THE SETTING: Something has to give when Drake and Illinois State, involved in a four-way logjam for fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference, tangle Saturday night. Both teams have developed similar patterns recently, protecting the homecourt while encountering problems on the road.
   
Drake has won its last four home contests but has dropped its last two road games, including a 67-65 setback at Bradley Tuesday with the game decided on a rebound basket with 1.8 seconds left. Illinois State is riding a three-game home winning streak but the Redbirds have lost their last four games on the road, including a 72-65 setback at Indiana State Wednesday.
   
STAYIN' ALIVE: The Bulldogs have won their last four home games impressively by an average victory margin of 10 points, with wins against Missouri State (88-77), Illinois State (69-59), Wichita State (78-64) and Creighton (79-74).
   
The Bulldogs are shooting 52.4 percent from the floor (99-189) in their four-game home winning streak, while averaging 9.8 three-point baskets. Drake also is holding opponents to 29.3 percent shooting from three-point range (29-99).
   
YOUNG NEARS MILESTONE: Senior guard Josh Young needs 15 points on his trek toward becoming Drake's career scoring leader, surpassing Melvin Mathis (1982-85, 1,651 points) and  Red Murrell (1955-58, 1,657 points) in the process. Young needs one basket to become the 11th player in school history to make 500 field goals.
   
Young has led Drake in scoring in the last six games, while averaging 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He scored 20 points against Wichita State and Creighton in that stretch, while tallying 19 at Bradley Tuesday and 18 against Illinois State and Evansville. Young needs six treys to become Drake's career three-point basket leader at 242.

THEN THERE'S THE FRESHMAN:  Drake center Seth VanDeest is the top freshman frontliner in the MVC, leading the league in blocked shots with 36, while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.507).
   
He held his own in back-to-back games last week against two of the league's top post players, blocking two shots against UNI's seven-foot center Jordan Eglseder in the opening three minutes.

He outplayed Creighton's Kenny Lawson Jr. by scoring 20 points and tying a career-high with four blocked shots. VanDeest held Lawson to seven points in just 18 minutes. VanDeest also had four rejections at Wichita State and Evansville. He scored a career-high 21 points against Binghamton and had a career-high nine rebound effort against Bradley. He was named to both the Drake Hy-Vee Classic and Drake Invitational All-Tournament teams.

VANDEEST HONORED: Drake freshman center Seth VanDeest was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for his performance last week.
   
The six-foot 11-inch VanDeest averaged 13.5 points and 3.0 blocked shots while shooting 61.5 percent (8-13) from the floor and 100 percent from the free throw line, making all 11 attempts in games against league leader Northern Iowa and Creighton. He had 20 points, making six-of-nine shots from the floor and all eight free throw attempts, while matching a career-high four blocked shots in a 79-74 home victory against Creighton last Saturday.
   
It marked the second straight week a Drake player was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week. Sophomore guard Frank Wiseler earned the honor Jan. 24 in helping Drake post victories against Evansville and Wichita State.

TEMPLETON NAMED TO ACADEMIC TEAM: Senior forward Adam Templeton was named to the first team Academic All-District VII university division basketball team presented by ESPN The Magazine as selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).
   
Templeton owns a 3.30 grade-point average majoring in business management. He is a finalist for the Academic All-America team which will be named Feb. 24. District VII consists of schools from the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Candidates must own a minimum 3.30 grade point average.
   
Templeton is one of the most versatile players in the Missouri Valley Conference, leading the league in three-point field goal percentage (.457) while ranking third in rebounding with a 7.3 average. He has nearly doubled his scoring output from last season, averaging 9.8 points, compared to 5.4 in 2008-09.

YOUNG AMONG 10 FINALISTS FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Drake senior guard Josh Young is one of 10 student-athletes who were selected as finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in basketball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – classroom, character, community and competition.
   
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School™, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 men's candidates who were announced in October.
   
Nationwide balloting begins immediately to determine the winner. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award winners during the 2010 NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours in early April.
   
Young maintains a 3.15 grade-point average, majoring in marketing and management. The other finalists are: Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga ; Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia; Marquis Hall, Lehigh; Luke Harangody, Notre Dame; Damion James, Texas; Adam Koch, Northern Iowa; Chris Kramer; Raymar Morgan, Michigan State; and Jon Scheyer, Duke.
   
These 10 names will be placed on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award basketball ballot for a nationwide vote beginning today and concluding March 22.
   
Fan balloting will be available on the award's official Web site, http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com, as well as through text messaging. Fans can text MBBALL to 74567 to vote for the men's finalists. These votes will be combined with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
   
THE SERIES: Illinois State owns a 45-26 lead in the series. The Bulldogs have won four of the last six games, but Drake has dropped five of its last six contests played in Normal with the lone victory occurring by a 73-70 margin Feb. 5, 2008.
   
DECEPTION: Longtime observers will be the first to say that the series between Drake and Illinois State is highly competitive, considering that 12 of the Redbirds' victories have been by two or fewer points, including overtime wins in 2000 (90-88) and 2006 (58-56).

THE LAST TIME: Drake 69, Illinois State 59 (Jan. 17, 2010, Des Moines, Iowa)     — Josh Young netted a team-high 18 points, while Adam Templeton collected his fourth career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds as Drake earned its third straight victory.
   
Illinois State struggled from the opening tip, making just one of its first 12 shots from the floor.
   
The Bulldogs, playing without the services of senior starting point guard Craig Stanley, who is sidelined indefinitely with an injury to his right wrist, jumped to a 9-2 lead behind five points from junior transfer guard Ryan Wedel. Two three-point baskets by Templeton triggered a 12-2 run that turned a 13-6 Drake advantage into a 25-8 cushion. Young then closed out the first half with consecutive baskets to give Drake a 35-15 lead. A three-point basket by Wedel gave Drake its biggest lead of the game at 40-15 with 18:06 left. Wedel finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
   
Drake made nine three-point baskets. Templeton tied a season high with four three-point baskets - all in the first half. He grabbed six rebounds in the game's opening 6 minutes 37 seconds, surpassing his entire previous game output of five boards against Missouri State.
   
Young, who played some minutes at point guard with the absence of Stanley, collected six assists and four rebounds.
   
A three-point basket by reserve senior Bill Eaddy gave Drake a 60-41 lead with 2:39 left. But Illinois State outscored Drake, 18-9, to close out the game.
   
Drake shot 45.1 percent from the floor, making 23 of 51 shots. Illinois State hit just 36.8 percent, canning 21 of 57 shots.
   
LAST VISIT TO NORMAL: Illinois State 65, Drake 61 (Jan. 14, 2009, Normal, Ill.) — Champ Oguchi scored the last five points of the game to cap a career-high 29-point outing that helped rally Illinois State.
   
The Bulldogs held Illinois State to a season-low 36.2 percent shooting from the floor. But the Redbirds outrebounded Drake, 34-31, including a 14-7 advantage in offensive rebounding which resulted in 14 second-chance points compared to just two by Drake.
   
There were 13 lead changes in the game. After two free throws by junior guard Josh Young gave Drake a 61-60 lead with one minute 28 seconds left, Oguchi drilled a three-point basket from the right wing with 1:06 left, staking the Redbirds to a 63-61 advantage.
 
Craig Stanley then committed a turnover on Drake's next possession when he slipped penetrating the paint and lost control of the ball with 43 seconds left. Oguchi retrieved the basketball and was fouled by Drake's Adam Templeton. Oguchi sank two free throws to push Illinois State's lead to 65-61 with 42 seconds left.
   
Drake then missed three-point shots by senior forward Jonathan Cox and Templeton as well as a rebound jumper by Young in the waning seconds. Young and Templeton led Drake with 12 points apiece, while Stanley added 10. Cox grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Three-point baskets from Templeton and senior Brent Heemskerk allowed Drake to jump to an 8-2 advantage.
   
The Redbirds went six minutes without scoring after a basket by Dinma Odiakosa had tied the score at 2-2 with 18:13 remaining. After a dunk by John Michael Hall, off his own steal, gave Drake a 17-14 lead with 2:53 left, the Redbirds used a 9-2 run to close out the first half, grabbing a 23-19 lead.  The Bulldogs committed three straight turnovers in the waning minutes.
   
Illinois State extended the lead to 38-28 following two free throws by Oguchi after a technical foul was assessed to the Drake bench.
   
Behind four three-point baskets, the Bulldogs caught fire going on a 20-10 run to knot the score at 48-48 following a three-point basket by sophomore reserve guard Josh Parker with 8:46 left. Consecutive baskets from Hall and Stanley powered Drake to a 52-51 edge.
       
Drake shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the second half and finished the game shooting 44.9 percent.Drake made nine three-point baskets.

THE COACH: Mark Phelps was named Drake's 25th head basketball coach, April 21, 2008. He owns a 28-29 record in two years with the Bulldogs. Phelps served as associate head coach at Arizona State for two seasons. The Virginia Beach, Va., native had served on the coaching staff at North Carolina State under head coach Herb Sendek from 1996-2006 before joining Sendek at Arizona State in 2006.
   
He was part of Sendek's staff that led North Carolina State to a 53-39 record (.576) in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament play in the final five seasons in Raleigh, N.C. The Wolfpack tied for the second most wins in the ACC from 2001-2002 through the 2005-06 season. He joined the North Carolina State staff in 1996, serving as director of basketball operations before becoming assistant coach in 2000. He was promoted to recruiting coordinator, director of scouting and assistant coach with the Wolfpack in 2005.
   
Phelps posted a 148-53 record (.736 winning percentage) in six years as a high school head coach in Virginia. He was head coach at Atlantic Shores Christian High School in Chesapeake,  Va.,  where he compiled a 44-12 record. The 1996 Old Dominion graduate also coached four
years at Rock Church Academy, constructing a 104-41 record while leading teams to three straight Metro Conference championships.

MAKING HISTORY: Drake became the first team in MVC history to lose its first four conference games, then win its next five to move above .500 in conference play.

PAINFUL LOSS FOR YOUNG: Tuesday's 67-65 last-second loss at Bradley was painful for Drake. But no one suffered more than senior guard Josh Young.
   
He missed the final 4:41 of the first half after spraining his ankle. Just 1:35 in the second half, Young took an inadvertent elbow to the mouth from Bradley's Chris Roberts getting his front left tooth knocked out.

WHY NOW, PLEASE EXPLAIN: How does a team go from encountering a six-game losing streak to winning six of its next seven games?
   
Remember the key word stressed in Drake's team outlook entering the season was CHEMISTRY. Keep in mind that Drake has more first-year players (11) in its program than any other team in the MVC. And if you've done your homework, you would also realize that Drake had enjoyed second-half leads in nine of its 12 losses this season. So the ball is starting to bounce Drake's way.
   
The streak started when the Bulldogs earned a 70-65 victory at Southern Illinois Jan. 9 which marked the first time in school history Drake has posted back-to-back victories at arguably the toughest home court in the MVC. Drake shot a season-high 60 percent from the floor, while matching a season high with 14 three-point baskets en route to an 88-77 victory past Missouri State Jan. 12 and then closed a two-game homestand with a 69-59 victory past Illinois State Jan. 17. Drake also claimed a 72-65 victory at Evansville before surprising second-place Wichita State, 78-64, Jan. 23 followed by a 79-74 home win against Creighton.

ON YOUR MARK: Getting off to fast starts were instrumental in Drake's last five victories. The Bulldogs constructed 20-point leads in the first half against Missouri State and Illinois State. Drake also enjoyed a 27-17 lead at Evansville and held a 24-9 advantage against Wichita State en route to a 36-24 halftime lead. Last Saturday, Drake constructed a 35-20 lead against Creighton with 6:41 left in the first half.
   
The Bulldogs jumped to a 9-2 lead against Illinois State behind five points from junior transfer guard Ryan Wedel. Two three-point baskets by Adam Templeton triggered a 12-2 run that turned a 13-6 Drake advantage into a 25-8 cushion. Josh Young then closed out the first half with consecutive baskets to give Drake a 35-15 lead. Drake enjoyed a 51-29 halftime lead in its previous game against Missouri State.

STEPPIN UP: Four starters shoot more than 50 percent from the floor during Drake's winning streak. Senior forward Adam Templeton topped the list, firing at a 60.5 percent clip, including 66.7 (14-21) from three-point range. Then there's guards Ryan Wedel (.525) and Josh Young (.522), followed by freshman center Seth VanDeest (.517).
   
Drake also made more free throws (88) than its opponents attempted (71).     

20-20-20 VISION: When Josh Young, Seth VanDeest and Ryan Wedel scored 20 points against Creighton last Saturday it marked the first time Drake had three 20-point scorers in same game  since Dec. 11, 2002 when Drake beat Grinnell, 162-110. J.J. Sola had 36 points followed by 25 apiece from Greg Danielson and Quantel Murphy.

HEAD OF THE CLASS: Drake has more first-year players (11) on its roster than any team in the MVC. Newcomers are contributing 58.9 percent (40 points) of Drake's scoring. Five newcomers are averaging at least 13.9 minutes of playing time. Freshman Seth VanDeest has started all 24 games at center, while freshmen Ben Simons and Aaron Hawley have shared starting duties in 15 games at small forward.

DRAKE IN BRACKETBUSTERS: Drake will travel to two-time defending Big West Conference regular season champion Cal State Northridge in the annual BracketBuster series Feb. 20 The Matadors will be the 15th opponent that Drake will have played this season which advanced to post-season play a year ago.
   
Cal State Northridge returns three starters from last year's team which also won the Big West Conference Tournament to advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament where it lost to Memphis (81-70).
   
Since the inception of the BracketBusters in 2004, Drake owns a 5-1 record, including a 2-1 mark on the road with victories at Akron (82-78, overtime) in 2004 and Butler (71-74) in 2008, while suffering a 70-67 loss at UC Irvine in 2006. The Matadors will be the third Big West Confer
ence opponent Drake has played in the BracketBuster series. Besides UC Irvine, Drake earned a 73-57 home victory past San Jose State in 2005.

STANLEY SIDELINED:  Drake is without the services of senior starting point guard Craig Stanley, who underwent surgery on his right  wrist Jan. 15, and will be sidelined indefinitely. He initially injured the wrist at Wichita State Jan. 1 and aggravated the wrist against Missouri State Jan. 12.
   
Stanley was making strides after two off-season surgeries to his knee. He had started three straight games before the injury, matching a season high with six assists in his last outing against Missouri State. He ranked second in the MVC in free throw shooting at 88.4 percent (38-43), while leading the team with 43 assists. He was averaging 6.2 points with a season high of 15 points at Creighton, while netting 13 against South Dakota and San Diego State.

WALLY PIPP REVISITED: Will injured point guard Craig Stanley become the Wally Pipp of Drake? Pipp is best remembered as a first baseman who lost his starting role to Lou Gehrig at the beginning of Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
   
Since Stanley became sidelined the last six games after undergoing surgery to his wrist, sophomore Frank Wiseler has made his presence known at point guard while helping lead Drake to three victories.
   
Wiseler was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week Jan. 24 after averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds in two Drake victories, while shooting 50 percent from the floor (6-12) including 50 percent from three-point range (3-6).
   
Wiseler scored a career-high 12 points while not committing a turnover in 34 minutes in a 72-65 win at Evansville. He then tied both an MVC season high and Drake Knapp Center record with 12 assists in a 78-64 win against Wichita State.
   
He played a career-best 37 minutes at Northern Iowa, collecting nine points, three rebounds and two steals. He collected 10 points and seven assists in 26 minutes against Creighton.

POSITIVE THOUGHTS ON TURNOVERS: Drake is doing an excellent job of taking care of the basketball while being efficient on the offensive end. With four of five starters owning nearly a 2.0 assist-to-turnover margin, Drake ranks among the nation's leaders in fewest turnovers committed per game. Drake ranks fifth, averaging 10.3 turnovers.
   
Drake has equaled or had more assists than turnovers in 15 games, including 13 of its last 19. Guard Frank Wiseler has 58 assists to 32 turnovers. Josh Young has 57 assists to 39 turnovers, while Craig Stanley has 44 assists to 32 turnovers. Ben Simons has 24 assists to 18 turnovers, while Ryan Wedel has 36 assists to 31 turnovers and freshman Seth Van Deest 25 assists to 21 turnovers.

UNDER THE RADAR: Here are some notes you might not be aware of on the Drake basketball team:
—Senior guard Josh Young has gone to the free throw line 44 times in the last five games, making 36. While he might be more known for his scoring, Young has collected 23 rebounds, including a season-high six boards at Northern Iowa, in his last six games.
—The Bulldogs set a school record by having eight different players make a three-point basket in the same game against Missouri State Jan. 12.
—Arizona State head coach Herb Sendek has served as a mentor to Drake head coach Mark Phelps. Sendek's Sun Devils rank fifth the NCAA in scoring defense this year, allowing just 55.8 points.
—Freshman Ben Simons' aunt is Gail Goestenkors who is the head women's basketball coach at Texas.
—Adam Templeton will get married on April 3 to Kara Finley. His future brother-in-law, Zach Finley, plays basketball for Princeton.

ON THE REBOUND?: Drake has shown improved play in all three phases of the game. It all started on a road trip to Creighton where Drake suffered a 73-69 setback before reeling off five straight victories starting at Southern Illinois (70-65), followed by home victories against Missouri State (88-77) and Illinois State (69-59), a win at Evansville (72-65), an impressive home win against second-place Wichita State (78-64) and a home win against Creighton (79-74)..
   
The Bulldogs, who entered the Creighton-Southern Illinois road trip ranked last in the MVC in rebounding, won the rebounding battle with a 38-34 edge at Creighton and a 34-28 advantage at Southern Illinois.
   
Drake held Creighton and Southern Illinois to a combined 30.4 percent shooting (14-46) from three-point range. The Bulldogs held Missouri State, which entered the game leading the MVC in three-point field goal percentage (.397), to a season low 6.3 percent from beyond the arc, making just one of 16 shots.
   
Drake is averaging 71.2 points in its last nine games after averaging 47.7 points in its first three MVC games.
   
The Bulldogs shot 52 percent from the floor in the second half at Southern Illinois and were 14-of-15 at the free throw line in the second half.
   
Drake exploded for a season-high 51 points in the first half of an 88-77 romp past Missouri State in a game in which Drake owned a 25-point lead in the first half. The 51 points in the first half surpassed Drake's entire scoring output in two MVC losses to Wichita State (61-38) and Indiana State (60-46).
   
The Bulldogs held Illinois State to a season-low 15 points in the first half en route to a 69-59 victory and then limited Evansville to 26.7 percent shooting from three-point range, while holding Wichita State to 31 percent shooting beyond the arc. Drake hit 50 percent from the floor (24-48) against Creighton, while drilling nine three-point baskets.

TEMPLETON INSTRUMENTAL IN STREAK: Who's the most improved player in the MVC? Drake senior forward Adam Templeton has to be given strong consideration. He has nearly doubled his scoring output from last season, averaging 9.8 points compared to 5.5 in 2008-09.
   
He has made 81 baskets this season, surpassing his entire 2008-09 output of 59. He has grabbed 175 rebounds, surpassing his entire 2008-09 total of 127 boards. He also has 42 treys, bettering his 2008-09 total of 35.
   
Torrid shooting by Templeton ignited Drake on its recent five-game winning streak. Templeton averaged 16.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 three-point baskets in the streak. He  shot  60.5 percent (26-43) from the floor, including 66.7 percent (14-21) from three-point range.
   
He got the winning streak started when he enjoyed his third career double-double with a career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds (six offensive boards) at Southern Illinois Jan. 9.

TRIFECTA: Drake leads the Missouri Valley Conference in three-point baskets, while ranking 17th in the NCAA, averaging 8.4 treys per game. The Bulldogs have made 10 or more treys in eight games so far, including a season-high 14 against South Dakota and Missouri State. Drake hit 13 treys in the opener against IUPUI and at Austin Peay, followed by 11 against Iowa and San Diego State, and 10 at Evansville. Last year Drake reached double figures in three-point shooting in only seven games.
   
Drake made 11 three-point baskets in the first half against South Dakota which were the second highest in one half by a Bulldog team in school history. Drake hit 12 treys in the second half against Wichita State Jan. 11, 2001.
   
Drake's 202 three-point baskets this season rank fourth on the school single-season cahrts.Four players have made 20 or more three-point baskets this season, led by  Ryan Wedel (48), Adam Templeton (42), Josh Young (34) and freshman forward Ben Simons (26).

CHARITY TOSSES: Drake ranks seventh nationally in free throw percentage, firing at a 76.6 percent clip (327-427). Six players are shooting 73 percent or better from the free throw line, led by Craig Stanley, hitting at 88.4 (38-43), followed by Ben Simons at 87 percent (20-23) followed by
Ryan Wedel at 86.4 percent (38-44), Adam Templeton 78 percent (32-41), Josh Young 74.1 percent (83-112) and Bill Eaddy 73.3 percent (11-15). Stanley ranks second in the MVC in free throw percentage.

NEWCOMERS IN BACKCOURT SPARKLE:  Head coach Mark Phelps has utilized a three-guard starting lineup in the past eight games, with Craig Stanley and Frank Wiseler at point guard, while moving junior transfer Ryan Wedel to off guard.
   
Wedel, who is averaging 17.5 points in his last two games, has collected 22 steals in his last 11 games, including a career-high five at Creighton. After missing his first five shots from beyond the arc at Southern Illinois, Wedel made his next two treys, including the game winner with 37.2 seconds left in a 70-65 victory. Wedel scored 14 points - all in the second half - against the Salukis. He followed up with 15 points against Missouri State and 14 against Illinois State.
   
Senior guard Josh Young matched a career high with seven assists against Missouri State, while Stanley tied his season high with six assists.
   
Wiseler collected eight points and three assists against Southern Illinois, surpassing the seven points he scored in the previous combined six games. He replaced the injured Stanley in the starting lineup against Illinois State collecting five points and then had a career-high 12 points, and four rebounds at Evansville. He had a career-high 12 assists against Wichita State.
   
Drake guards routinely penetrated the lane in the second half against Southern Illinois and either scored or created open looks for teammates. Drake guards combined for half (35) of the team's 70 points against Southern Illinois.
   
Drake recorded a season-high 21 assists against Missouri State, enjoying a remarkable 15-to-2 assist to turnover ratio in the first half while leading 51-29. The 15 first-half assists, surpassed the Bulldogs' entire single game outputs of its previous seven games.

A CLOSER LOOK AT DECEPTIVE RECORD: Drake's record could be 20-4, but the Bulldogs' demise in nine losses was their inability to finish off games. Drake blew an 11-point second-half lead in the opener against IUPUI, while making just one of its last eight shots to close out the game, en route to suffering an 88-82 loss. Trailing 71-69 with 11 seconds left at Creighton, the Bulldogs missed two shots to tie the game. Drake had a 42-39 advantage against Indiana State Jan. 3 with 8:52 left but then made just two of its last 11 shots to close out the game. Drake enjoyed a 39-34 lead against Bradley in its MVC opener but made just six of its last 18 shots (.333) to finish the game.
   
Clinging to a 57-55 lead with 3:11 remaining against Akron, which played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Drake made just one of its last nine shots en route to falling 63-59, in the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla. The following day, trailing 51-50 to Central Florida with
6:08 left, the Bulldogs ended the game by missing their last seven shots while committing three turnovers in a 59-50 loss.
   
Drake saw a 58-52 lead against SIU Edwardsville with 2:33 left evaporate as the Bulldogs closed out the game missing their last four shots en route to a 60-58 setback in the Hy-Vee Classic. Drake made just one basket in the last 2:14 of the game en route to dropping a 71-67 decision at Iowa. Owning a 62-54 against 2009 NIT semifinalist San Diego State with 4:54 left, the Bulldog made just two of their last seven free throws to close out the game.
   
BEFORE & AFTER: Drake entered the Missouri Valley Conference season averaging 70.6 points and 9.4 three point baskets in its first 12 games, while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor, including 40.6 from three-point range. But in its first 11 MVC games, Drake is averaging 65.4 points and 7.6 three-point baskets, while hitting 41.9 percent from the floor, including 35.6 percent from three-point range.

IMPROVED DEFENSE: Since watching its first two opponents  — IUPUI, Iowa State — combine to shoot 60 percent from three-point range (24-40), Drake has held its last 21 opponents to 35 percent (153-437) from three-point distance. Drake held Missouri State, which entered its Jan. 17 game against the Bulldogs leading the MVC in three-point shooting (.397), to a season-low 6.3 percent (1-16) and North Dakota to 21.4 percent (6-28) shooting from three-point range.

VALUABLE COMMODITIES: Newcomers Ryan Wedel and Frank Wiseler have proved to be welcome additions to Drake's backcourt. Wedel, a junior transfer from  Arkansas State, ranks third in the MVC in steals (40-1.7 avg.) and sixth in the MVC in three-point baskets with 48 for a 2.0 avg. Wedel, who has enjoyed three 20-plus scoring games, ranks second on the team with an 11.7 scoring average. Wiseler, a sophomore point guard who has been a member of the Luxembourg National Team, has a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio and leads the team in assists at 58.

TEMPLETON SWEEPS MVC AWARDS: Drake senior forward Adam Templeton was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week as well as the MVC Scholar Athlete of the Week Jan. 18 for his efforts in fueling the Bulldogs to two victories.
   
He averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 three point baskets while leading Drake to victories past upper-division teams Missouri State (88-77) and Illinois State (69-59). Templeton shot 58.8 percent from floor (10-17), including 58.3 percent (7-12) from three point range.
   
He had 16 points, five rebounds and made 5 of 8 shots (including 3 of 4 three pointers) against Missouri State. He came back with his fourth career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Illinois State last.

SMITH SIDELINED:  Freshman reserve guard David Smith remains sidelined after suffering a torn plantar fascia in his right foot in a Dec. 7 practice. Smith had appeared in all eight Drake games prior to the injury, averaging 1.5 points and 0.5 rebounds. He scored a season-high five points in 13 minutes against Akron.

BRING 'EM ON: Drake already has played 11 opponents this season that advanced to 2009 post-season play, earning five victories including a 69-59 victory against Illinois State and a 79-74 win against Creighton which both advanced to the 2009 NIT. Drake claimed a 77-76 victory against Binghamton which posted a 23-9 record last year, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Drake had a 78-64 win against Wichita State which played in the 2009 College Basketball Invitational.           
   
The Bulldogs suffered a 76-73 home setback to San Diego State which advanced to the semifinal round of the NIT last year while posting a school-record 26-10 mark. Drake dropped a 63-59 verdict to preseason Mid-American Conference favorite Akron which played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Drake rebounded to earn a 78-72 victory at Austin Peay which played in the 2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
    
REBOUNDING WOES: Drake is 5-1 when outrebounding opponents this season, but the Bulldogs are 4-13 when being outrebounded. Senior forward Adam Templeton does rank third in the MVC in rebounding with a 7.3 average.

NEAR UPSET BID FALLS SHORT: San Diego State took advantage of cold free throw shooting by Drake to escape with a 76-73 overtime victory in the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge series Dec. 22 at the Drake Knapp Center.
   
The two teams combined for 20 three-point baskets but in the end the contest boiled down to which squad was able to make its free throws.The Bulldogs, who entered the game ranked third in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.787), shot a season low 57.1 percent from the charity line, making 12 of 21 shots. San Diego State, which was hitting only 58.4 percent from the line, shot 70.8 percent.
   
Drake shot a sizzling 66.7 percent in the second half, making 12 of 18 shots to rally from a 36-31 halftime deficit. The Bulldogs used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to construct a 58-51 lead with 6:08 left in the contest. Three-point baskets by senior guard Josh Young and reserve forward Bill Eaddy ignited the spurt.
   
But Drake made just two of seven free throws down the stretch. With the score knotted at 66-66, Young missed the front end of a bonus situation with 39.2 seconds left in regulation. San Diego State scored the first six points of overtime to enjoy a 72-67 lead. The Bulldogs made just one basket in the overtime - a layup by Craig Stanley with 1:56 left - to pull Drake within 72-68.
   
Stanley was fouled on a three-point shot. He made two free throws to cut the deficit to 75-73 with 43.9 seconds left. San Diego State then committed a shot clock violation on the ensuing possession with 7.7 seconds left giving Drake one last opportunity. But Stanley had a layup blocked by Gay with 1.2 seconds left allowing San Diego State to sneak away with its ninth straight overtime victory.

TEMPLETON NAMED MVP: Drake senior forward Adam Templeton was named the most valuable player of the Drake Invitational Dec. 13.
   
Templeton averaged 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 three-point baskets while leading the Bulldogs to the championship with victories past South Dakota (96-81) and Binghamton (77-76). He shot 57.1 percent (12-21), including a sizzling 61.5 percent  (8-13) from three-point range.
   
Templeton enjoyed his second career double-double with 17 points and a 2009-10 Missouri Valley Conference high 16 rebounds against South Dakota. He made a career-high four of seven three-point shots. The 16 rebounds by Templeton were the most by a Drake player since Jonathan Cox grabbed 16 rebounds against Western Kentucky in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
   
Templeton had 16 points and eight rebounds against Binghamton. Josh Young and Seth VanDeest also were named to the all-tournament team Young averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 three-point baskets in two games. He scored 21 against South Dakota. VanDeest averaged 13.5 points, scoring a career-high 21 points against Binghamton.

MR. BASKETBALL: Drake has two players on its roster who have been named Mr. Basketball in their respective states, as well as a freshman who earned runner-up honors last year. Junior guard Ryan Wedel was named Mr. Basketball in Kansas as a high school senior in 2006. Redshirt freshman forward Cory Parker was named the 2008 Colorado Class 3A Mr. Basketball as a senior at Aspen High School. Drake freshman Ben Simons was runner-up for Mr Basketball in Michigan last season. Simons made four three-point baskets in his college debut Nov. 14 - which ranks fourth best on the Drake single-game freshman records.

STERLING IN-STATE RIVALRY DEBUT: Freshman forward Ben Simons got his first taste of Iowa's Big Four rivalry and responded in flying colors. Simons scored a career-high 24 points against Iowa State which was the ninth most points scored by a Drake yearling in a game. He made 8 of 11 shots, including four of six from three-point range.

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES: Junior transfer guard Ryan Wedel had a conspicuous debut for Drake by opening his first game on fire, making his first five shots including four from three-point range in the opening 3 minutes 29 seconds of the game against IUPUI. The four consecutive three-point baskets made rank third on the Drake single-game list. Wedel's 15 points in the opening minutes of the game weren't really any surprise. As a high school senior in Minneapolis, Kan., Wedel was featured on ESPN SportsCenter after scoring 25 of his school-record 46 points during a 2:02 span against Southeast-Salin, knocking down six straight three-point baskets. The video is on www.youtube.com.

TOURNAMENT TIME: Drake played in three tournaments in a four-week period, competing in the Glenn Wilkes Classic Nov. 20-22 in Daytona Beach, Fla., while hosting the Hy-Vee Classic Dec. 4-5 and the Drake Invitational this past weekend. It marked the fourth straight year, Drake played in a school-record tying three regular-season tournaments. Drake has won 17 of 23 regular-season tournament games dating back to 2006, claiming titles at the 2006 Sun Bowl Invitational; the 2006 and 2007 Drake Regency Challenge;  the 2007 and 2008 Iowa Realty Invitational and the 2009 Drake Invitational. The Bulldogs finished runner-up in the 2008 Drake Hy-Vee Classic and third in the 10-team 2008 Cancun Challenge and the 2009 Drake Hy-Vee Classic.

2008 NCAA TEAM MEMBERS RETURN: Eight players from the 2007-08 Drake basketball team which posted a school-record 28-5 mark highlight a list of 22 former players who played in the annual Drake Alumni game last Saturday.
   
Adam Emmenecker, who was named the 2008 MVC Player of the Year, headlined the list of players from the Bulldog team which swept both the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and post-season tournament titles in 2008 en route to advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Other players included starters Leonard Houston and Klayton Korver, along with Kit Avery, Jacob Baryenbruch, Tyson Dirks, Brent Heemskerk and Alex White.

THREE PREPS JOIN PROGRAM: High school basketball standouts Karl Madison, a 5-foot 10-inch guard from Springfield, Ill.; Rayvonte Rice, a 6-3 guard from Champaign, Ill., and Jeremy Jeffers, a 6-6 guard from Wilson, N.C., signed early fall national letters of intent at Drake.   

 A point guard, Madison earned first-team all-league honors after averaging 21.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals as a junior at Lamphier High School. He shot 42.7 percent from the floor, including 30.6 percent from three-point range. He collected season highs of 32 points and six rebounds against Chatham Glenwood Jan. 9, 2009, and Jacksonville Feb. 27, 2009.Madison played for the St. Louis Eagles AAU team.
   
Rice was named most valuable player of the 2009 Illinois Class 3A State Tournament after leading Centennial High School to the 2009 Illinois Class 3A state championship. He earned third team all-state honors as a junior by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association after leading the team to a 32-1 record in 2008-09, including the Big 12 Conference title with a 13-0 record. He was a two-time first team Champaign News-Gazette All-Area selection as well as a two-time All-Big 12 Conference performer. Rice averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.4 assists in 2008-09, while shooting 53 percent from floor. He also started as sophomore, averaging 15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals. During the summer he played for the Illinois Stars AAU team.
   
Jeffers averaged 16.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals while leading Greenfield High School to a 31-6 record in 2008-09, en route to advancing to the semifinal round of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A Tournament. He scored a career-high 25 points against Cresset Christian in the quarterfinal round of the 2009 state tournament. He earned first team all-area honors by the Wilson Times and also was a first-team all-conference choice. Jeffers played for the North Carolina Flight AAU team which finished eighth out of 184 teams at the 2009 AAU National Tournament. He also was named to the all-tournament team at the Big Shots AAU Tournament this past July in Myrtle Beach, S.C.