Inside Drexel’s forward-thinking approach to hosting Penn State inside the Wells Fargo Center
With the opportunity to host Penn State at the Wells Fargo Center, the Dragons see playing games inside an NBA arena as a victory to ongoing recruiting efforts, win or lose.
When Drexel men’s basketball takes on Penn State on Saturday (noon, ESPN+), it will be the second time in 14 days that the Dragons are showcased on the biggest basketball stage in Philadelphia: the Wells Fargo Center.
On Dec. 7, the Dragons claimed fifth place at the Big 5 Classic against Penn in a rendition of the Battle of 33rd St., that took place in South Philly instead. Regarding the Big 5 Classic, Drexel head coach Zach Spiker referred to the triple header as, “an incredible opportunity and great experience.”
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The Dragons announced on Aug. 29 that they would host Penn State at the Wells Fargo Center, exciting fans for a big-time matchup in a premier venue.
From Drexel’s perspective, playing a team that currently ranks 27th in the NET rankings in the city’s premier basketball venue was a prime opportunity to enhance the program’s out-of-conference schedule.
“We’re trying to always be creative in scheduling and do some things that can elevate our brand and give us great opportunities to play teams that have a great brand and I think that Penn State fits that mold perfectly,” said Spiker. “With them also having local ties to the city of Philadelphia, it’s kind of the perfect mesh.”
Despite Penn State’s campus being nearly 200 miles from the Wells Fargo Center, the initial belief was that the amount of fans wearing blue and white would far outnumber those in blue and gold due to Penn State’s massive brand appeal to the Greater Philadelphia Region. However, with Penn State’s first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff set to kick off at the exact same time as the Nittany Lions basketball tipoff against the Dragons, the matchup finds tickets still widely available.
Despite this inopportune — and unforeseen — scheduling issue, Spiker sees Saturday’s hoops matchup as, “a win-win for everybody.”
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“We’ve got a great venue and a great opportunity to host a game of this level in our city instead of going to Penn State,” Spiker continued.
During an appearance on the Dragonscast podcast, Spiker spoke about the benefits of scheduling another game at the Wells Fargo Center, saying, “Would you rather play two home games or would you rather play two games in an NBA arena? I can tell you what our players want to do, I can tell you what our recruiting analytics say we should do.”
Drexel hopes to continue to capitalize on their location to dually recruit and retain talent in the program by offering players the opportunity to play in an NBA arena.
The Nittany Lions are one of the top teams in collegiate basketball this season, riding the third best scoring offense in Division I to a 9-2 record. Penn State has a well-rounded offense, with six players averaging over 10 points per game, led by Ace Baldwin Jr.’s 14.1 points and 8.7 assists per game.
Similarly, Drexel relies on their depth to find success. Spiker’s team boasts a rotation that goes 11 players deep at times, and they have seen six different players lead the team in scoring across 12 games.
So far, Drexel is 2-0 in games at the Wells Fargo Center under Spiker, but against the Nittany Lions, Spiker joked that the Dragons will have that record put “to the test.”
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