# 2021–22 Drexel Dragons men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Drexel Dragons men's basketball team represented Drexel University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dragons, led by sixth-year head coach Zach Spiker, played their home games at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Dragons finished the 2020–21 season 14–18, 4–5 in CAA play, to finish in 6th place. They defeated Charleston, Northeastern and Elon to win the CAA tournament championship. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 16 seed in the Midwest region. There they lost to No. 1-seeded Illinois.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Zach Walton | 5 | F | 6'6" | 205 | RS Senior | Morton, WA | Graduated |
| Anto Keshgegian | 12 | G | 6'3" | 185 | RS Senior | Media, PA | Graduated |
| Tim Perry Jr. | 13 | F | 6'10" | 230 | RS Junior | Cherry Hill, NJ | Left team |
| Julian Adams | 20 | G | 6'1" | 175 | RS Senior | York, PA | Graduated |
| T.J. Bickerstaff | 23 | F | 6'9" | 207 | Sophomore | Atlanta, GA | Transferred to Boston College |
| Tadas Kararinas | 32 | C | 6'10" | 210 | Senior | Šilutė, Lithuania | Signed to BC Kuršiai |
| Chuka Mekkam | 55 | C | 6'1" | 185 | Junior | Portland, OR | Left team; transferred to Neumann |

### Incoming transfers

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Trevion Brown PG | Tacoma, WA | Colorado State–Pueblo | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Mar 30, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Melik Martin SF | York, PA | Monmouth | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 20, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Drexel 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. "Drexel Dragons". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. ||||||

### Recruiting classes
#### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Terrence Butler Jr. SF | Upper Marlboro, MD | Bishop McNamara High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 20, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Ata Can Atsüren PG | Turkey | Tofaş S.K. | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | N/A | Aug 15, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Drexel 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. "Drexel Dragons". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021. ||||||

#### 2022 recruiting class early commitments

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kobe Magee SG | [[Allentown, PA]] | Executive Education Academy Charter School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | N/A | Jun 23, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Justin Moore PG | Wyncote, PA | Archbishop Wood | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Sep 28, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Shane Blakeney PG | Rock Hill, SC | Legion Collegiate Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Oct 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Drexel 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021. "Drexel Dragons". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021. |||||||

## Preseason

In a poll of the league coaches, media relations directors, and media members at the CAA's media day, Drexel was picked to finish in third place in the CAA. Graduate student James Butler and senior guard Camren Wynter were selected to the Preseason CAA All-Conference First Team. Camren Wynter was also selected as the Preseason CAA Player of the Year.

## Schedule and results

The Dragons' November 12, 2021 game against Fairleigh Dickinson was postponed due to travel issues. The game was rescheduled for December 2.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 8:00 p.m. | | Neumann | W 103–74 | 1–0 | 16 – J. Butler | 7 – Williams | 8 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (1,846) Philadelphia, PA |
| November 14, 2021* 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Syracuse | L 60–75 | 1–1 | 16 – Okros | 5 – Williams | 4 – Brown | Carrier Dome (20,841) Syracuse, NY |
| November 17, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Saint Joseph's | W 78–75 | 2–1 | 23 – J. Butler | 11 – J. Butler | 6 – Wynter | Hagan Arena (1,669) Philadelphia, PA |
| November 22, 2021* 2:30 p.m., FloHoops | | vs. Tulane Nassau Championship quarterfinal | L 87–90 $^{OT}$ | 2–2 | 27 – Martin | 10 – J. Butler | 4 – Bell | Baha Mar Convention Center Nassau, Bahamas |
| November 23, 2021* 2:30 p.m., FloHoops | | vs. Charlotte Nassau Championship consolation | W 67–55 | 3–2 | 20 – Wynter | 16 – J. Butler | 5 – Wynter | Baha Mar Convention Center Nassau, Bahamas |
| November 24, 2021* 2:30 p.m., FloHoops | | vs. Jacksonville State Nassau Championship 5th-place game | L 64–72 | 3–3 | 14 – tied | 8 – J. Butler | 4 – Wynter | Baha Mar Convention Center Nassau, Bahamas |
| December 2, 2021* 7:00 p.m. | | Fairleigh Dickinson Rescheduled from November 12 | W 86–65 | 4–3 | 25 – J. Butler | 14 – J. Butler | 6 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (852) Philadelphia, PA |
| December 4, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Princeton | L 79–81 $^{OT}$ | 4–4 | 18 – Wynter | 12 – J. Butler | 3 – Okros | Jadwin Gymnasium (1,312) Princeton, NJ |
| December 11, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Abilene Christian | L 56–73 | 4–5 | 12 – Oden Jr. | 13 – J. Butler | 2 – J. Butler | Teague Center (603) Abilene, TX |
| December 14, 2021* 8:00 p.m. | | Coppin State | W 76–69 | 5–5 | 15 – Oden Jr. | 11 – J. Butler | 6 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (1,155) Philadelphia, PA |
| December 18, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Temple | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Liacouras Center Philadelphia, PA |
| December 21, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at La Salle | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Tom Gola Arena Philadelphia, PA |
| CAA regular season |||||||||
| January 3, 2022 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Towson | W 65–61 | 6–5 (1–0) | 15 – Okros | 5 – 3 tied | 7 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (624) Philadelphia, PA |
| January 11, 2022 7:00 p.m., NBCSPHI+ | | Delaware | L 77–81 | 6–6 (1–1) | 18 – Bell | 7 – tied | 5 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (857) Philadelphia, PA |
| January 15, 2022 2:00 p.m. | | at Northeastern | W 76–68 | 7–6 (2–1) | 26 – Wynter | 10 – Willilams | 9 – Wynter | Matthews Arena (0) Boston, MA |
| January 17, 2022 2:00 p.m. | | at Hofstra | L 68–71 | 7–7 (2–2) | 30 – Bell | 7 – Williams | 5 – Bell | Mack Sports Complex (1,106) Hempstead, NY |
| January 20, 2022 7:00 p.m., NBCSPHI+ | | Elon | W 77–49 | 8–7 (3–2) | 17 – tied | 6 – Martin | 3 – tied | Daskalakis Athletic Center (788) Philadelphia, PA |
| January 22, 2022 2:00 p.m. | | William & Mary | L 75–83 | 8–8 (3–3) | 26 – Wynter | 9 – tied | 6 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (1,710) Philadelphia, PA |
| January 27, 2022 7:00 p.m. | | at James Madison | W 88–82 | 9–8 (4–3) | 21 – Williams | 12 – Williams | 6 – Wynter | Atlantic Union Bank Center (3,927) Harrisonburg, VA |
| January 29, 2022 2:00 p.m. | | at Towson | L 62–66 | 9–9 (4–4) | 20 – Wynter | 8 – Williams | 3 – Wynter | SECU Arena (1,587) Towson, MD |
| January 31, 2022 7:00 p.m. | | at UNC Wilmington Rescheduled from December 31 | L 63–70 | 9–10 (4–5) | 14 – Washington | 8 – Butler | 3 – Wynter | Trask Coliseum (4,310) Wilmington, NC |
| February 3, 2022 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Delaware | W 76–68 | 10–10 (5–5) | 21 – Martin | 10 – Williams | 5 – Wynter | Bob Carpenter Center (2,844) Newark, DE |
| February 7, 2022 7:00 p.m., NBCSPHI+ | | James Madison Rescheduled from January 5 | W 72–66 | 11–10 (6–5) | 27 – Wynter | 13 – Williams | 6 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (743) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 10, 2022 7:00 p.m., NBCSPHI+ | | Hofstra | L 73–83 | 11–11 (6–6) | 19 – Williams | 6 – Martin | 4 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (838) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 12, 2022 2:00 p.m. | | Northeastern | W 67–51 | 12–11 (7–6) | 22 – Bell | 7 – Wynter | 7 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (872) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 14, 2022 7:00 p.m. | | at Charleston Rescheduled from December 29 | L 75–79 | 12–12 (7–7) | 21 – Washington | 11 – Williams | 8 – Wynter | TD Arena (3,516) Charleston, SC |
| February 17, 2022 7:00 p.m. | | at William & Mary | W 72–57 | 13–12 (8–7) | 14 – Wynter | 9 – Butler | 3 – tied | Kaplan Arena (2,295) Williamsburg, VA |
| February 19, 2022 4:00 p.m. | | at Elon | W 71–60 | 14–12 (9–7) | 12 – Martin | 8 – Williams | 4 – Wynter | Schar Center (2,456) Elon, NC |
| February 24, 2022 7:00 p.m., NBCSPHI | | UNC Wilmington | L 63–69 | 14–13 (9–8) | 20 – Williams | 19 – Williams | 4 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (690) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 26, 2022 4:00 p.m., NBCSPHI | | Charleston | W 80–79 | 15–13 (10–8) | 18 – Wynter | 11 – Williams | 5 – Wynter | Daskalakis Athletic Center (1,184) Philadelphia, PA |
| CAA tournament |||||||||
| March 6, 2022 2:30 p.m. | (4) | vs. (5) Delaware Quarterfinal | L 56–66 | 15–14 | 28 – Wynter | 10 – Martin | 2 – Butler | Entertainment and Sports Arena (1,811) Washington, D.C. |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
Source:

## Awards
### James Butler

* Preseason CAA All-Conference First Team
* "Sweep" Award (team leader in rebounds)

### Luke House

* Donald Shank Spirit & Dedication Award

### Matej Juric

* CAA Dean Ehlers Leadership Award
* Team Academic Award

### Melik Martin

* City of Basketball Love All–City 6 Second Team

### Amari Williams

* CAA Defensive Player of the Year
* CAA All-Conference Third Team
* CAA All-Defensive Team
* City of Basketball Love Most Improved Player
* CAA Player of the Week
* Dragon "D" Award (team's top defensive player)
* Samuel D. Cozen Award (team's most improved player)

### Camren Wynter

* CAA All-Conference First Team
* City of Basketball Love All–City 6 First Team
* Preseason CAA Player of the Year
* Preseason CAA All-Conference First Team
* Team Most Valuable Player
* Assist Award (team leader in assists)