The season starts tonight, and we’re going to be catching up on previews for all six city teams throughout the weekend. Our first installment was about Villanova. Our second, which appears below, covers Your Drexel Dragons. Enjoy.

Let’s go back to the beginning of last year for a moment, not that it’s actually possible or anything. But looking back at the start of the 2008-09 season, Drexel was picked to finish dead last in the Colonial Athletic Association. Yet, by season’s end, the Dragons wound up winning 10 games in the CAA and were 15-14 overall. When all was said and done, coach Bruiser Flint wound up being named the CAA’s coach of the year. And now, this season.

More after the jump.

This time around, the Dragons have been picked seventh in the 12-team CAA. They lost Scott Rodgers Tramayne Hawthorne from last year’s team, but that’s actually both a plus and a minus. On the plus side, the Dragons have plenty back. But on the minus, they don’t have much back that has actually shown it’s capable of performing that most basic of basketball tasks: putting the ball in the basket. Rodgers was the Dragons’ lone player to average in double figures, and Drexel’s shooting percentage of 37.2 ranked 328th out of 330 Division I teams. And from the arc,the Dragons knocked down just 29.3 percent, which is get-out-the-hard-hats-and-duck bad.

That inability to shoot cost the Dragons several games, no doubt. The Daily News‘ preview today notes that they lost their last three regular-season games by just one point. And yet, Drexel was able to beat teams because it could rebound and defend. And that should be no different this time around.

According to The Inquirer’s preview, Drexel is motivated by being picked seventh. But, really, is such motivation needed? They know what they have to do. 6-1 Gerald Colds is a three-year starter at PG and the team’s top returning scorer (9.0 ppg). 5-10 Jamie Harris is also back, as is 6-8 Evan Neisler, who averaged nearly seven rebounds per game. Neisler wil be joined by front by 6-9 Kenny Tribbett and 6-8 Leon Spencer, plus the addition of 6-9 Daryl McCoy. A player to watch will be 6-5 sophomore Samme Givens, who played well as a freshman. Givens’ younger brother, Shannon, is a 6-0 freshman. Redshirt frosh Chris Fouch (6-0) is ready to go, and the Daily News said he actually shot 46 percent from the arc during his senior season of high school two years ago. Which can’t hurt. And Derrick Thomas, at 6-4, should provide some needed size and depth in the backcourt.

OUR PREDICTION: We don’t think the Dragons are good enough to be in the upper echelon of the CAA, but with their rugged style, we do think they have a chance to be in that next group after Old Dominion, Northeastern and Virginia Commonwealth, provided they can make some shots. Drexel can’t be any worse at that than it was last year, can it?

Links: 2009-10 Villanova season preview [BIG FIVE POST]
Drexel picked seventh in CAA [BIG FIVE POST]
Drexel at a glance [Daily News]
Motivation for Drexel [The Inquirer]