Drake Men's Basketball Weekly Update – Jan. 27
Upcoming Events This Week
Competition
Wednesday, January 30 – at Southern Illinois (SIU Arena) – 7:05 p.m.
Television: None
Radio: 1350 AM – KRNT
Saturday, February 2 – vs. Indiana State (Knapp Center) – 6:35 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Midwest
Radio: 1350 AM – KRNT
Promotions: MVC Rally Towel Giveaway/High School Night
Teleconferences
Monday, January 28 – MVC Teleconference – 11 a.m. CST
The Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball
coaches teleconference starts at approximately 11 a.m. CST with Drake
head coach Mark Phelps scheduled to join the call at 11:06 a.m. CST. For
dial-in information to the teleconference, please
contact the MVC office.
Coaches Shows/Luncheons
Monday, January 28 – Drake Basketball Coaches’ Show – Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (West Des Moines) – 7 p.m. CST
The Drake Basketball Coaches’ show returns to the
air on KRNT 1350-AM and originating live from Rock Bottom Restaurant
& Brewery (4508 University Avenue, West Des Moines) at 7 p.m.
Women’s head coach Jennie Baranczyk leads off the program.
Men’s head coach Mark Phelps joins the discussion at approximately 7:30
p.m.
Media Availability
Note that all times and dates are subject to change.
See attached document as well. Please notify Ty
Patton and submit player requests at least 24 hours in advance if you
plan on attending one of this opportunities.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PRACTICE AND MEDIA SCHEDULES
ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CONTACT TY PATTON IN THE ATHLETIC
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE SCHEDULE
Monday, January 28 – MVC Teleconference – 11 a.m. CST
The Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball
coaches teleconference starts at approximately 11 a.m. CST with Drake
head coach Mark Phelps scheduled to join the call at 11:06 a.m. CST. For
dial-in information to the teleconference, please
contact the MVC office.
Tuesday, Jan. 29 – Knapp Center
Mark Phelps – 3 p.m.
Players – 3:15 p.m.
Practice – 3:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 1 – Knapp Center
Mark Phelps – 3 p.m.
Players – 3:15 p.m.
Practice – 3:30 p.m.
This Week’s Opponents
Southern Illinois
Drake and Southern Illinois meet for the first time
this season with the Salukis coming into the game with an 8-12 overall
record and a 1-8 mark in MVC play after falling to Creighton, 81-51, on
Sunday. SIU has lost four straight games
and is averaging 65.2 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from
the field but just 31.5 percent from the three-point arc. Desmar Jackson
is the team’s top scorer at 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Jeff
Early, who returns from a one-game suspension
and is the team’s top rebounder at 7.5 rebounds per game.
The Series vs. Southern Illinois
SIU leads the all-time series by a 51-28 margin
despite the Bulldogs winning the last seven meetings. SIU leads the
Bulldogs, 30-8, in Carbondale. SIU’s last win in the series came on Feb.
24, 2009 by a 56-55 margin in Des Moines. The Saluki’s
last win in Carbondale was on Feb. 13, 2008.
Indiana State
The Sycamores are 13-7 this season and 6-3 in the
MVC with three wins in their last four outings including a last-second
59-58 win over UNI on Saturday. ISU averages 67.4 points per game on
43.7 percent shooting with 34.7 rebounds per outing.
The tandem of Jake Odum and Manny Arop lead the Sycamores with 14.1 and
13.0 points per game, respectively. Odum also adds 4.6 assists per game
and has gotten to the free-throw line a team-high 154 times.
The Series vs. Indiana State
Indiana State holds a slim 40-35 advantage in the
series and has won seven of the last 10 meetings. The Sycamores are
26-10 all-time against the Bulldogs in the Hulman Center and have won
four straight at home. Drake’s last win in Terre
Haute, an 83-77 win, came on Feb. 2, 2008
Last Week
Jan. 23 – vs. Creighton – W, 74-69
The Drake University men’s basketball team
outlasted a furious second half rally by No. 17/12 Creighton to stun the
Bluejays, 74-69, in a thrilling finish. Four Bulldogs scored in double
figures, led by Richard Carter who had 18 points
coming off the bench. Ben Simons and Jeremy Jeffers scored 13 points
each and Daddy Ugbede had a career performance with 12 points. Although
Drake went into halftime with a 16-point lead, Creighton rallied coming
out of the break. The Bluejays erased that
deficit with 7:10 remaining in the game after an 8-0 run allowed them
to overcome Drake, 62-61. The Bulldogs stopped that run, and held a
slight lead, 71-66, to force a Bluejay timeout with 0:47 remaining on
the clock. Coming out of the timeout, Gibbs converted
a three-point play and Creighton forced a Drake turnover on the ensuing
possession, giving Creighton the ball with 25.3 seconds left in the
game, trailing 71-69. Gibbs got the call following Creighton’s timeout,
but could not convert a driving layup, with
Carter coming down with the ball with 9.2 seconds left. Carter was
fouled hard, but made one of his two free throws to give Drake a 72-69
lead. The Bluejays could not hit the equalizing three on their next
possession and were forced to foul Simons, who iced
the game with a pair of free throws to earn Drake’s first win over a
ranked opponent since a 71-64 win over No. 8 Butler on Feb. 23, 2008.
Jan. 27 – at Missouri State – L, 78-76
The Drake University men’s basketball team could
not answer 26 points from Missouri State’s Anthony Downing and a 71
percent second-half shooting performance as the Bears clipped the
Bulldogs, 78-72, Sunday afternoon at JQH Arena. Ben Simons
led Drake with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Micah Mason chipped in 17
points with four assists while Jordan Clarke nearly notched a
double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. Drake appeared poised to
break open the contest in the second half with an
11-0 run over the first three minutes of the period to take a 39-29
lead as the defense forced stops. With 7:39 left in the game, Missouri
State claimed its first lead of the second half on a Keith Pickens steal
and dunk. Just two minutes later, the Bears
had extended their lead to six points. Facing a 5-point, 70-65,
deficit with a 1:36 left to play after a Simons jumper, the Bulldogs
allowed Nathan Scheer to get loose on the wing for a three-pointer to
give the Bears an 8-point cushion with one minute remaining.
Drake would get no closer than the final six-point margin as the Bears
converted at the free-throw line.
Team Notes
- In the win over Creighton, the Bluejays held to a
season-low 23.8 percent with just five makes despite coming into the
game shooting 45.2 percent.
- Drake’s 16-point halftime lead against Creighton was its largest lead in an MVC game this season at any point.
- Drake’s bench scored a season-high 43 points in the win over Creighton.
- Drake’s bench has outscored its last four opponents by a combined 119-84 margin.
- Drake averaged 1.06 points per possession on the week.
- The Bulldogs held a +2 rebound advantage on the
week with Jordan Clarke hauling in 18 rebounds on the week, including
eight on offense.
- Drake has scored 70 or more points in 15 of its
20 games. The Bulldogs are 9-6 when scoring 70 or more points but 1-10
when its opponent hits the 70-point mark.
- The Bulldogs are averaging 71.2 possessions per
game, the 2nd fastest pace in the MVC. In conference games, the squad is
playing at a 71 possession pace, the fastest in league games.
- However, Missouri State held the Bulldogs to 66 possessions, its third fewest of the season.
- Drake is shooting 38.7 percent from the three-point arc, the second highest percentage in the MVC and the 29th best nationally.
- Ben Simons averaged 16 points on the week on 54.5 percent shooting and 35.4 percent from the arc.
MVC Player of the Week Nominee
Ben Simons
F – 6-8 – 209
Sr. – Cadillac, Mich.
Scored a team-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting at
Missouri State and was 5-of-6 inside the arc with two assists … scored
13 points in the win over Creighton with a critical steal and two free
throws in the final seconds to seal the upset
win … averaged 16 points and 3.5 rebounds on the week while shooting
.545 percent from the field and .354 from the three-point arc.
MVC Newcomer of the Week Nominee
Richard Carter
G – 5-11 – 177
Jr. – Detroit, Mich.
Scored a career-high 20 points in the upset win
over Creighton on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and a 2-of-2 night from
the three-point arc … also added a career-high seven assists with two
assists and a steal … shot 47.1 percent from
the field and 50 percent from the arc on the week.
Player Notes
0 – Kori Babineux – Did not play in either game on the week.
1 – Jordan Clarke – Averaged 7.5 points and
9.0 rebounds on the week … nearly had a double-double at Missouri State
with nine points, 11 rebounds and a career-high four assists … of his 18
rebounds in two games, eight were on offense.
2 – Gary Ricks, Jr. – Played 16 total minutes on the week.
3 – Richard Carter – Scored a career-high 20
points on 7-of-9 shooting in the win over Creighton … added three
points on a three-pointer at Missouri State.
4 – Chris Hines – Scored nine points in two games on 4-of-15 shooting.
10 – Jeremy Jeffers – Was 3-of-3 from the
arc for 11 points in the win over Creighton … made his first two
three-point attempts at MSU and finished with six points.
11 – Karl Madison - DNP – Injury (Knee)
21 – Robert Puleikis – DNP – Coach’s Decision
22 – Micah Mason – Scored 17 points at MSU on 5-of-9 three-point shooting with four assists … had eight assists and no turnovers on the week.
23 – Mitch McLaughlin – DNP – Coach’s Decision
24 – Joey King – Had two points in 11 minutes on the week.
25 – Matt Bowie – DNP – Coach’s Decision
34 – Ben Simons – Scored a team-high 19
points on 8-of-12 shooting in the loss at MSU … had 13 points and a
critical steal and two free throws in the win over Creighton.
40 - Daddy Ugbede – Had a career-high 12 ponts and five rebounds, four offensive, in the win over Creighton.
45 – Seth VanDeest – Scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with eight rebounds at Missouri State.
[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].
[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].
