The next George Mason?
Well, Drexel won't get a shot at replicating that Cinderella run - at least not in the NCAA Tournament this year.
The Dragons instead garnered a 3-seed in the NIT tournament and will face No. 6 North Carolina State tonight at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
However, with wins over Villanova and Syracuse on the road, as well as a 23-8 record, Drexel was a bubble team seeking its first tournament appearance since 1996. That year the Dragons defeated Memphis in the first round of the West Regional before falling to Syracuse.
Drexel players gathered on Sunday night, listening for their ticket to the Big Dance. But it was not to be.
Dragons coach Bruiser Flint has been dodging phone calls offering condolences and won't dwell on the committee's decision.
"I don't take it personally, every year somebody is Drexel," Flint said. "I've always looked at it as, you know what, we're going to play again this week, so I've never looked at it as the end of the world."
This will be Drexel's fourth appearance in the NIT in Flint's six seasons with the team. However, the Dragons have failed to get any further than the first round, despite taking Buffalo into overtime two years ago.
The Dragons may have an edge over a battered N.C. State.
After a run deep into the ACC tournament, culminating with a 89-80 loss to North Carolina in the championship game, the Wolfpack will play their fifth game in six days tonight with key players nursing injuries.
The Dragons, who exited the CAA tournament in the semifinals after a loss to VCU, will be more rested.
But Flint isn't thinking about that.
"All five guys are pretty good passers," he said. N.C. State is a "tough team to guard actually. They'll give us some tough matchups."
And Dragons guard Dominick Mejia knows this all too well - he spent a year at N.C. State before transferring in 2004.
If N.C. State can hang with the Tar Heels, they will no doubt be a challenge for Flint and Drexel.
