.

Because it is literally attached to the DAC and only steps from the Drexel locker room, the Landmark Americana Tap & Grill makes for the perfect venue for the Dragons’ pre-game meal. The team sauntered in to the restaurant in the late afternoon and treated themselves to an impressive buffet spread in the restaurant’s back-room bar: Chicken, lasanga, potatoes, fresh fruit and fresh veggies.

After the morning shootaround, the DAC remains mostly silent through the daytime hours. The players head off to class (they are students, after all) and the coaches head into meetings. It’s not until late afternoon that things start to pick up, with facilities staffers preparing the DAC for gametime, Comcast television crews setting up their cameras and microphones and trainers getting the players taped up and ready to play.

The DAC Pack has rightfully earned the reputation as one of the best student sections in the CAA, and these hoops crazies were especially rowdy this season, as the Dragons charged their way through their schedule en route to the regular season league title.

At 7:05, finally, it’s tip-off time. Taking the honors for the Dragons, as always, was Daryl McCoy, the soft-spoken but powerful forward who averaged nearly 7 rebounds per game this season. Oh, and he won the tip, by the way.

Franz Massenat, shown here blowing by the William & Mary defense, was one of the CAA’s breakout stars this season. The sophomore point guard with NBA ability averaged 13.6 points per game and was named first-team all-conference.

Though Flint, as always, hollered his way through the game, and though William & Mary put up an unexpectedly tough fight, the Dragons would come away with a win on this night, knocking off the Tribe by the score of 63-61. Massenat led the way with 22 points. Speaking to the media afterward, a relieved (and much calmer) Flint would say of his opponents: “You don’t want a nail-biter, but give them credit, they really played hard.”