No. 4 – Drake Bulldogs
The defending Valley champs don’t look anything like the team that won the regular season title and the Arch Madness trophy. Coach Darian DeVries and his son, and Valley player of the year Tucker DeVries moved to West Virginia and the Big Twelve Conference.
Enter a wildly successful Division II coach in Ben McCollum. The former Northwest Missouri State coach won four national championships and .812 of his D2 games. Drake lost every player of consequence and McCollum had to rebuild the league champs.
After consulting with Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz who made a similar move three years ago from Lincoln Memorial to Indiana State, he brought four of his Bearcat players along with him to Des Moines.
Bennett Stirtz may be the best of the four. The 6’4 guard has been named to the Valley’s preseason third-team. His 2023-24 averages (15 points, three rebounds and three assists) suggest he is a solid all-round player.
A pair of Wyoming transfers bring experience to this year’s team. Sophomore Cam Manyawu was also named to the league’s preseason third team and is a proven rebounder. While not a three-point threat, the 6’8 Manyawu is activie, athletic and makes over 60 percent of his field goal attempts.
Former and current teammat Kael Combs averaged just eleven minutes per game, but is a tough-minded bigger guard.
The explosively athletic Tavion Banks was one of last season’s top junior college players. McCollum says the 6’7 Banks has a 7-foot wing span and his vertical jumping had him reaching twelve-feet during team measurements.
Several freshmen and sophomores need to come through for Drake to compete for another Valley title. Isaia Howard (Missouri) and Joey Matteoni (Kansas) were both top five players in their respective states. Indiana State transfer Eli Shetlar was rated as Kansas’ second ranked player two seasons ago.
McCollum’s ‘read and react’ offense is one that is challenging for players to learn. Look for the Bulldogs to get better and better as the season moves on. They could be a dangerous team in February.