RON MALY HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PARADE GO BY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEBSITES.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Drake's Men's Basketball Schedule

Fourteen home games and the Big Four Classic highlight the 2013-14 Drake men’s basketball schedule, announced Wednesday by first-year coach Ray Giacoletti.

The 30-game slate features 16 games against teams that finished in the top 150 of the RPI last season, including nine dates against RPI top-100 competition.

The Bulldogs will host New Mexico State, Western Michigan, Albany, Nebraska-Omaha and Iowa Wesleyan at the Knapp Center in non-conference action followed by all nine fellow Missouri Valley Conference programs, including league newcomer Loyola. They also take on in-state foe Iowa in the Big Four Classic on Dec. 7 at Wells Fargo Arena coupled with road trips to St. Mary’s and a three-day tournament at Fresno State against the host, Northern Arizona and CSU Bakersfield.

Giacoletti will attack that non-conference schedule with a roster that features five newcomers and eight other experienced players, including a pair of full-time starters in senior guard Richard Carter and senior center Seth Van Deest.

Fans will get their first look at the Bulldogs under Giacoletti on Nov. 3 with an exhibition game against  Central College at 2:05 p.m. Less than a week later, the season tips off in earnest and the squad gets it first road test of the season with a visit to Illinois at Chicago (UIC) of the Horizon League on Nov. 9.

Drake opens its home schedule three days later against Iowa Wesleyan. A return visit to St. Mary’s on Nov. 16. follows, before returning home to host Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 23. Four games away from the Knapp Center follow with three contests at the Fresno State Classic and the Dec. 7 date against Iowa in the Big Four Classic.

The Bulldogs stay at home for the bulk of December with a three-game homestand before the holiday break against New Mexico State, Western Michigan and Albany on Dec. 14, 18 and 23, respectively. The squad hits the road for its final non-conference tune-up, a Dec. 29 meeting at IUPUI.

The Valley schedule gets under way at home on New Year’s Day with Evansville visiting the Knapp Center followed by the team’s first league road game at Bradley on Jan. 4. The Bulldogs welcomes 2013 NCAA Final Four participant Wichita State to the Knapp Center on Jan. 25 as part of a two-game homestand, the only one on its Valley schedule, capped by a visit from Missouri State. Tipoff times for all home Valley games will be announced with the finalization of the league’s television package in the coming weeks.

League newcomer Loyola is also on the slate twice with Drake traveling to Chicago on Jan. 15 and welcoming the Ramblers to Des Moines on Feb. 15. That Feb. 15 date begins the homestretch of the Valley schedule with the Bulldogs playing three of their final league games at home including the regular-season finale against Bradley on March 1.

The Valley tournament is set for the following week, March 6-9, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

To reserve your tickets for the 2013-14 season, visit www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com or call 515-271-DOGS.

 The Schedule:

   
Nov. 3            Central College (Exh.)                               Des Moines, Iowa                                      2:05 p.m.
Nov. 9            at UIC                                                             Chicago, Ill.                                                     7 p.m.
Nov. 12          Iowa Wesleyan                                            Des Moines, Iowa                                      7:05 p.m.
Nov. 16          at St. Mary’s                                                  Moraga, Calif.                                                   TBA
Nov. 23          Nebraska-Omaha                                      Des Moines, Iowa                                         1 p.m.
Nov. 29          at Fresno State #                                         Fresno, Calif.                                                    TBA
Nov. 30          vs. Northern Arizona #                                Fresno, Calif.                                                    TBA
Dec. 1            vs. CSU Bakersfield #                                Fresno, Calif.                                                    TBA
Dec. 7            vs. Iowa &                                                      Des Moines, Iowa                                            TBA                                   
Dec. 14          New Mexico State                                      Des Moines, Iowa                                      7:05 p.m.
Dec. 18          Western Michigan                                      Des Moines, Iowa                                      7:05 p.m.
Dec. 23          Albany                                                           Des Moines, Iowa                                      7:05 p.m.
Dec. 29          at IUPUI                                                         Indianapolis, Ind.                                             TBA
Jan. 1             Evansville *                                                  Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Jan. 4             at Bradley *                                                   Peoria, Ill.                                                          TBA
Jan. 8             Indiana State *                                             Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Jan. 11           at UNI *                                                          Cedar Falls, Iowa                                             TBA
Jan. 15           at Loyola *                                                     Chicago, Ill.                                                       TBA
Jan. 18          Illinois State *                                              Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Jan. 22           at Southern Illinois *                                    Carbondale, Ill.                                                 TBA
Jan. 25          Wichita State *                                            Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Jan. 29          Missouri State *                                          Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Feb. 1             at Illinois State *                                           Normal, Ill.                                                         TBA
Feb. 4             Southern Illinois *                                       Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Feb. 9             at Indiana State *                                         Terre Haute, Ind.                                              TBA
Feb. 12          at Missouri State *                                       Springfield, Mo.                                                TBA
Feb. 15          Loyola *                                                         Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Feb. 18          UNI                                                                 Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
Feb. 22          at Wichita State *                                         Wichita, Kan.                                                     TBA
Feb. 25          at Evansville *                                              Evansville, Ind.                                                 TBA
March 1         Bradley *                                                       Des Moines, Iowa                                           TBA
March 6-9      MVC Conference Tournament                 St. Louis, Mo.

# Fresno State Classic
& Big Four Classic
* Missouri Valley contest
(All times central)                    

--Ty Patton, Drake's athletic athletic director for communications