Drexel feels left in cold

Lee Goldsmith's, "Standing Room Only," Fall '95 A sold-out Palestra and an enthusiastic crowd. Free Big 5 T-shirts. And of course, an entertaining Big 5 doubleheader. Well, two out of three ain't bad. You see, having grown up in the Philly area, I was especially excited for the first Palestra Big 5 doubleheader in nearly a decade. But herein lies the irony -- with Drexel involved, it wasn't an all-Big 5 event. Despite a growing sentiment to include the Dragons in the city series and create a Big 6 of sorts, no such actions have occurred. And as it turns out, that was the only thing wrong with Tuesday's twinbill. In light of Villanova's unfortunate decision to stop playing every city rival, and considering the recent success of the Dragons, why not give 33rd Street's other NCAA Tournament team a chance? As things stand presently, the Dragons are left out in the cold. They represent a small school trying desperately to make a name for itself in the big-time world of Division I college hoops. It is by no means a simple process. Drexel plays in the North Atlantic Conference, which actually gets less exposure and mention than the Ancient Eight. When your biggest conference games are against the likes of Maine and Delaware, recognition is pretty hard to come by. Games against other Philly teams could help the Dragons immensely -- both on the court and off. I'm not suggesting there is a perfect solution. There is no magic wand for the city's coaches and athletic directors to wave. Instead, there are conference obligations, television contracts, and a wide variety of other NCAA scheduling mandates and difficulties. But there also is room for change. Villanova does continue to distance itself. For these reasons, an effort should be made to give Drexel a game or two in the city series. It would bring new blood and new fans into a tradition unlike any other in college athletics. Of the five city teams, only St. Joseph's has agreed to play the Dragons. Last year, Drexel visited Hawk Hill and lost a 65-64 overtime thriller. And those of you who left after the Quakers beat La Salle Tuesday night missed another great game. Coach Bill Herrion's feisty bunch once again gave the Hawks all they could handle before falling, 78-73. The Dragons are a competitive club and Big 5 teams cannot afford to risk another loss. La Salle played at Maryland. Temple faced Cincinnati. Villanova visited North Carolina. We're all well aware of Penn's games at UMass and Michigan. With such strong schedules, why would these teams want to play a tough Drexel team instead of some cupcake? After all, city wars often lead to upsets. The answer is they wouldn't. But they should -- for the sake of Philadelphia college basketball. The Quakers in particular seem blessed with an opportunity to take such a step. The Michigan game was set up for Shawn Trice. The UMass game was scheduled by ESPN. Neither contest is part of a home-and-home series, so two spots on Penn's schedule may be open. Furthermore, the Quakers continue to play non-conference games with teams like FDU, Lehigh and Lafayette. A game at the Palestra against Drexel would certainly generate more excitement than contests with such little-known opponents. It would be a fun game for the fans, with only a city street separating the schools. In explaining why he agreed to play the Quakers this year, UMass coach John Calipari had some interesting things to say. Before his Minutemen hit the top, it wasn't easy for him to get games against quality teams. And without quality games, it's hard to gain respect. Although it may not seem like it after the game, there was a risk in playing the Quakers. There was little to gain and much to lose by hosting Penn. But Calipari looked at Fran Dunphy this season and saw a coach in a position that looked very familiar. And he did the right thing. If at all possible, Dunphy should look at Bill Herrion and do the same. Lee Goldsmith is a College junior from Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian. He is also Dick Vitale's "guy".