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Drexel adds Tennessee transfer Amaree Abram
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- Drexel adds Tennessee transfer Amaree Abram
PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel men's basketball program added Tennessee transfer Amaree Abram, the school announced Tuesday.
"We are excited to add someone of Amaree's experience and caliber to our program," head coach Zach Spiker said. "Adding Amaree allows us to add depth and experience."
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Abram, who was a part of a lawsuit in Louisiana that granted a fifth year of eligibility to college athletes who graduated high school in 2022, always planned to come back to college if the court allowed it, even after pondering a pro career in Europe.
"I had heard things about getting a fifth year even before I decided to go pro," Abram said. "It was in my best interest to go back to college from the get go. I just wasn't sure of the timing, and if I was going to be eligible or not, but it worked out… I feel like Drexel is a good fit for me and the coaches have my best interests."
It was a quick process given the timing of Abram's court ruling in relation to the calendar, as the Dragons open up their season at Virginia on Nov. 3. Assistant coach Tim Brooks started the initial conversations with Abram and his camp, and Abram was able to get on campus for a visit within a week of his first contact with Drexel.
A few days after his visit, Abram made the decision to go forward with Drexel and begin the process of getting him admitted into school. Despite being added so late with all the logistics that needed to be worked out behind the scenes, Spiker and his staff are confident that they've landed a key piece to their program with a veteran player like Abram.
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"Every decision we make as a staff, we're trying to improve our personnel and our opportunity to win," Spiker said. "When we add players we're really comprehensive. We did our research and feel very confident with Amaree. He's been incredibly mature and professional in this process."
Abram fills an experience element that the Dragons were missing. There's just three players returning from last year's team — Josh Reed, Dillon Tingler and Martin de LaPorterie — that have played 20 or more minutes in a Division-I game. With four years of playing experience at four different schools, three of which are at the power-conference level, Abram fills a void for the team, and Spiker sees a real opportunity for him to lead the young Dragons.
"I feel like I fit perfectly because we have a young group of guys," Abram said. "With me coming in and being older, I can be a leader. I can give my knowledge on and off the court, keep the guys together and be a coach on the court."
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"He's got a great opportunity to be a voice and be a mentor," Spiker said. "I like our talent level, but we are lacking in experience. If you look at his career, he's played more than everybody in our program."
Abram, a native of Port Arthur, Texas, has been well travelled across the South during his four years in college, each of which he's spent at a different school. He started his career at Ole Miss, starting 22 games for the Rebels as a freshman. He enjoyed individual success while in Oxford, but head coach Kermit Davis was fired prior to the end of the 2022-23 season.
Abram then moved on to Georgia Tech, playing for first-year coach Damon Stoudamire. He started the first four games of the season, then was limited to just six games the rest of the year. He just wasn't a fit for the team and the program that the new regime had envisioned.
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So, Abram transferred again, dropping from the power-conference level to Louisiana Tech in Conference USA, where he played the best basketball of his college tenure. Abram averaged career bests in points per game (12.6), 3-point shooting percentage (37.3%), and steals per game (1.5) most notably. He was very successful during his time in Ruston, but he wanted more for himself.
Abram wanted to get back to the power-conference level and opted to transfer to Tennessee and play for hall-of-fame coach Rick Barnes, an experience that he calls the best that he's had in the college game. Abram started three games for the Volunteers, whose season ended in the Elite Eight, losing to the eventual national champion Michigan.
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Without knowing his situation, an unfair moniker can be placed on guys like Abram, who are nomads in today's college sports landscape. However, he has taken something with him through every stop and is confident that he'll fit right in with Drexel.
"I feel that with every program I am at, they say great things about me, especially off the court," Abram said. "I have no off-court issues. I'm a great person to be around. I had different experiences at each program, and I learned how to deal with adversity at each one."
On the court, Abram has had an easy transition, especially on the defensive end. Drexel was a team that grinded out opponents last year, grading as the CAA's best overall defense, per KenPom. Coming from a defense first, and extremely physical Tennessee program, Abram is going to be right at home in University City.
"It's definitely been an easy transition, especially with the high intensity, high energy that Tennessee plays with," Abram said. "I've been a two-way player my whole life. It's nothing that I'm not used to."
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Offensively, Abram is already one of the best shooters on the team and has meshed well in a short period of time with a new-look group of guards for Drexel, who returns just one player: junior Josh Reed. Abram joins a backcourt of German Adrian Petković, Division-II LeMoyne-Owen transfer LaDricus Pittman, and a trio of freshman. He thinks he's fit in well, but that there's plenty of growth ahead as he integrates into a new team.
"They've been very welcoming on and off the court," Abram said. "I feel like we bond well. Nobody is above anyone here. We work well because there's a lot of talent, but we need to become a connected group and put that talent on display. We have to buy into our coaches."
Most importantly, Abram feels that he has a head coach in Spiker and a group of assistant coaches that have his best interest at heart. In the short time he's known Spiker, he's built a real relationship with him and appreciates his personal approach in a sport that's become transactional. With the fit that Abram has with the Dragons, as well as the people around him, he's confident that Drexel is the right spot for him to have the success he wants as his college career comes to a close after this year. He's excited for the opportunity ahead.
"Coach Spiker and I had a great relationship during my recruiting process," Abram said. "He's a really down-to-Earth guy and a great person. A lot of college basketball is business, but it's more than basketball for him. He really cares about his players.
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"I want to make the tournament and have an impact on the guys. Happiness is the most important thing. You should go where you're loved and where you are valued the most. I want to make this the best experience that I've had."
