Drexel basketball roster: Dragons adding three freshmen to an experienced group of returnees

Drexel has a chance to take a big leap in 2020-21. The team will be more experienced next season and more talent is on the way.

The Dragons return four of five starters and their three biggest contributors. Camren Wynter will be one of the top returning players in the Colonial Athletic Association, double-double machine James Butler is back after making third-team All-CAA and averaging 13.2 points and 11.7 rebounds, and Drexel received good news when it learned that the NCAA approved a sixth-year of eligibility for its third-leading scorer, Zach Walton (12.2 ppg).

Defensive-pest Matey Juric, sharpshooting Coletrane Washington, rising sophomores T.J. Bickerstaff and Mate Okros, and Tim Perry Jr. are all players who could make jumps, but there is also a three-man recruiting class on the way to help offset the losses.

Here’s a breakdown of key departures and additions for Drexel.

Transfer Portal

Sam Green, Senior, 6-foot-6, 229-pound forward, 5.2 points per game

Sam Green is the lone Drexel starter who isn’t returning next season. Although he started, Green finished sixth on the team in minutes played (18 mpg). Green’s ability to space the floor as a shooter was his best attribute. He shot 38% from three but only 39.5% overall. Green is finishing his last season at Howard University.

Kurk Lee, Senior, 5-foot-9, 150-pound point guard, 1.0 point per game

Kurk Lee played three games before leaving the Drexel basketball team. He scored just three points and played 35 minutes. Lee’s career got off to a promising start. He set the Drexel freshman scoring record, averaging 14.9 points per game and he totaled 12.4 points per night as a sophomore. When Wynter arrived and Lee’s injuries held him to just six games as a junior, he fell out of the rotation.

Jarvis Doles, Junior, 6-foot-9 215-pound forward, 2.0 points per game

Jarvis Doles suffered a foot injury after five games that sidelined him for the remainder of last season. He was averaging 11.4 minutes per game and figured to be a floor-spacer. Twelve of his 15 shot attempts were three-pointers. Doles only made 25% of those attempts. Doles is headed to Albany as a graduate transfer.

Class of 2020

Xavier Bell, 6-3, 175-pound guard, Andover Central High, Kansas

Xavier Bell is capable of playing both guard positions. He averaged 24 points as a senior while playing point guard, and he led the team to a state championship as a junior. Guard help is one of Drexel’s biggest needs. Wynter averaged 37.4 minutes per game in conference play. Bell is at his best attacking the rim and will likely play more off the ball with the Dragons.

Amari Williams, 6-10, 223-pound forward, Myerscough Basketball Academy, England

Head coach Zach Spiker went back to the same program that produced Mate Okros to get his next big man. Amari Williams will bring skill. He can dribble and pass well for his size, but like Okros, he will have to adjust to the physicality of the American game. Drexel’s center position is three-deep, led by Butler and Perry Jr., but space is opening up. Butler and Tadas Kararinas are both seniors next season. Williams’ freshman season may be a learning year, but he’ll have a chance to earn a role behind Butler.

Lamar Oden Jr. , 6-6 , 180-pound forward, Greenforest McCalep Academy, Georgia

Lamar Oden Jr. signed in the early signing period. He fits the mold of what Walton did for Drexel last season. As he gets bigger and stronger, Spiker will be able to slot him anywhere between shooting guard and power forward. Oden Jr. is at his best in the midrange. Walton’s return gives him a player to learn behind closely in a role he’ll likely play.