Drake’s Tucker DeVries

Planning a 4-Year College Career

(St. Louis, MO) – Drake’s Tucker DeVries surprised many by skipping an NBA Draft declaration. The Missouri Valley’s reigning Player of the Year could have taken the extra practice time and scouts’ evaluations to assess his draft ability and even prepare for the upcoming college basketball season.

He declined. DeVries seems quite content playing for ‘Des Moines’ Home Town Team’ and his coach and father Darian DeVries. For the younger DeVries family and experiences matter. In the free-agency and NIL world of college athletics the Larry Bird Trophy winner wants to enjoy college hoops and get back to the NCAA Tournament.

While other NCAA stars are tempted with other possible options, DeVries enjoyed his team’s summer trip to Spain.

 

 

Drake’s Tucker DeVries joined the Bulldog program to play for his father. Two years and many awards later, the younger DeVries isn’t in a hurry to move on. He tells us he wants to take advantage of his full four years of college eligibility.

 

 

DeVries was Iowa’s 2021 ‘Mr. Basketball, the Valley’s 2022 ‘Freshman of the Year’ and last season’s league MVP. His two season scoring average is 16.2 points per game. The 6’7 forward has scored 1,133 points while making 163 three-pointers and connecting on .811 of his charity stripe attempts.

Newcomers and Rivalries

Drake is experiencing unparalleled success under coach DeVries. His 122 career victories are second most in Bulldog history. Prior to his arrival, Drake’s basketball fortunes were lacking. DeVries’ five, 20-win seasons are half of the total twenty-win seasons in all of the Drake program’s history.

Those successful seasons have been fueled by a group of players with long histories in Des Moines. Roman Penn, Garrett Sturtz, D.J Wilkins and the Murphy Twins provided incredible roster stability. The names of Penn, Sturtz and Wilkins fill the Drake record book.

For the first time since DeVries’ first season, there is extremely significant roster turnover. Ten newcomers fill the blue and white Drake uniforms. Darnell Brodie, Conor Enright and Tucker DeVries are the only returners that played significant minutes last season.

Enright returns after being named to the Valley’s all-freshman team and Brodie was part of last season’s ‘most improved’ team. Brodie is participating in his fourth Drake season and sixth overall. Big men Eric Northweather and Nate Ferguson each averaged more than two-points per game.

DeVries says the brand new roster has added some excitement to this year’s team and tells us about some of the talents of the newcomers.

 

 

Drake is the reigning Arch Madness champion and Bradley is the carrier of the regular season banner. The Braves and Northern Iowa are the Bulldogs’ natural rivals. Drake has played far more games (163) against Bradley than any other Valley squad.

Drake’s Tucker DeVries says the ‘Iowa Rivalry’ and the ‘Historic Rivalry’ with Bradley are each extremely special.

 

 

The Bulldogs swept las season’s two games with Northern Iowa and won two of three from Bradley.

During our conversation with Drake’s Tucker DeVries we discussed NIL possibilities in Des Moines, why he hasn’t appeared on his father’s Papa John’s commercials and what he’s working on during the offseason. We asked about this year’s hair style and to tell us about the personalities of his long-time teammates Brodie and Enright.

Head to YouTube to watch our entire conversation.

Do Good

Editor: Cover photo credit – Maeve Coulter