Drake Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for the Bulldogs
2022-23 season outlook for Drake Basketball
Drake should win the Missouri Valley Conference. Their bunch of overachievers plays the game the right way. DeVries says his players are ultra-competitive, noting that they compete during every aspect of practice. At Drake practices, lay-up lines are competitive.
The togetherness on this team is evident. Those three graduate starters lived together for two seasons. The veterans have known the younger DeVries for years.
Tucker DeVries is the star but still looks up to the seniors and grad students. They helped him make the transition last season.
“The other guys built my confidence,” said DeVries. “They taught me what was going on and how to compete at this level.”
It is true to say that six or seven Valley squads could compete for the title, but no MVC squad has the proven performers of this unit. Missouri State and Murray State might have the best talent in the league, but building team chemistry and establishing roles will take some time.
Bradley has arguably the conference’s best frontcourt and great potential at the point guard position, but those guards haven’t proven it at the D1 level.
Southern Illinois plays great defense and has added some key pieces to their lineup and could be a serious challenger and Belmont … well they are Belmont. The Bruins seem to win at least 20 games and contend for a league title every year.
If center Austin Phyfe is available at Northern Iowa, the conference’s longest-tenured coach Ben Jacobson could win the regular season title for the second straight year.
Next. Preseason MVC power rankings for 2022-23. dark
The Valley is that wide open, but Drake University basketball should claim its first outright title since 2008.