Drake Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Bulldogs

Drake basketball is emerging as the standard by which all other Missouri Valley Conference teams are measured. Capturing last spring’s Arch Madness title, winning 27 games and now averaging 24.4 wins per Darian DeVries-coached season, the Bulldogs are ruling the Valley.

MVC coaches, administrators and media members have named the Bulldogs as the favorites to win the regular season title and junior guard Tucker DeVries as the preseason player of the year. While I voted for Northern Iowa, Drake has been tabbed as the Valley favorite for the third straight season.

Drake won last season’s conference tournament, but Bradley earned the regular season title. The Braves were voted third in this year’s poll.

Drake sustained heavy graduation losses with the matriculation of Roman Penn, D.J. Wilkins and Garrett Sturtz. Those three are career record holders with Penn holding the assists record, Wilkins is the career leader on three-point baskets and Sturtz is the all-time best rebounder.

Tucker DeVries, starting center Darnell Brodie and super sub Conor Enright are the key returners and Darian DeVries has rebuilt the roster with high-level transfers and outstanding high school players. DeVries’ life-time .718 winning percentage is truly attractive to possible recruits.

Three of DeVries’ Division 1 transfers were double-digit scorers for their previous team and two of them won league-wide honors in their former conference.

Coach DeVries says working with such ‘brand new team’ is both energizing and exciting. The sixth-year head coach says he enjoys his new players and the fresh energy they bring.

“It was a different summer,” said DeVries. “We have a lot of new guys. It was a different summer in terms of drills you do and the teaching that has to take place just to be able to function through a practice. That’s been fun to watch the growth the team has started to take.”