Drexel releases 2024-25 men’s basketball schedule, headlined by matchup with Penn State
The Dragons are coming off their first 20-win season since 2011-12, but saw a lot of roster turnover this offseason. Drexel's CAA conference schedule will begin on Jan. 2.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/BG2YN3VNKZDQNDJQJWOULE7OGM.jpg)
After soaring to its first 20 win season in over a decade, Drexel men’s basketball faced an offseason of change. Dragons coach Zach Spiker returns just one player who made a start last season (Yame Butler) and lost top talent and depth pieces to the transfer portal. After replenishing his roster in the offseason, there are plenty of questions about the roster that still need answering. While we may not know who the Dragons will have on the court to start the season, we now know their opponents for 2024-25.
Drexel opens its season at the Daskalakis Athletic Center against Division II opponent Georgian Court on Nov. 4.
On Nov. 9, Drexel will host Colgate. The Raiders have asserted themselves as a staple in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Patriot League’s automatic bid five times since 2019. The following week, Drexel enters its Big 5 pod matchups, first at Temple (Nov. 12), then at home against La Salle on Nov. 16. Spiker’s squad made headlines last season when it upset No. 18 Villanova in the fifth-place game of the inaugural Big 5 Classic.
» READ MORE: Here’s how coaching at Drexel hits home for new men’s soccer coach David Castellanos
The Dragons then will spend the next two weeks on the road, traveling to Fairfield (Nov. 19), then participating in the on-campus portion of the Sunshine Slam at Fordham (Nov. 22) before heading to Daytona Beach for the rest of the tournament, where they’ll face Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 25) and Chicago State or Radford (Nov. 26).
As the calendar flips to December, Drexel continues its nonconference slate at home against Bryant (Dec. 2) before gearing up for the Big 5 Classic matchup with Villanova, St. Joseph’s, or Penn after pod play.
Later, the Dragons have a marquee matchup against Penn State scheduled for Dec. 21 at the Wells Fargo Center.
» READ MORE: Villanova releases its 2024-25 schedule for men’s basketball
Penn State is the only current Drexel opponent that finished in the top 100 last season’s kenpom.com rankings, while Drexel finished 126th.
Drexel got a relatively favorable Coastal Athletic Association draw as it faces its toughest opponents at home. Their conference schedule opens Jan. 2 at Campbell.
They’ll host conference powers Towson (Jan. 11), Hofstra (Jan. 18), Delaware (Jan. 25), North Carolina-Wilmington (Feb. 8), and Charleston (Feb. 22). Drexel completes its regular season schedule at home against Monmouth (March 1), before heading to Washington for the CAA tournament.