Note: this post was written based on your responses to the pre-season survey. Thanks to those who responded!
It’s the eve of our second Drago Derby – the coaching matchup between Bulgarian immigrants and Pittsburgh adoptees Ogyan and Kostadin Dragomirov. On the eve of this second showdown between Oggy and Dinko (their preferred names), the Post-Gazette took the time to survey basketball fans from the greater Pittsburgh area to get an idea of how the two brothers are viewed.
Oggy, the older of the two twins, is the 2
nd year head coach of the Northern Colorado Bears. He took this job over after 5 years on the Robert Morris basketball team and several years on their staff. Dinko, the more talented of the two twins, had his career cut short at Duquesne after a serious car accident (that also left his now wife, Stephanie, unable to walk). Dinko is now the head coach at nearby St. Francis University, commuting from his home in Pittsburgh to coach.
Neither brother had a significant advantage in terms of being favored by the public, but depending on your measure of success, either brother could be a clear winner.
Question
| Oggy (UNC)
| Dinko (SFU)
|
Who is your favorite Bulgarian brother?
| 49%
| 51%
|
Which brother will have a better 2020-21 season?
| 73%
| 27%
|
Which brother will be the first to take a new job?
| 94%
| 6%
|
Which brother will be the first to get an NBA job?
| 91%
| 9%
|
Which brother will be the first to win an NCAA or NBA title?
| 29%
| 71%
|
Among the public, both brothers seem to be well regarded, with allegiance being based on alma mater or their coaching style. Yes – alma mater. In a surprise to this report, there were several responses like this one: “I went to Northern Colorado so I’ll be rooting hard for Oggy!”
However, the public was able to put aside their preferences when it came to predicting success, as there were clear favorites for all the other questions.
Coming off of the NCAA tournament berth, 73% of fans are predicting that Oggy and Northern Colorado will have a better season, flying in the face of the expert predictions of the Bears finishing at or near the bottom of the Big Sky Conference. That predicted success, combined with Oggy’s well-documented drive, has an astounding 94% of fans predicting he will be the first brother to take a new job. However, one quick look at Dinko and his priorities makes this unsurprising. The towering younger brother has made it very clear that his wife and parents are a top priority in his life and that means staying in the Pittsburgh area.
One respondent believes that there is a link between his prediction of Oggy going to the NBA first and Dinko winning a title first. “Oggy will make the jump first, giving Dinko more time in college to win a title.” Another resident had similar sentiments. “I think Oggy will build off the tourney appearance and achieve more initial success with jobs, but not the first title.”
Game Preview
Turning to the court, St. Francis
handily beat Northern Colorado last season. After a tumultuous offseason, Oggy will have his work cut out for him to beat his younger brother, even in Greeley. The Red Flash bring back all 5 starters, including team captain and sharpshooter Noah Almond.
Here’s how the expert analysts at College Hooks 2K rate the two teams.
As you can see, the Red Flash have clear advantages in several areas like shooting, and are nearly even when it comes to defense and coaching. Even though the Bears are at home, they are going to need to play a slow-paced game that allows them to take advantage of their slight size advantage, defense, and rebounding. If they are slow on their rotations or allow this to become a track meet, Oggy and his team may be in for a long night.