SCHEDULE Nov 6 WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE (ex.) Nov 13 TEXAS SOUTHERN Nov 17 at Iowa State GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT Nov 24 Southern Utah Nov 26 Ball State/St. John’s Nov 27 TBA
DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Ames, Iowa
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Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, Alaska
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Dec 1 at Colorado State Dec 8 at Eastern Michigan Dec 12 BOISE STATE Dec 18 IOWA Dec 21 DARTMOUTH Dec 23 CHICAGO STATE Dec 29 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS * Jan 1 at Creighton * Jan 4 at Wichita State * Jan 7 BRADLEY * Jan 09 INDIANA STATE * Jan 12 at Evansville * Jan 15 WICHITA STATE * Jan 18 ILLINOIS STATE * Jan 22 at Northern Iowa * Jan 25 MISSOURI STATE * Jan 30 at Illinois State * Feb 2 at Southern Illinois * Feb 5 NORTHERN IOWA * Feb 8 CREIGHTON * Feb 12 at Indiana State * Feb 15 at Missouri State * Feb 18-19 ESPN BRACKETBUSTER Feb 23 EVANSVILLE * Feb 26 at Bradley * Mar 3-6 State Farm MVC Tournament
Fort Collins, Colo. Ypsilanti, Mich. DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Omaha, Neb. Wichita, Kan. DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Evansville, Ind. DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Cedar Falls, Iowa DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Normal, Ill. Carbondale, Ill. DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Terre Haute, Ind. Springfield, Mo. DRAKE KNAPP CENTER DRAKE KNAPP CENTER Peoria, Ill. St. Louis, Mo.
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2010-11 DRAKE BASKETBALL PREVIEW Gone are four seniors, including firstteam All-Missouri Valley Conference performer Josh Young, who graduated as the school’s career scoring leader, but what has emerged for Drake basketball is an infusion of youth and talent ready to take the Bulldogs to new heights. Graduation claimed Young, a three-year starter at guard, along with forward Adam Templeton who led the Valley in threepoint field goal percentage and ranked second in rebounding last year; twoyear starting point guard Craig Stanley; and key reserve Bill Eaddy who helped lead Drake to back-to-back post-season appearances in 2007-08 and 2008-09. What remains is a young roster with only one senior – guard Ryan Wedel – and the nucleus of the league’s top recruiting classes in each of the past two seasons. The players returning and the signees that step foot on the Drake Knapp Center court are as gifted as head coach Mark Phelps has enjoyed during his tenure at Drake. “We have a deeper, more athletic team and a longer team than we’ve had since I’ve been at Drake,” said Phelps. “It will allow us to be better on the defensive end and allow us to be up-tempo on offense and to really have an aggressive attacking style and mindset at both ends of the court.” The key to Drake’s success will be how quickly the seven returning letterwinners can mesh with six newcomers who are expected to contribute. “How soon we come together and develop that great team chemistry will clearly be a key to what kind of season we have,” said Phelps. “We have nine freshmen and sophomores, so gaining experience will be a factor.” Guards Wedel and Frank Wiseler and
sophomore center Seth VanDeest return as starters from last year’s team. The 5-foot 11-inch Wedel anchors the backcourt and is the team’s top returning scorer after averaging 11.1 points. Named to the MVC All-Newcomer team, Wedel started at point guard in 14 straight games to open the 2009-10 campaign before moving to off-guard. He scored in double figures in 19 games and ranked second in the MVC in steals. Wedel also led Drake with 66 threepoint baskets last year, but it is Wedel’s leadership that Phelps is counting on. “What Ryan [Wedel] does is provide leadership to other players through his actions,” said Phelps. “He really works hard by setting examples in team and individual workouts. I expect him to be a huge part of the leadership network within our team.” Wiseler, a junior, hopes to pick up where he left off from last season when he started the last 14 games at point guard. A member of the Luxembourg national team, Wiseler averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 assists for the Bulldogs last year. He was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 24 after averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in victories past Evansville and Wichita State. He tallied 10 points, seven assists and one steal in a home win vs. Creighton and then had career-high 12 assists against Wichita State. VanDeest drew raves with his game-by-game improvement in the post last year and was
rewarded by being named to the MVC AllFreshman Team. He started all 33 games at center, averaging 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent. He ranked second in the MVC in blocked shots with a Drake freshman singleseason school-record 45 (1.4 avg.). A two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, VanDeest ranked third on Drake freshman single-season scoring (279) and rebounding (139) charts. He had 20 points, while tying a career high with four blocked shots in a win against Creighton and also had career-high four blocked shots at Wichita State and at Evansville. But what has Phelps beaming about VanDeest’s continued development is what took place during the off-season when he grew an inch while adding 20 pounds of strength to his 6-11, 244-pound frame. “We expected Seth to pick up right where he left off last year when he established himself as a low post presence in our league,” said Phelps. “But more importantly than his growth is that valued year of experience that he
gained. We play offense through Seth. He makes great decisions when he is double teamed. He is an excellent passer. “We have to have a paint presence through dribble penetration or through the low post. It is one of the pillars of our program in terms of how we want to play.” With a year’s experience behind them, 6-8 sophomores Aaron Hawley, Ben Simons and Reece Uhlenhopp look to contribute more to the frontline fortunes. Simons averaged 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds while starting in 13 games for Drake last year. He possesses a strong perimeter game, scoring a career-high 24 points against Iowa State, while hitting a career-high five three-point baskets at Indiana State. Hawley can play both inside and outside after averaging 4.7 points and 2.0 rebounds last year. He had a career-high 16 points in 19 minutes to key a victory at Austin Peay, making two three-point baskets down the stretch. He matched that career high with 16 points, including a career-high three treys, and seven rebounds against North Dakota and then collected 11 points and a career-high eight rebounds in his MVC debut against Bradley. Uhlenhopp also has the combination of being physical in the paint while displaying a soft touch from the outside. “Ben, Reece and Aaron have worked on gaining additional strength during the off-season,” Phelps said. “They will be better having been through the MVC for one year. That year of experience in their hip pocket will serve them well.” Simons capped off his freshman campaign by joining VanDeest on the Global Sports Academy All-Stars, made up of players from the Big Ten and the
MVC, that played five games in Europe in August. “That was a great opportunity to get some experience on the international level,” said Phelps. The frontline fortunes are buoyed with the addition of 6-8 sophomore forward Jordan Clarke and 6-9 junior forward Kraidon Woods who provide athleticism, length and maturity. Clarke sat out last year after transferring from the University of Vermont where he was rated the top newcomer at forward in the America East Conference by Rivals. com. He played in the prestigious Capital Classic All-Star game in 2008 following his senior campaign at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Rockville, Md. Woods, a transfer from Binghamton, began his collegiate career at Arizona State where he played in 2007-08 and 2008-09. “Clarke and Woods are two athletic bookends that we haven’t had,” Phelps said. “It is exciting to think about what those guys can become. “Defensively when you throw in the mix of Hawley and Uhlenhopp as a unit, our frontline will have to rebound, defend and have a low post presence on the offensive end. They should take a burden off Seth (center VanDeest) and hopefully they can play off each other.” The Bulldogs are loaded with young, skilled depth in the backcourt and perimeter, led by freshman Rayvonte Rice, who was named the 2009-10 Gatorade Illinois Boys Basketball Player of the Year. The 6-4 Rice is an explosive athlete with exceptional physical skills while combining size, speed, strength and shooting ability. He averaged 23.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals as a senior, leading Centennial High School to third place in the 2010 Illinois Class 3A state tournament. He also was named the most valuable player of the 2009 Illinois Class 3A state tournament after directing Centennial to the state title. Jeremy Jeffers is a 6-6 freshman wing from Wilson, N.C., where he earned North
Carolina Independent School Class 1A all-state honors as a senior at Greenfield High School. Jeffers has excellent court vision for a player his size and has a smooth stroke behind the three-point arc. Junior guard Kurt Alexander earned first-team National Junior College Division II All-America honors in 2009 at Iowa Central Community College. He will add playmaking and scoring to the backcourt and has the ability to create shots for his teammates. Karl Madison, who earned third-team Illinois Class 3A all-state honors as a senior at Lamphier High School, is a courtsavy point guard with a high basketball IQ whose speed and quickness will be a welcomed addition. “Madison and Alexander are two players who can replace some of Craig Stanley’s speed and quickness,” Phelps added. “We’re excited about what can happen to Rice and Jeffers as they develop.” Phelps also plans to take advantage of 6-4 freshman redshirt David Smith, whom he describes as the team’s most versatile player. “He is another athletic, strong guard who can play the point or wing,” said Phelps. “David can make his mark as a defender and as a athlete who can get in the paint with the basketball and make plays for our team. He will be a big part of what we do this year.” This young Drake team will also try to take advantage of playing six straight nonconference games on the road to further the bonding process off the court. Following their season opener at home against Texas Southern, the Bulldogs travel to Iowa State, play three games at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, and then face road tests at Colorado State and Eastern Michigan. “There is a silver lining in playing that stretch of games on the road,” pointed out Phelps. “I think as they (players) come together – chemistry wise – it will help their play and performance on the court. We recruit like-minded kids who come from good families and are all about doing the right things.”
BULLDOG NOTABLES
DRAKE opens its 105th season of intercollegiate basketball at home, playing host to Texas Southern Nov. 13. The Bulldogs won the lone previous encounter between the teams, 78-71, Dec. 16, 1989, in Des Moines. TWELVE games against teams, which advanced to 2010 post-season play, highlight a 30-game schedule for Drake. The Missouri Valley Conference schedule features 12 games against Creighton, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Wichita State that competed in either the 2010 NCAA, NIT, CBI or CIT Tournaments. DRAKE will play 16 home games, including 15 regular-season contests. The Bulldogs will host Wisconsin-Parkside in a Nov. 6 exhibition game. AFTER renewing the oldest college basketball rivalry in the state of Iowa by playing at Iowa State for the 169th time Nov. 17, the Bulldogs venture to Anchorage, Alaska, for the Great Alaska Shootout, playing three games in four days. Drake will play Southern Utah in the opening game Nov. 24 and then play either Ball State or St. John’s on Nov. 26 before closing out the tournament Nov. 27. The eight-team tournament field also includes Arizona State, Houston Baptist, Southeast Louisiana and host AlaskaAnchorage. Drake will be making its second trip to Alaska in five years as the Bulldogs played in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, during the 2006-07 season. DRAKE will host first-time opponents Boise State Dec. 12 and Dartmouth Dec. 21 during a season-long five game homestand. The Bulldogs will travel to Colorado
State Dec. 1 in the second year of the Challenge Series between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference. Drake played host to 2010 NCAA Tournament participant San Diego State in the first year of the Challenge Series, giving the Aztecs all they could handle before suffering a 76-73 overtime setback. All nine games will take place during the same week (Dec. 1-5). The agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conferences is in the second year of a four-year term. DRAKE, which is the oldest member of the Missouri Valley Conference, opens its league season at home for the second straight year when the Bulldogs host Southern Illinois Dec. 29. The Bulldogs play at Creighton on New Year’s Day and travel to Wichita State Jan. 4. DRAKE will play a home game in the 10th annual BracketBusters series Feb. 18-19. The BracketBusters pairings will be announced in early February. Drake owns a 6-1 record since the inception of the BracketBusters in 2004, A LOOK BACK SENIOR guard Josh Young was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District first team after earning second-team honors in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Young earned first team All-Missouri Valley Conference playing honors. Young, who finished sixth in the MVC Player of the Year voting, was a first-team All-MVC choice as a sophomore, while earning second-team honors as a junior.
A THREE-YEAR starter, Josh Young concluded his collegiate career as Drake’s all-time leader in scoring (1,789 points), three-point baskets (255) and free throws made (442). SENIOR forward Adam Templeton was named to the six-player MVC Most Improved team as voted on by the league’s 10 beat writers. An honorable mention AllMVC choice, Templeton led the MVC in three-point field goal percentage (.444) and defensive rebounding (5.7 avg.), while ranking second in rebounding (7.4 avg.). He nearly doubled his scoring output from the previous season, averaging 9.8 points, compared to 5.5 in 2008-09. He also surpassed that year’s totals in threepoint baskets (56 to 35) and rebounding (243 to 127). DRAKE senior forward Adam Templeton earned first team CoSIDA Academic AllDistrict VII honors. ADAM Templeton was selected to the first team of the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete squad in voting conducted by the league’s sports information directors. Junior guard Ryan Wedel was selected to the MVC ScholarAthlete second team. JUNIOR transfer guard Ryan Wedel was named to the MVC All-Newcomer team, while center Seth VanDeest was selected to the MVC All-Freshman team. SENIORS Bill Eaddy, Craig Stanley, Adam Templeton and Josh Young combined to play in 337 games during their careers. Young played in 128 games. Eaddy and Young were members of the 2007-08 Drake team which swept the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles en route to playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1971.
DRAKE’S heartbreaking loss at the buzzer to Evansville (66-63) in its home finale, marked the eighth game decided by four or fewer points that the Bulldogs lost in 2009-10. Four of those setbacks occurred in the MVC including three decided in the last two seconds. Drake fell at Bradley 67-65 on a rebound basket with 1.8 seconds and dropped a 71-68 decision at Illinois State after missing a free throw that would have tied the game at 69-69 with 1.1 seconds left. ACCORDING to the final NCAA statistics, Drake was the only school in the MVC to rank in the top 12 in three team categories: turnovers per game (10.0 avg.), fourth; free throw percentage (.760), seventh; and three-point field goals per game (8.6 avg.), 12th. DRAKE led the MVC in three-point baskets (284), while ranking seventh in the NCAA, averaging 8.6 treys per game. The Bulldogs made 10 or more treys in 10 games, including a season-high 15 at Indiana State, followed by 14 against South Dakota and Missouri State. Drake hit 13 treys in the opener against IUPUI and at Austin Peay and had 12 at Cal State Northridge. Drake drilled 11 treys against Iowa and San Diego State, and 10 at Evansville and against Iowa State. The Bulldogs set a school record by having eight different players make a three-point basket in the same game against Missouri State Jan. 12. THE 284 three-point baskets rank second on the single-season school charts - 26 shy of the school mark of 310 set in 200708. Drake was the only team in the MVC
that had four players who made 35 or more treys: Ryan Wedel 66, Adam Templeton 56, Josh Young 53 and Ben Simons 37. DRAKE made 11 three-point baskets in the first half against South Dakota which were the second highest in one half by a Bulldog team in school history. Drake hit 12 treys in the second half against Wichita State Jan. 11, 2001. JOSH Young was one of 10 studentathletes who were selected as finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in basketball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Young was recognized during the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Fours in early April. DRAKE’S BracketBusters trip to Cal StateNorthridge capped off a nonconference schedule in which the Bulldogs logged 6,843 miles, playing on both coasts of the United States. Earlier, Drake played in the three-game Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla., and also traveled to Clarksville, Tenn. (Austin Peay). It also marked the fourth time in the last five years Drake has played a game in California, including a BracketBusters game at UC Irvine in 2006.
WHEN Josh Young, Seth VanDeest and Ryan Wedel scored 20 points against Creighton it marked the first time Drake had three 20-point scorers in the same game since Dec. 11, 2002, when Drake beat Grinnell, 162-110. J.J. Sola had 36 points, followed by 25 apiece from Greg Danielson and Quantel Murphy. ADAM Templeton was named the most valuable player of the Drake Invitational Dec. 13. He averaged 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 three-point baskets while leading the Bulldogs to the championship with victories past South Dakota (96-81) and Binghamton (77-76). He shot 57.1 percent (12-21), including a sizzling 61.5 percent (8-13) from three-point range. TEMPLETON enjoyed his second career double-double with 17 points and a 200910 MVC high 16 rebounds against South Dakota. He made a career-high four of seven three-point shots. The 16 rebounds by Templeton were the most by a Drake player since Jonathan Cox grabbed 16 rebounds against Western Kentucky in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. TEMPLETON had 16 points and eight rebounds against Binghamton. Josh Young and Seth VanDeest also were named to the all-tournament team Young averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 three-point baskets in two games. He scored 21 against South Dakota. VanDeest averaged 13.5 points, scoring a careerhigh 21 points against Binghamton.