Aaron Bracy

By AARON BRACY   November 22, 2025 Big5Hoops.com It took Penn just 11 minutes, 17 seconds to walk to Drexel’s campus for Friday night’s crucial Big 5 contest at the DAC. The road back to respectability has been seemingly as short in Fran McCaffery’s first year at the helm of his alma mater. The Quakers dominated Drexel in a fashion that is rarely seen … [Read more...] about Aaron Bracy’s Big 5 Column: Fran McCaffery has Penn back on track to be Penn again

By AARON BRACY November 7, 2025 Big5Hoops.com Time will tell if Steve Donahue will have success as Saint Joseph’s head coach. One thing that he has nailed so far is expressing his genuine love and passion for the school and the basketball program. Donahue has been saying at every opportunity how much the school and the job mean to him since his elevation to head … [Read more...] about Aaron Bracy’s Big 5 Column: Saint Joseph’s coach Steve Donahue generating enthusiasm with his passion for the program

By AARON BRACY October 31, 2025 Big5Hoops.com The Big 5 has gone three consecutive seasons without a team in the NCAA tournament. On paper, the chances of the sad streak ending this season do not look great. However, the games, as we know, are not played on paper. Every team in the city will have its chance to prove prognosticators wrong when the season tips off for … [Read more...] about Will the Big 5 break a three-year NCAA tournament drought? (The team with the best chance might surprise you)

By AARON BRACY October 2, 2025 Big5Hoops.com Darris Nichols and La Salle grabbed a lot of attention at Atlantic 10 Media Day on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, both for the Explorers’ approach to playing this season and the mantra that has accompanied it. It’s called “Rebound That Jawn.” The Explorers wear T-shirts with the saying in practice, and Explorers who pound the … [Read more...] about Atlantic 10 Media Day Notebook: La Salle’s ‘Rebound That Jawn’ Grabs Attention

By AARON BRACY September 17, 2025 Big5Hoops.com          From eighth grade on, Phil Martelli wanted to coach Saint Joseph’s University. He became enamored with coaching from watching games at the Palestra, where he would take a trolley from his childhood home in Southwest Philadelphia for Big 5 doubleheaders. While other kids … [Read more...] about ‘A Soaring Season’ Chapter 2 excerpt: Phil Martelli’s Dream Job