Drake Basketball: Bulldogs destined for 2023 Missouri Valley crown

By Shea Irish | May 27, 2022

Beau, of Urbandale, is crowded the 40th Beautiful Bulldog during Drake University's annual contest marking the start of Drake Relays week on Monday, April 22, 2019, at the Knapp Center on the Drake campus in Des Moines. The bulldog is owned by T.J. and Angela McKenzie.0422 Beautifulbulldog 002 Cr2 /

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Darian DeVries Drake Basketball (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Drake Basketball has emerged as one of the most consistent mid-majors in the country since Head Coach Darian DeVries took over the program right before the 2018-19 season. They have won at least 20 games in all four seasons since, and combined to win 51 games over the last two campaigns; the best two-year stretch in school history.

DeVries has the Bulldogs relevant in the Missouri Valley again for the first time since 2007-08, when the program from Des Moines, IA had their best season ever, finishing 28-5 while cracking the AP top 25 to receive an incredible 5 seed to the big dance.

Drake made their way back into the AP Top 25 during the 2020-21 season for the first time in 13 years and eventually received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. They defeated Wichita State in a play-in game for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 50 years.

Drake fell one game short of winning the conference tournament each of the last two seasons. That feeling surely must have stung, especially the second time around, which cost them a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

Loyola Chicago, the team that knocked the Bulldogs off in each of those ‘Arch Madness’ championship games, will be gone from the conference as they transition to the Atlantic 10. With Northern Iowa- last season’s regular-season champion, losing 2x MVC Player of the Year A.J. Green to the transfer portal; the door to capture the 2023 Missouri Valley Crown is wide open for the Bulldogs.

With a rising mid-major star in the coach’s son, Tucker DeVries, who was named the MVC Freshman of the Year last season, plus four celebrated seniors electing to come back for their extra year of eligibility, Drake should be the prohibitive preseason favorite in the conference headed into 2022-23.