The Drexel men’s basketball program secured a commitment from the highest-rated recruit in its history when Archbishop Wood combo guard Caleb Lundy verbally committed to play for head coach Zach Spiker and the Dragons last month.
The South Jersey native held offers from Albany, Rhode Island, and rival Big 5 programs in Temple, La Salle, and Saint Joseph’s.
Lundy, a three-star recruit according to 247 Sports, is a top 150 recruit in the country in the class of 2027. The first-team All-Philadelphia Catholic
League Selection surpassed Mate Okros, who played at Drexel from 2019-2024 and was a part of the Dragons’ 2021 team that made the NCAA Tournament, to become the highest-ranked recruit in program history.
“After hearing the staff’s vision for me and how excited they were about me and my game, I felt comfortable. It felt like home,” Lundy said.
Lundy knew that Drexel was the place for him after seeing how Spiker and his staff treated not just him, but his entire family on a visit this year. The visit turned into a near all-day affair that went beyond just the basketball facility.
“I was on a visit that lasted six or seven hours. Coach Spiker not only made me feel comfortable, but my whole family that was with me. My parents, my two sisters, and my cousin. After seeing that, I knew that was the spot for me,” Lundy said.
Okros came to University City by way of Debrecen, Hungary, and Myerscough College, right outside Preston, England. Lundy will have a much shorter ride to 34th and Market Streets coming from Archbishop Wood in Warminster, just outside Philadelphia city limits. Lundy will follow in the footsteps of a couple of former Vikings players in recent memory who, after their playing days at Wood, then took their talents to play for Drexel, including Spiker.
Justin Moore, who will now come to the Daskalakis Athletic Center as a visitor after transferring to Hofstra this offseason, started 52 games for Drexel between 2022 and 2024 before transferring to Loyola-Chicago. Drexel’s rising junior guard Josh Reed saw a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore year, appearing in all 33 games for the Dragons and raising his points-per-game average from 1.2 as a freshman to 7.9 as a sophomore.
Lundy’s high school head coach, John Mosco, the all-time winningest coach at Archbishop Wood, trusts in Spiker and staff to help Lundy develop as a basketball player and person in University City.
“Spiker has been to a lot of our games, even when he wasn’t recruiting. He’s always been around our program. He’s a good guy, and we trust him,” said Mosco.
“He’s done right by Justin Moore and Josh Reed. He even recruited Tommy Funk when he was at Army. He likes our kids and the trust is mutual with him and this program,” he added.
In addition to being under the tutelage of Mosco, Lundy has two assistant coaches, Mike Jordan and Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble, who are helping him develop as a player and prepare for the college game. Both Jordan and Kimble’s credentials speak for themselves with their success as college players, and they are excellent people for Lundy to have in his corner as he gets ready to set foot on Drexel’s campus around this time next year.
“[Caleb] has been great for our program and has been coached well. Lamarr Kimble played for me at Neumann Goretti. Mike Jordan spent a lot of time at Colgate and was a head coach at Lafayette. Caleb is a sponge and takes what those guys are telling him and what to get better at, and has done a great job.”
Kimble played his high school basketball at Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philadelphia, under legendary high school coach Carl Arrigale, where Mosco served as an assistant coach during Kimble’s playing days. Kimble played for the Saints in the midst of a stretch where Arrigale’s teams went on to win six straight Philadelphia Catholic League championships and earn the right to cut down the nets at The Palestra.
Kimble then turned a decorated high school career into a five-year college career, spending four seasons at Saint Joseph’s under Phil Martelli. Kimble earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Freshman team during the 2015-2016 season.
He then spent a year playing at Louisville, and after a stint playing overseas in the British Basketball league, finds himself coaching in the same league that he once starred in.
In addition to Kimble, Jordan was not only a terrific college player at Penn but also had plenty of coaching experience at the Division 1 level.
Jordan finished his college career as one of the most decorated players in Penn history, winning Ivy League Player of the Year in 2000 and being a three-time All-Ivy League and All-Big 5 performer.
Following an international basketball career that lasted over a decade, Jordan got into the coaching ranks at Colgate, coaching under his former co-star at Penn, Matt Langel. After being at Colgate from 2012-2020, Jordan ended up back in his hometown of Philadelphia, spending a season at Drexel where Lundy will take the court next season.
Jordan spent the 2020-2021 season as an assistant coach at Drexel, where the Dragons won the CAA Tournament and clinched the conference’s automatic bid to March Madness amidst a COVID-ravaged season. Jordan thinks that Drexel, Spiker, and the CAA are a good fit for Lundy as he transitions from the high school game to the Division 1 level.
“I think [the CAA] is a good level for Caleb, for his skill set and the things that he’s capable of doing,” Jordan said. “The style of play that Drexel will play is conducive to the things that he can do well. Caleb’s got some buzz in the city, and for him to stay home and have that support is a good fit for all parties.”
“He’s got long arms, and he’s athletic. He can dribble, pass, and shoot. He has all the things that coaches covet. He’s not one dimensional and can score at all three levels. He can get out in transition, he can get to the rim, he can shoot threes and has deep range. Caleb’s a really talented player.”
Jordan’s year at Drexel saw him help run Drexel’s “PEP” program, which stands for Player Enhancement Program, that Spiker and his staff has excelled at during his time in University City. Time and time again, Drexel’s in-house development has been to the program’s success as not only the Dragons, but the CAA as a whole see a mass exodus of players to the transfer portal after each season. Drexel’s development of returning players keeps them competitive with any roster turnover, an inevitability in their conference. Jordan, who had a hand in this process himself, sees the development part as key for Lundy.
“I feel like Spiker does a good job with delegating responsibilities and with player development, allowing guys to play to their strengths. I think they’ll continue that same path with Caleb in developing him,” said Jordan.
Although there’s still a year until Lundy hits the court at Drexel, there’s excitement already building for when he steps foot on campus. A proclaimed ball of energy by Mosco and Jordan, Lundy is a perfect fit for the always energetic Spiker.
“Me and Coach Spiker talked pretty much every day during my recruitment. He’s got a ton of energy and I think we’re a good fit. We both bring a lot of energy,” said Lundy.
As Lundy continues to grow under the tutelage of Mosco, Jordan, and Kimble for his final high school season before departing for Drexel, his message is simple to Dragons fans for when he arrives.
“Most importantly, I just want to get Drexel back to playing in the NCAA Tournament. I want to win and get the program back,” said Lundy. “They’re getting a winner. I promise you that Drexel is getting a winner.”
