Drexel is coming off a blowout win in the season opener against Georgian Court

The Drexel men’s basketball team ended the season at home against Division II opponent Georgian Court. The Dragons took care of business against an inferior opponent and decimated the Lions, 95-43.

These are our conclusions from the game.

Simmons beams

Horace Simmons Jr. was a highly regarded recruit out of La Salle College High School. After redshirting last season, the 6-foot-4 forward was finally able to stand out in his first collegiate game.

» READ MORE: Drexel will tip off the season next week. Here’s what to watch on both the men’s and women’s sides.

From the moment he entered the game off the bench, Simmons showed that his reputation as a deadly three-point shooter was not exaggerated. In his 21 minutes of action, Simmons scored 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting, all of which came from behind the arc.

Of his performance, Simmons said he “stayed ready and stayed confident,” and as each shot continued to fall for the rookie, “his confidence continued to grow.”

After a performance like that, it would be difficult to keep Simmons on the pine for long in any given game.

Pointguard problems?

After losing Justin Moore and Jamie Bergen to the transfer portal, the point guard position was a big question mark for coach Zach Spiker. Spiker turned to junior Jason “Deuce” Drake to start at one.

Drake struggled to get out of the way in traffic at the hoop, finishing 0-for-5 from the floor and collecting all six of his points from the free-throw line. This is a concern as Georgian Court has rolled out probably the least physically imposing frontcourt the Dragons will see all season.

Behind Drake, freshman Josh Reed also struggled. Reed shot 2-for-7 from the floor, including 1-for-4 from the free-throw line.

If the point guard spot remains an issue, the quickest reinforcement will come when Kevon Vanderhorst eventually returns from a broken wrist.

Spiker needs stronger point guard play from Drake and Reed for the team to beat the talented teams that await them in Colgate (Nov. 9) and their Big 5 pod matches against La Salle and Temple.

» READ MORE: Drexel hoops gives players the opportunity to attend top programs. Zach Spiker sees beauty behind that.

Great men, a great relief

Like point guard, the center position had uncertainty during the season. Although all three of Drexel’s big men were physically more capable than Georgian Court’s, a few of them turned in strong performances.

In 21 minutes, starting center Cole Hargrove contributed nine points and collected eight boards. One area he can improve is finishing through contact.

Particularly impressive was Clemson Edomwonyin. In just eight minutes, the freshman filled the stat sheet with five points, five rebounds, two blocks and three assists. The big man’s athleticism stands out and he can almost jump out of the gym. Both of his blocks looked more like a volleyball game than a typical basketball block.

While there are bigger tasks ahead of them, they could be a bigger strength of this team than initially thought.

Kobe and Yama star

The two players who will have to shoulder the biggest responsibilities this season are junior Kobe MaGee and senior Yame Butler. Both were sensational in the season opener. Both shot 5-for-9 from the floor, with MaGee finishing with 14 and Butler with 13.

MaGee showed a strong three-point stroke, shooting 4-for-8 from deep.

Butler played with his skills, namely his phenomenal one-on-one skills. Butler reached the cup whenever he wanted, driving through traffic in all kinds of acrobatic ways. The senior should be able to flourish on this new Dragons team.