Drake Basketball

Do you believe in miracles? If you want to root for a team that started from the bottom and climbed into the spotlight, look no further than the Drake Bulldogs.

Drake's Tourney History

Existing for over a century, the Drake men's basketball program has made the NCAA tournament four times. Its last visit, and only one since 1971, ended swiftly with a first-round loss to No. 12 seed Western Kentucky in 2008.

After losing the Missouri Valley Conference championship game to Loyola, Drake wasn't guaranteed to snap that drought. Entering Selection Sunday on the bubble, the 25-4 Bulldogs received an at-large bid. An 18-0 start and eye-popping offensive numbers warranted a spot on the dance card.

This Year's Best Players

It's an all-hands-on-deck approach in Des Moines, Iowa. Five players average double-digit points per game, but two of those key seniors are out of action.

Point guard Roman Penn is out for the season with a foot injury. Forward ShanQuan Hemphill, who leads the team in points per game, hasn't played since breaking his foot February 10. 

Sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu and senior forward Tremell Murphy have picked up the scoring slack in significantly elevated roles, but Drake's depth has taken a massive hit. This underdog is climbing a steep uphill battle.

Why They're Going to Win

Drake might not be the best team in its small conference. It's also not the best team from Iowa and certainly not the most ferocious squad to carry the Bulldogs nickname into the Big Dance. That last honor belongs to top-ranked Gonzaga.

They also may have benefited from some good fortune that expired at an inopportune time. And maybe they'll struggle when forced to swim in a much larger pond.

But hey, sometimes you just need a seat at the table to prove you belong.

This could be Drake's chance for the best run it's ever had—yes, there will be many bad puns related to the rapper. Nobody knows when the next opportunity will come, so it's now or never to shock the world.

Nathaniel Miller Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Drake University after being shot in the head by a men's basketball player last summer, claiming a coach instructed his player to lie to police about the incident, according to Tyler J. Davis of the Des Moines Register.

The incident in question took place in August 2019 when Tremell Murphy, a forward on the basketball team, accidentally shot another student during a party. The firearm was legally owned by Murphy, who was at his house near the Drake campus.

When police arrived, Murphy told the officers Miller had fallen on a wet floor and hit his head.

The player was eventually charged with making false reports to law enforcement and discharging a firearm within city limits. He pled guilty to the two misdemeanors but did not spend any time in jail.

According to the lawsuit—which claimed Murphy, the university and the property managers of the house as defendants—an unnamed men's basketball coach arrived to the scene before police officers and told Murphy to deny involvement in the injury.

The plaintiff claims that proper medical care was delayed because of the misinformation and that Miller is still suffering physically from the shooting.

Drake University has denied the claims in the lawsuit.

"It is not true as claimed by the plaintiff that a Drake men’s basketball coach told Mr. Murphy to deny involvement in Mr. Miller's injuries," the school said in a statement, via Davis. "Additionally, the residence in which the shooting incident took place is a private residence and is not owned or otherwise affiliated with the university."

Murphy 32 games for Drake in 2018-19 after joining the team as a junior college transfer. He was suspended five games in the 2019-20 season after being charged, and a December knee injury ended his season early.

Larry Cotlar, lead commentator for Drake University sports teams, died on Saturday at the age of 66.

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Des Moines police said Cotlar died in a flash flood when a rush of water swept him away after his van stalled on a street.

"We all had the utmost respect—not just for Larry's talent, but for the kind of quality person and colleague he was. Larry was loyal, passionate and tireless," Drake athletic director Brian Hardin said.

The Des Moines area received between three to eight inches of rain on Saturday night, leading to homes and businesses in the area to be evacuated.

Per Mark Emmert of the Des Moines Register, Cotlar spent 44 years working in radio, including 13 years as Drake basketball's play-by-play announcer after being hired in 2005.

Future Drake Bulldog guard/forward Rayvonte Rice of Centennial High School (Champaign, IL) was named the Gatorade Illinois Boys Basketball Player of the Year on Mar. 18. 

The award focuses on "outstanding athletic excellence" as well as "high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court," according to a release from Gatorade.

Drake is no doubt proud to land a commitment from Rice, who with this award also received a nomination for the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.

Brandon Knight of Pine Crest School (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) would later take home that honor.

Former players who have won the national award include Chris Paul (2002-03), Kevin Garnett (1992-93), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 and 1994-95), Jason Kidd (1991-92), Paul Pierce (1994-95), and Chris Bosh (2001-2002). 

However, just by receiving the Illinois award Rice joins some fine company himself. 

Recent winners of the Illinois award include Matt Vogrich (2008-09), Michael Dunigan (2008-07), and Derrick Rose (2006-07), though he may not have lived up to the award's non-athletic standards during his time attending the University of Memphis.

Rice, who stands at 6'3'' and at 220 pounds, averaged 24 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.8 assists at shooting guard for the Chargers. 

Rice led the chargers (31-2) to the Class 3A state semifinals before losing to Hillcrest 49-42 on Mar. 19.

The Hawks' defense was too much for the Chargers, holding them to their lowest offensive output of the season, but they couldn't contain Rice. He finished with a game-high 20 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. 

Hillcrest, led by senior guard Eric Gaines' 17 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, would go on to win the Class 3A state championship.

(Check out the Chicago Tribune's photos from the game .)

The Associated Press recently named Rice to its all-tournament team for Class 3A. He finished second in the voting behind Gaines, who plans on attending Kent State next year for basketball.

But Rice is no stranger to Gaines' recent success. 

In his junior season, Rice averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.4 steals per game. He was named the state championship game's Most Valuable Player, as he boosted Centennial in its title run. 

Loren Tate of IlliniHQ.com and the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette says in a post that some observers have taken to calling Rice a "tweener" with no real position because of his large size for a guard. Tate says Rice simply claims he has the size to overtake smaller guards. 

But Tate isn't friendly to Drake. Read what he had to say about Rice, according to Kirk Wessler of the Peoria Journal Star .

According to Wessler, Rice says he "didn't want to be anybody's second thought."

Reading between the lines: Sit down and shut your mouth, Tate. 

Drake will provide a lot of immediate opportunities for Rice that he wouldn't find at Illinois.

Centennial head coach Tim Lavin told Gatorade:

"He presents such a mismatch defensively for almost any opponent. He is 6'3'' and one of the better ball-handlers around. If teams put a smaller, quicker guard on him, he can post them up and score at will from inside. If they put a big man on him, he can score from the outside. He is also deceptively quick and can get by defenders. His explosiveness off the floor has created several highlight-reel quality dunks this season and last. Defensively, he has long arms and quick hands that lead to about three steals a game."

With a testimony like that, it's no wonder Rice has silenced many of his critics. 

The Bulldogs could use a tough defender and somebody who isn't afraid to dunk the ball—a rarity in Des Moines these days.

For Your Multimedia Needs  

Here's a quick video showcasing Rice and the talents he will provide for Drake.

Also, check out this video featuring an interview (@hsbball ) with Rice and fellow Bulldog commitment Karl Madison as they talk about why they chose Drake. 

For Josh Young, Adam Templeton, Craig Stanley, and Bill Eaddy, the season is over. 

Obviously, none of them wanted to go out with a loss in the second round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to Northern Iowa. 

But what's supposed to happen when the team goes 20 minutes and 59 seconds without scoring a field goal?

Against Northern Iowa—and any other team for that matter—it's a certain loss.

Drake's 55-40 defeat at the hand of the eventual MVC Champs was as ugly as it gets. 

Would you believe they led going into the half, 24-23? Granted, Northern Iowa had just ran off 10 straight points.

Drake shot 16.7 percent and scored only 16 points in the second half.

What did you expect with those statistics?

I suppose it's a good thing this season is over; it was getting frustrating to watch. I feel for the seniors, though—they deserved much better.

Drake would have loved to send out Young, quite possibly the best player in Drake history, and Templeton with a dazzling Cinderella run, but warm and fuzzy happy endings like that don't happen as often as we would like. 

Otherwise, I'd have a better post to write.

For Templeton, well, at least he can take his MVC Most Improved team selection home as a highlight of his senior year. But I doubt it's quite what he would have preferred. 

Too Early for a Preview

Yet it's all over. That was it.

The team's focus turns to next year.

It's time to work out the kinks that caused this year's growing pains. 

The recruiting class will help, but the big question for next year is how the loss of the seniors will hurt the Bulldogs. 

Drake will miss Young and Templeton's offensive outputs. Young led the team with 14.4 PPG and Templeton was third with 9.8. Templeton's defensive presence as the Bulldogs' leading rebounder (7.4 per game) will also be missed.

However, consistency was something that no Bulldog didn't struggle with, including Young and Templeton. If Drake's young guns can step up and the 2010-11 newcomers play to their reputation , the growing pains may lessen.

Just don't expect them to disappear entirely.

At this point, a .500 record for next year is a prediction on the optimistic end. 

Just note: that's not my prediction.

Drake will have an even younger team next season, with guard Ryan Wedel being the only senior. 

One thing is for sure: the Bulldogs will debut a lot of new faces again next season. 

While that may not translate to a winning record next year, it could be encouraging for the near future.

Basketball prep D.J. Haley of Palmdale High School (Palmdale, California) will make his official visit to Drake University Saturday for the Bulldogs' game against Evansville University—the unforeseen danger of the Missouri Valley Conference down the stretch.

The 4:05 p.m. game is also Senior Day at the Knapp Center. Josh Young, Adam Templeton, Bill Eaddy, and Craig Stanley will hopefully prepare a show for both fans and Haley to enjoy. 

Haley need look no further than Drake for his college choice. The Bulldogs would take him with open arms. 

Standing 6'10" and weighing 225 pounds, Haley almost mirrors current Bulldog and Missouri Valley Conference freshman standout Seth Van Deest (6'10", 223 pounds). Drake Nation is already drooling at the prospect of featuring Haley and Van Deest as next year's most talented, young, one-two big man punch in the MVC.

Scout.com has the center listed as a two-star recruit. Other sources claim he is fast, something that would mesh well with head coach Mark Phelps' offense. The site also claims Drake's in-state rival Iowa State to be interested in Haley, but that news seems a bit outdated.  

Have I mentioned Drake has ample room for sizable players? Well, after Templeton leaves there will be big shoes to fill.

I haven't been able to uncover Haley's shoe size, otherwise I would make a witty joke. Oh, well. You get the idea.

He's also supposedly very intelligent and interested in music. Drake University is known for its academics, and Des Moines is one of the best places in the Midwest for those looking to explore many types of art—especially music.

But hold on a moment: the Bulldogs have some competition that needs to be dealt with if they want to draw Haley's lasting interest.

Haley recently visited Virginia Commonwealth, where the fans greeted him during a game with chants of, "D.J. Haley! Clap Clap Clap-Clap-Clap."

Word has it, the Bulldog faithful have a few party favors in store for Haley, too, but the Rams certainly set the bar high, and they should be applauded for it. I have to say, it was well organized .  

But the Bulldogs have a few things going for them.

First, Drake's early signing recruiting class was named No. 1 in the MVC by ESPN for the second consecutive year. Representing VCU's conference, the Colonial Athletics Association, is William and Mary .

Drake has VCU edged in young talent, and, while the Bulldogs (13-17, 7-10 in MVC) have experienced some growing pains this season, the team does have some upside. Only time will tell how badly the loss of the seniors will hurt the Bulldogs. 

The outlook is mostly optimistic, however, and the addition of D.J. Haley would certainly add to next season's much higher hopes. 

Let's be honest: With three games remaining in the regular season, the Drake Bulldogs (12-16, 7-9) probably aren't going to get much postseason play other than the conference tournament—which could end in a round or two for the Bulldogs.

Regardless of how disappointing the season may have been for head coach Mark Phelps' squad, the Drake Bulldogs will still compete in ESPNU's 2010 BracketBusters against the Cal State Northridge Matadors (10-16, 5-7). 

Not exactly a showcase matchup. I shouldn't have to say it, but in case you're wondering, the game will not be televised. 

But—and there is a but—Drake has a lot to gain from this contest, besides traveling to sunny California and escaping the ever-harshening Iowa winter.

Consistency, momentum, and confidence are three ingredients to a good team the Bulldogs are currently living without. 

The Bulldogs finally shook a four-game losing streak by beating Southern Illinois 79-72 in Des Moines.

Not a moment too soon either. Fans were just starting to lose faith in a team that had previously won five of its last six—the only loss coming to Missouri Valley Conference king Northern Iowa. As the Bulldogs have discovered, hot and cold streaks don't get a team very far in the MVC.

Drake needs to find a way to put together a winning streak and build some much-needed momentum before heading into St. Louis for Arch Madness. The Bulldogs can play with any team in the MVC—except Northern Iowa. Drake split this season with second-place Wichita State (22-6, 11-5) and third-place Illinois State (19-8, 10-6).

It seems to be the middle tier of the MVC that gives Drake the most problems. That doesn't bode well for the Bulldogs, seeing as how their opening opponent for the MVC tournament will be from the middle of the pack. 

Finally, Drake just needs some confidence for its younger players to build on for next year. Losing leading scorer Josh Young, leading rebounder Adam Templeton, Bill Eaddy, and Craig Stanley to graduation will hurt, but the Bulldogs have more first-year players on their roster than any other team in the MVC. 

Hopefully the growing pains will get better, not worse, next season.

Either way, the Bulldogs' future will be greatly affected by how this season ends. 

Just when I thought the Drake Bulldogs were going to do some rearranging in the Missouri Valley Conference's living room, the Northern Iowa Panthers feel it their duty to disrupt the horseplay. 

It took until late in the second half for the Drake Bulldogs to be grounded, but the Panthers eventually did so in convincing fashion.

Drake can kiss its five-game win streak goodbye, and Josh Young can no longer claim a perfect record at Northern Iowa's McLeod Center.

Yet a lot can be taken from the run that saw the Bulldogs knock off conference contenders Missouri State, Illinois State, and Wichita State.

First, Drake proved they can take down—just about—anybody in the conference. Missouri State and Illinois State now join Drake in a tie for fourth place, only four games out of first place but effectively no longer in the running—barring an utter destruction of Northern Iowa.

Second, the Bulldogs' loss against Northern Iowa should encourage: Drake can play with anyone. Now, the challenge becomes how to play with a top 25 team, such as the Panthers, consistently for 40 minutes.

Wichita State dominated Northern Iowa in the teams' previous meeting, and Drake defeated the Shockers without much trouble. The Bulldogs are about to turn the corner; they just have a few more kinks to iron out.

Drake's next contest is Saturday, when rival Creighton comes knocking on the Knapp Center's doors. The game will offer the Bulldogs a chance to create a tie for third place in the MVC standings.

But all this talk of standings is irrelevant if we're discussing a regular season championship—unless your team is Wichita State or Northern Iowa.

The Bulldogs can only play the role of spoiler, as can every other team in the conference—for now.

Hope lies in the conference tournament.

If the Bulldogs keep winning, they may be able to substantially improve their seed in the tournament, delaying when they would play Northern Iowa or Wichita State.

That is when wins will really count.

A postseason tournament may be a long shot, but it's not out of the question for Drake—if they keep winning in bundles of five.

The Bulldogs simply need to start up another streak.

It's not over yet.

Thank God.