In 6-foot-5 senior forward Samme Givens, Drexel has one of the conference's most accomplished frontcourt performers, averaging 11.6 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Junior guard Chris Fouch, who began slowly while recovering from offseason knee surgery, is a scoring threat off the bench. He recently scored his 1,000th career point.
Guard Derrick Thomas and 6-9 forward Daryl McCoy don't always light up the stat sheet, but they do the intangibles that Flint demands. Thomas saved Drexel in its last game, scoring 16 points.
So there are many components that have contributed to Drexel's overcoming its 2-4 start, yet the biggest reason for such success may be the addition of a key newcomer and a second player with an entirely new arsenal.
Drexel uses a three-guard starting lineup, and two of those backcourt performers, sophomore Frantz Massenat and freshman Damion Lee, have elevated the play of a team that was picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association but still may be exceeding expectations.
Both guards have good size and a high basketball IQ. The 6-4 Massenat is in his second season as a starting point guard. The 6-6 Lee is a shooting guard with a smooth stroke who, despite his youth, revels in taking and making the big shot.
"Frantz Massenat has been playing as well as anybody in the league, in my opinion," Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. "Damion Lee has been right near the top of what is an outstanding freshman class in the CAA."
Massenat, who guided Trenton Catholic to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title during his senior year, stepped right into the Drexel starting lineup last year as a freshman. A year ago, he would have been described as a pass-first, pass-second, and pass-third point guard.
Massenat started every game as a freshman and averaged just 5.5 ppg.
This season, he's the leading scorer on a balanced Drexel team, averaging 13.7 points.
So, what gives?
