Drake Dancing – Veterans Rewarded

Unprecedented Success in Des Moines

(St. Louis, MO) – After losing two straight Arch Madness championship games, winning this year’s title game was just that much sweeter for Drake University players and coaches. Relief, joy, satisfaction and expectation were abounding on the Enterprise Center court Sunday. Drake is dancing for the second time in the last three seasons and is riding a wave of unprecedented success.

Sunday’s victory over rival Bradley wasn’t shocking, but dominant nature of the win (77-51) could not have been predicted. The Bulldogs led from start to finish and coach Darian DeVries’ veteran squad executed his masterful game plan to perfection.

DeVries matched 6’3 Garrett Sturtz on 6’9 Rienk Mast and center Darnell Brodie on Bradley’s other 6’9 starter Malevy Leons. The strategy worked to perfection as neither Dutch players reached double figures in scoring and Leons made just three of ten field goal attempts.

Offensively, DeVries wanted his team to stay in constant motion and move the ball from side-to-side and their movement seemed to disrupt the Missouri Valley Conference’s top defensive team. That motion may have also worn down the shorthanded Braves.

Senior Ville Tahvainen missed the game due to concussion protocals and the Braves’ path to the final was much more draining than Drake’s. Bradley had close calls with Northern Iowa (72-66) and Indiana State (71-70) while Drake was able to enjoy two double digit wins (Murray State and Southern Illinois).

Inside the Game

Bradley’s size, physicality and defensive prowess was deemed to be their advantage in the title game, but Drake matched the Braves on all fronts. Drake won the rebounding battle (34-25) and held the Braves to a .263 percent three point rate and a .345 overall.

The Bulldogs were hot, making over 56 percent of their shots from inside and outside the three point line. Tucker DeVreis (Tournament Most Outstanding Player) made three of six shots from distance and finished with 22 points.

While Sturtz was holding down Mast on one end, he scored 12 points on the other. Sturtz was five-for-five from the floor and two-for-two from the charity stripe. Setting the physicality tone was the 6’10, 265 pound Brodie. After a 17 rebound effort in Saturday’s semifinal, Brodie added 12 points and nine rebounds in the final. He received one of my votes for the all-tournament team.

The game was never really close and Drake took two of three games from the Braves this season. Bradley will have an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament, if they, as expected, are left out of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Brian Wardle tells me Tahvainen will be ready to play in the NIT.

Drake Dancing – Veterans Rewarded

Bulldog veterans Roman Penn, D.J. Wilkins and Sturtz all chose to utilize their covid eligibility and return to Des Moines with this distinct goal. They wanted to finally win an Arch Madness title. While they played in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, they failed to claim the St. Louis-based tournament trophy. Brodie and the younger DeVries returned too, but this was something of a group decision by the ‘old-timers’.

Loyola’s vets did the same thing last year and claimed the Arch Madness Trophy. Sturtz said the Sunday afternoon victory was even sweeter because of the last two Gateway City defeats. I asked him about the respect the two Valley power teams have for one another and in particular for a player like Bradley’s Ja’Shon Henry.

 

 

While Sturtz is Drake’s all-time leading rebounder, Penn is its all-time leader in assists and Wilkins the three-point record holder. Those three have scribbled all over the Drake media guide. Wilkins says he had grown tired of seeing other teams cut down the Enterprise Center nets.

 

 

The head coach was obviously proud of his team, but noted this is the first time Drake has been healthy in St. Louis. His veterans returning was meaningful to DeVries, saying in the postgame press conference that Tucker doesn’t seem like his only son on the team. DeVries says his team played hard on Sunday, but those veterans returned for this specific purpose.

 

 

Drake Dancing – Where?

With Sunday’s win, the Bulldogs moved up to 52 in the NCAA’s National Evaluation Tool (NET). CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm predicts Drake to be a twelve seed in the West Region, playing in Orlando (I’m not good at geography but how Orlando is in the West escapes me). In his latest bracket, that would have the Bulldogs matched up with the University of Miami.

We’ll follow them as best we can.

Do Good