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Men’s Basketball’s season ends with 67-58 loss to Bradley Drake eliminated in first round of MVC Tournament for the fifth year in a row
from March 8, 2016
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The Drake Men’s Basketball season came to an end last night in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The seventh-ranked Bradley Braves stifled Drake’s no. 10 offense. The game ended 67-58, tying Drake’s third-lowest scoring performance of 2016-17. It was the Bulldogs’ 10th consecutive loss and the third time Bradley bested Drake this season.
“This game seems to have been very reflective of how our season has gone these last couple of weeks,” interim head coach Jeff Rutter said in the post-game press conference.
Transfer-juniors De’Antae
McMurray and T.J. Thomas paced the Bulldogs in the final game of their first seasons in Drake blue. McMurray led the team with 13 points and four assists.
“(McMurray) been a beast all three times that we’ve played (Bradley),” Rutter praised.
Thomas followed with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
“I’m extremely motivated,” Thomas said. “I’m looking forward to getting in the gym in the offseason.”
“His motor was running, had great energy, was active,” Rutter added, speaking to Thomas performed in the team’s lone postseason game. “He used all that 6-8-plus length and bounce. He’s got some skill. T.J.’s best days are ahead of him.”
Junior Reed Timmer was the only other Bulldog in doubledigits. He finished with 11 points on 2-9 shooting.
Last week, Rutter had emphasized the team’s need to stay competitive reboundingwise. Drake did just that, finishing with two more boards than Bradley: 38-36.
The biggest problem the Bulldogs ran into was making shots from the floor, just as they have all season — Drake’s shooting percentage was second worst in the MVC.
The Bulldogs shot only 32.8 percent from the floor in what will be their only game of the conference tournament. From 3-point land they went 4-22, below 20 percent.
Three Bulldogs didn’t make a single shot from the field: sophomore Billy Wampler (0-5), sophomore Nick McGlynn (05) and redshirt-junior Graham Woodward (0-6).
After the Braves got ahead six-and-a-half minutes into the first half they didn’t relinquish it, although the lead was never more than nine. Bradley couldn’t quite put Drake away, but the Bulldogs weren’t able to get “over the hump” that Rutter had mentioned in a pregame press conference on Feb. 28.
The difference was trimmed to two twice in the second half, but was never any closer than that. That’s why the Braves will take on Wichita State on March 3, and Drake will be returning to Des Moines.
The Bulldogs’ final record for the season is 7-24, the exact same as their 2015-16 record. Their conference ranking is the same as well: 10th.
Drake will only be losing one senior, center Jacob Enevold, to graduation this year. The native Dane averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his four years with the Bulldogs.
Next season, the Bulldogs will be top-heavy with at least six seniors on the roster: Ore Arogundade, McMurray, C.J. Rivers, Thomas, Timmer and Woodward.
Rutter spoke highly of each player, but gave special attention to the career-long leadership of Timmer.
Rutter said that Timmer’s biggest asset is his confidence in being able “to go out and make plays,” something that’s been consistent since he was a freshman.
Timmer has led the team in scoring and minutes every year since he was a freshman.
“He needs to trust in the entire process,” Rutter said. “He’s made big strides in his game this year,” particularly in improving his right-side drive.
“This group has got bright days ahead, no doubt about it,” Rutter said to close the press conference. Even if experience is likely for the 2017-18 Bulldog team, who will lead it is still in question. According to a Drake Athletics press release sent out earlier this week, a national search for longterm head coaching candidates is underway. Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb said in the press release that Rutter is a frontrunner to keep the job.
