As the buzz of the approaching Holiday season grows, so does the excitement for the annual Big 5 Classic.
To get excited about the Classic, it is first important to know what it is. The Big Five is an early-season college basketball tournament competition between the six Division I colleges in and around the Philadelphia area — Temple, St. Joseph’s, Villanova, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and La Salle. The six schools are divided into two pods: Pod 1 featuring Drexel, La Salle and Temple and Pod 2 including Penn, St. Joe’s and Villanova. Each team plays the other two teams from their pod at their individual campus arenas. Then, all teams participate in the Toyota Big 5 Classic at the Wells Fargo Center. The first seed in each pod will compete for the Big 5 championship, the second-place teams in each pod compete for third place, and the third seeds compete for fifth place.
Drexel men’s basketball’s 5-4 overall record might not be the most ideal, but the team has shown substantial vigor in their more recent games — with their losses only being by a few points. Most notably was their win against Chicago State (83-71), in which players Kobe MaGee and Yame Butler scored an impressive 23 and 20 points. Not a week later, Butler scored a season high 28 points in the game versus Bryant. Yet, it was not enough to defeat the Bulldogs, with the Dragons losing by five points.
As the countdown to the Big 5 Classic’s tip-off dwindled down, the stadium started to buzz with energy as more and more eager fans entered the arena. Dragons showed their spirit as the student section loudly cheered for the players, drowning out the fleeting cheers of the Quakers’ smaller student section.
The first half of the game started with Drexel players Victor Panov, MaGee, Jason Drake, Cole Hargrove and Butler taking the court. For the Quakers, players Nick Spinoso, Michelangelo Oberti, Dylan Williams, Sam Brown and Ethan Roberts started the game.
The ball entered play as the Quakers won the tip off. A basket by Quaker Spinoso marked the first points of the game, however, it was quickly followed by a three from Drexel’s Panov — which caused the traditional Big 5 streamers being thrown onto the court from Drexel’s student section.
Not five minutes into the first half of the game, Drexel’s Hargrove dunked two baskets, placing him as the lead in Drexel’s scoring. The game is an emphasis on the amazing work Junior forward Cole Hargrove has been showing this season. For the starting half of this season alone, his season highs include the 19 points he put up against Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 25.
The first half of the game ended in a 30-30 tie.The lead scorer for the Dragons in the first half of the game was a tie between Hargrove and Butler — both with six points. They were followed by Blakeney and MaGee, each of whom had four points. Drexel led in rebounds with a total of 19, seven of which were due to Hargrove.
Halftime was filled with games and cheers, as well as a stellar performance by the Drexel dance team. With the game tied, anticipation for the next half was high.
The second half began with a two pointer from Penn player Spinoso, setting the Quakers ahead. However, Drexel quickly closed the gap once again, tying the game. With nine minutes left on the clock, Drexel led with 46 points to Penn’s 38 points.
The game ended with a score of 60-47, with Drexel coming out as the victor.
The steady leading scorer for Drexel continued to be Cole Hargrove, who ended the game with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and an assist. He was followed by Kobe MaGee, who had 12 points and five rebounds and two assists and Yame Butler who had 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
The excitement created during the Big 5 tournament has left players and fans alike eager for the next season’s tournament.
“We got a great opportunity to create more exposure for the city of Philadelphia as well as Drexel,” said Coach Zach Spiker. The Classic has created a hum of energy, even during finals, that boosts morale throughout the Drexel campus.
With it being a tightly-contested game and a unique opportunity to play their inter-city rival, Coach Spiker said, “It was a gold jersey game and our guys responded accordingly. It’s an honor to be here and we love being a part of the Big 5.”