Drake Basketball: Bulldogs' guards need more support

Drake basketball has struggled mightily since making the Big Dance in 2008.

Drake has won an average of just 13 games a year since going 28-5 and reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2007-2008. Former Utah head coach Ray Giacoletti hasn’t met expectations in Des Moines, but that isn’t for a lack of trying. Eight players have transferred over the past three years and that has prevented continuity from developing.

This offseason was no different as the team’s second leading scorer Kale Abrahamson (11.1 points) went to Duquesne and promising center Dominik Olejniczak (6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds) left for Ole Miss. Their departures definitely create scoring gaps, but the squad does still return 72 percent of their points, giving them a shot to move out of the Missouri Valley Conference basement.

Keying the Drake attack this season are dual point guards Reed Timmer and Graham Woodward. The two put up 16.8 points and 10.8 points last season, respectively. They were also the top two assist men and solid on the boards as well. Lastly, they combined to hit 100 threes while shooting above 40 percent from beyond the arc. Their importance to this year’s team cannot be undersold.

Reserve C.J. Rivers, walk-on junior A.J. Rutter, inconsistent swing man Ore Arogundade and sophomore wing Billy Wampler comprise the rest of the perimeter corps.

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I think Wampler is a player to watch this season. He scored 22 points in Drake’s opening exhibition win over Concordia-St. Paul and has the size at 6’6″, 200 pounds to compete at a high level.

Arogundade is also a fun player. He scored in double-figures six times as a sophomore, but went scoreless in five games. I’m still high on his potential after watching him score nine points over Iowa last December.

Meanwhile, the front court has just one consistent presence in senior Jacob Enevold. The 7’1″ Denmark native was a solid contributor at around five points and five boards per contest last season, but is far from the aggressive or fluid interior presence that the team would like to have. Kory Kuenstling, Casey Schlatter and Nick McGlynn will all platoon up front to protect the hoop and try to help out Enevold.

Three newcomers will also suit up this season. T.J. Thomas and De’Antae McMurray were both solid in the junior college ranks, but weren’t stars. They add even further depth and production on the perimeter.

Norwegian freshman Johannes Dolven could press for playing time after redshirting in 2015-2016. He stands at 6’8″ and was one of the best young players in his country before coming to America.

Drake doesn’t have the sort of raw power to project as a contender in the MVC. The team returns a lot of players, but very few that showed that they are capable of consistently supporting Timmer and Woodward.

Next: Missouri Valley Preview

Thankfully, this is also a group that has just one senior and a plethora of guys waiting to produce with more playing time. A lot of unknowns surround this squad, so watch non-conference contests against teams like Fresno State, South Dakota State and Iowa State to get a sense of how the program is moving along.

Drake Basketball: Bulldogs’ guards need more support

By Doug Winkey | Nov 7, 2016

Drake basketball has struggled mightily since making the Big Dance in 2008.

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