Drake Bulldogs men's basketball

Drake Bulldogs
Drake Bulldogs
	2015–16 Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team
	250px
University	Drake University
Conference	Missouri Valley Conference
Location	Des Moines, IA
Head coach	Ray Giacoletti (3rd year)
Arena	Knapp Center; (Capacity: 7,002)
Nickname	Bulldogs
Colors	Blue and White; <templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Uniforms
Home	Away
NCAA Tournament Final Four
	1969
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
	1969, 1970, 1971
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
	1969, 1970, 1971
NCAA Tournament appearances
	1969, 1970, 1971, 2008
Conference tournament champions
	2008
Conference regular season champions
	1935, 1936, 1939, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 2008

The Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The program is best known for making the 1969 Final Four.

History

The early years (1906–1959)

The first season Drake fielded a men's basketball was 1906-07. The Bulldogs finished with a 2-1 record as an independent. The next year during the 1907-08 season they were charter members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Drake would dominate the 1930s winning three conference titles in the decade (1934–35, 1935–36, and 1938–39). The Bulldogs unfortunately did not qualify for a post-season tournament by winning the conference title as no post-season tournaments were held during the 1934-35 season. The following 1935-36 season Drake was invited to the District Olympic Tournament post-season tournament (defeating North Dakota 49-46, falling to Minnesota 36-19). The Bulldogs participated in the National Intercollegiate Tournament in 1937-38 (losing to Murray State 47-40) and 1938–39 (losing to Oklahoma State 28-15).

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Drake would secure eight winning seasons. There was no Missouri Valley Conference play during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons because of World War II. This was in part because less MVC schools were playing basketball during that time, Drake was though. In 1951 Drake withdrew as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, along with Bradley as a result of the lack of action taken by the Missouri Valley Conference against Oklahoma A&M in the Johnny Bright Incident. Drake would not compete in the Missouri Valley Conference again until the 1956-57 season.

Glory years (1960–1986)

The 1960s through mid-1980s saw some of the all-time great Drake teams. The Bulldogs were in the national rankings on a regular basis and the Missouri Valley Conference was one of the premier conferences in men's basketball. Drake had fourteen winning seasons during this time.

Drake shared the 1963-64 conference title with Louisville and received an invitation to the National Invitational Tournament. In the tournament, Drake defeated Pittsburgh 87-82 in the first round and lost to tournament runner-up New Mexico 65-60 in the second round.

The 1968-69 season was by far the most accomplished in Drake history. The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference outright and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four, finishing third. During the tournament, Drake received a bye in the first round, defeated Texas A&M 81-63 in the Sweet Sixteen and Colorado State in the Elite Eight 84-77. The Bulldogs would fall to eventual champion UCLA 85-82 in the national semifinal before routing North Carolina 104-84 in the third place game.

Drake continued its magical run during the 1969-70 season once again capturing the Missouri Valley Conference title. The Bulldogs would qualify for their second straight NCAA Tournament, earning a bye in the first round. In the Sweet Sixteen, Drake defeated Houston 92-87, but fell to New Mexico 87-78 in the Elite Eight.

In 1970-71, the Bulldogs earned their third straight Missouri Valley Conference crown, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row. Drake received a bye in the first round, defeated Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen 79-72 (OT), but lost to Kansas 73-71 in the Elite Eight.

Drake would win their first national tournament title during the 1974-75 season, capturing the National Commissioners Invitational Tournament postseason title. In the tournament, the Bulldogs defeated USC 80-70, Bowling Green 78-65, and Arizona in the championship game 83-76.

The Bulldogs also advanced to the National Invitational Tournament during the 1980-81 season (losing to Minnesota in the first round 90-77) and the 1985-86 seaosn (falling to Marquette 79-59 in the first round).

Dark days (1987–2006)

From 1987 to 2006, Drake did not have a winning season in men's basketball. It was a dreary time in the program's history. The stretch included a dismal 2-26 season in 1996-97 and a dreadful 3-24 season in 1997-98. The Bulldogs went through four coaches, none of whom finished with a winning coaching record at Drake.

The 2001-02 season showed a glimmer of hope after starting out on the wrong note. Drake would suspend four players at winter semester break due to their not abiding by the school's 2.0 GPA rule (NCAA requires 1.8). The Bulldogs almost responded by pulling off the unthinkable winning season. Drake entered the conference tournament with a 14-14 record; but fell to Illinois State 63-64 on a buzzer beating shot, ending the season 14-15.

The next season (2002–03) Drake would finish 10-20, leading to the dismissal of head coach Kurt Kanaskie at season's end.

On April 22, 2003, Drake announced the hiring of Dr. Tom Davis as its new men's basketball coach. The hiring drew national attention and brought instant credibility to the struggling program. Davis’ career included sixteen 20-win seasons, eighteen post season appearances, and he was named Associated Press National Coach of the Year in 1987.

During the 2003-04 season, Davis began the massive rebuilding project of Bulldog basketball. After going 37-51 in his first three seasons, the team finished with 17-15 in the 2006-2007 season. It was Drake's first winning record since the 1985-86 season. Following the season, Davis resigned leading to the hiring of his son Keno Davis.

Magical Season (2007–2008 season)

Under the guidance of Keno Davis, the 2007-08 season was one of the most storied in Drake history. The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles, advancing the NCAA Tournament. Drake earned a five seed in the NCAA Tournament and they were ranked nationally throughout the year. The season would end in heartbreak fashion when Ty Rodgers hit a last second twenty-six foot three-point shot (a play that remains to this day on ESPN's Top 10 NCAA Tournament Buzzer Beaters), giving Western Kentucky a 101-99 overtime victory in the first round. Drake finished the season with a school best 28-5 record.

Dark Days Part II (2008–present)

After the successful 2007-08 season, Keno Davis accepted the head basketball coach position at Providence. As a result, Drake hired former Arizona State assistant coach Mark Phelps. In 2008-09, Phelps' first season, the Bulldogs finished with a 17-16 record, falling in the College Insider Tournament to Idaho. Despite his ability to recruit, Phelps' on the court coaching led to finishes of 7th and below in the MVC and dwindling fan attendance and support. Phelps contract was not renewed following the 2012-13 season and he was replaced by Ray Giacoletti.

Record versus conference teams

Below are the records of the Bulldogs versus current members of the Missouri Valley Conference.^[2]

Team	Record
Bradley	54-80
Evansville	20-20
Illinois State	29-49
Indiana State	37-40
Loyola	9-10
Missouri State	10-37
Northern Iowa	24-37
Southern Illinois	29-52
Wichita State	47-96
Total	259-421

MVC All-Centennial Team

In 2006-07, the Missouri Valley Conference celebrated its centennial as the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I conference. As part of the celebration, The Valley named All-Centennial teams for each of the sponsored sports. Two of the 50 men's basketball players named were from Drake's program.^[3]

Player	Years
Lewis Lloyd	1979-81
Willie McCarter	1966-69

All-Century Team

Player	No.	Position	Years
Ted Payseur	??	Forward	1918-22
Bill Boelter	??	Forward	1921-24
Chuck Everett	??	Forward	1923-27
Chuck Orebaugh	??	Guard	1933-37
William Evans	4	Forward	1942-43, '46-49
Walt O'Connor	20	Guard	1938-41
Gus Ollrich	4	Guard	1946-48, 1951–54
Red Murrell	33	Forward	1955-58
Gus Guydon	??	Guard	1958-61
Gene West	10	Guard	1962-65
Willie Wise	42	Forward	1967-69
Willie McCarter	15	Guard	1966-69
Dolph Pulliam	5	Forward	1966-69
Jeff Halliburton	42	Forward	1969-71
Wayne Kreklow	15	Guard	1975-79
Ken Harris	??	Forward	1973-77
Lewis Lloyd	30	Forward	1979-81
Melvin Mathis	44	Forward	1982-86
Sam Roark	32	Forward	1986-90
Lynnrick Rogers	22	Guard	1993-97

Retired numbers

Retired numbers
Number	Player	Year
#5	Dolph Pulliam	2009
#15	Willie McCarter	2009
#30	Lewis Lloyd	1981
#33	Red Murrell	1958
#42	Willie Wise	2009

Awards

Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Year

Player	No.	Position	Year(s) chosen
Jeff Halliburton	42	Forward	1971
Lewis Lloyd	30	Small forward	1980, 1981
Curt Smith	13	Point guard	1993
Adam Emmenecker	15	Point guard	2008

National Coaches of the Year

Coach	Year(s) chosen
Keno Davis	2008

Men's Basketball Academic All-American of the Year

Player	Year(s) chosen
Adam Emmenecker	2008

Arenas

First Game	Last Game	Home Arena	Capacity
January 26, 1907	March 2, 1909	The Shed	2,500
January 25, 1910	March 15, 1919	Alumni Gymnasium	4,102
January 6, 1920	March 6, 1926	Des Moines Coliseum	6,465
January 4, 1927	March 2, 1957	Drake Fieldhouse	6,500
December 2, 1957	March 2, 1992	Veterans Memorial Auditorium	11,411
December 5, 1992	Current Arena	Knapp Center	7,002
Total	104 Seasons	6 Venues	Average Capacity 6,330

Seasons

See List of Drake Bulldogs men's basketball seasons

Tournament history

Drake has participated in four different postseason tournaments. They have a 10–9 record overall in them.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament history

Season	Elimination Round	Team(s) Defeated	Team(s) Lost To
1969	Third Place	Texas A&M Colorado State North Carolina	UCLA
1970	Elite Eight	Houston	New Mexico State
1971	Elite Eight	Notre Dame	Kansas
2008	First Round	–	Western Kentucky
Total	4 Appearances	Best Finish: Final Four (Third)	Record: 5–4

National Invitational Tournament (NIT) history

Season	Elimination Round	Team(s) Defeated	Team(s) Lost To
1964	Second Round	Pittsburgh	New Mexico
1981	First Round	–	Minnesota
1986	First Round	–	Marquette
Total	3 Appearances	Best Finish: Second Round	Record: 1–3

National Commissioners Invitational Tournament (NCIT) history

Season	Elimination Round	Team(s) Defeated	Team(s) Lost To
1975	Champions	Southern California Bowling Green Arizona	–
Total	1 Appearance	Best Finish: Champions	Record: 3–0

CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) history

Season	Elimination Round	Team(s) Defeated	Team(s) Lost To
2009	First Round	–	Idaho
2012	Second Round	North Dakota	Rice
Total	2 Appearances	Best Finish: Second Round	Record: 1–2

Notes and references

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External links

Official website

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v t e Drake Bulldogs men's basketball
Venues	The Shed (1907–1909) Alumni Gymnasium (1910–1919) Des Moines Coliseum (1920–1926) Drake Fieldhouse (1927–1957) Veterans Memorial Auditorium (1957–1992) Knapp Center (1992–present)
Culture & lore	History Iowa "Big Four"
People	Head coaches All-Century Team
Seasons	1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e Drake University
Academics	President: Earl F. "Marty" Martin Law School College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Notable Alumni
Campus	Drake University Campus Historic District Drake Stadium Knapp Center
Athletics	Drake Relays Football Men's basketball Women's basketball Men's Soccer

v t e Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball
Teams	Bradley Braves Drake Bulldogs Evansville Purple Aces Illinois State Redbirds Indiana State Sycamores Loyola Ramblers Missouri State Bears Northern Iowa Panthers Southern Illinois Salukis Wichita State Shockers
Tournament & awards	MVC Basketball Tournament Coach of the Year Player of the Year
Seasons	1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16