PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel Dragons opened their 2024-25 season with a tremendous 95- 43 victory over Georgian Court. Although a win is expected when playing a Division II school, the Dragons showcased a lot of connection and strength for such a young team.
The CAA coach’s poll ranked Drexel 11th entering this season, after losing eight of their top ten scorers from last season, leaving only junior Kobe Magee and fifth-year Yame Butler. It was Butler who opened the scoring for the Dragons, sinking a three in the first minute, before newly transferred guard Jason Drake took a shot to the face and was taken out with a bloody nose.
Early in the game, Drexel’s perimeter defense suffocated the Lions, holding them scoreless for the first six minutes. After triples from Butler, Victor Panov, and Magee to open the game, Butler drove through traffic to hit a contested layup, seemingly with ease.
After two successful free throw attempts from big man Cole Hargrove, Butler found red shirt freshman Horace Simmons, who splashed a shot from beyond the arc, making it 16-0 Drexel. A minute later, coming off a fast break pass from freshman Josh Reed, Simmons again was good from three, starting off what would be an incredible debut for the forward.
Simmons committed to Drexel following a big senior season at local LaSalle College high school, where he averaged 14 points and over seven rebounds a night, good for an All-Catholic League Second Team selection. Last season, the forward red shirted, which was a “mature decision,” in the mind of Drexel Head Coach Zach Spiker. Simmons came off the bench for the Dragons on Monday night, but would finish his first game, one deep shot away from a school record.
After shooting 2/2 from three in the first half, Simmons proceeded to hit four successful threes in under three minutes. Then, with under five minutes to play, Simmons hit back to back threes on consecutive drives, bringing his total to eight for the day, and six in a row. The 6’6” rookie finished Monday night with a team high 24 points, all coming from his 8/9 shooting from three. Simmons’ eight three-pointers were one off from tying Drexel’s school record of nine, set in 1994 by Mike Wisler.
“It’s no surprise to any of you who had a chance to come by and watch us in practice,” Spiker said following the game. “Horace is a lights out shooter.”
It was an offseason well spent for Simmons, who credited hard work as the key to finding immense success in his first collegiate game. “[I] got a lot of reps up, that built confidence, so when the game came, I was prepared.” Simmons acknowledged student manager Armaan Sanghavi for helping him get extra practice, and helping him stay ready to go. “Coach is always telling me, stay ready, stay confident, and that’s just what I did.”
It was a strong day of three point shooting for the Dragons, as the team shot 62.5 percent (15/24), the most completed by the team since 2022, when they set a record of 17 against Delaware State. The record book needs updating, however, as a +30 rebound margin and a 21.5 opponent field goal percentage, both broke school records.
The Dragons face one of their toughest opponents on Saturday, as they face the Colgate Raiders. Colgate enters the season following six straight regular season titles, four straight conference championships, and four straight NCAA tournament appearances, holding the spot as the top dog in the Patriot League. Saturday marks the sixth all-time matchup between the schools, the last in 2003, with Drexel having won all five contests.
Colgate’s head coach Matt Langel and Drexel’s Zach Spiker have some history of their own, from Spiker’s time as head coach of Army, who are Patriot League rivals with the Raiders. Army and Colgate met ten times under the two coaches, with Spiker holding a 7-3 record. The Patriot League’s preseason poll named Colgate top of the conference once more, making Saturday a season-defining battle for the Dragons.