TELEVISION: Both of Drake's games in the Cancun Challenge will be televised nationally by CBS College Sports.

DRAKE RADIO: KRNT Radio (1350 AM) is the flagship station of Drake basketball with Larry Cotlar and Dolph Pulliam handling the broadcasting. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before tipoff.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Drake Bulldogs: 2-1  (Coach: Mark Phelps, first year)
Pos.    Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown)        PPG    RPG    FG%    FT%
G-3    Craig Stanley (5-11, Jr., Plano, Texas)        6.3    0.3    .462    1.00
G-20    Josh Young (6-1, Jr., Lawton, Okla.)        22.3    3.7    .450    .880
F-4    Brent Heemskerk (6-8, Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.)    4.7    8.3    .438    ??
F-31    Jonathan Cox (6-8, Sr., Barrington, Ill.)        10.7    6.7    .476    1.00
F-44    Adam Templeton (6-5, Jr., Rapid City, S.D.)    6.7    3.7    .400    .714

Top Reserves
F-2    Alex White (6-6, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.)    0.0    1.5    .000    ??
G-11    Jacob Baryenbruch (6-0, Sr., Spring Green, Wis.)    2.0    1.0    .182    ??
F-22    Bill Eaddy (6-5, Jr., Ypsilanti, Mich.)        7.7    2.0    .545    1.00
G-23    Josh Parker (6-0, So., Harvey, Ill.)        6.7    1.3    .600    .833
F- 50    John Michael Hall (6-5, Sr., Moultrie, Ga.)    2.7    .1.0    .182    .800

Vanderbilt Commodores: 2-1* (Coach: Kevin Stallings, 10th year)
Pos.    Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown)        PPG    RPG    FG%    FT%
G-0    Jermaine Beal (6-3, Jr., DeSoto, Texas)        9.3    4.0    .348    .889
G-34    George Drake (6-4, Jr., Calera, Alabama)    2.3    1.0    .250    .000
G-44    Jeffrey Taylor (6-7, Fr., Norrkoping, Sweden)    13.3    7.3    .448    .684
C-3    Festus Ezeli (6-11, Fr., Benin City, Nigeria)    4.3    3.0    .556    .750
C-4    A.J. Ogilvy (6-11, So., Sydney, Australia)    14.7    6.7    .500    .750

Top Reserves
G-1    Brad Tinsley (6-3, Fr., Oregon City, Ore.)    11.0    2.7    .500    .571
G-5    Lance Goulbourne (6-8, Fr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)    11.0    4.0    .750    .500
F-21    Darshawn McClellan (6-7, So., Fresno, Calif.)    1.7    1.0    .200    .600
F-24    Andre Walker (6-7, So., Flossmoor, Ill.)        4.7    4.7    .625    .800

*record prior to Nov. 26 vs. Central Arkansas            

New Mexico Lobos: 3-2* (Coach: Steve Alford, second year)
Pos.    Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown)        PPG    RPG    FG%    FT%
G-5    Dairese Gary (6-1, So., Elkhart, Ind.)        12.0    3.4    .500    .808
G-23    Phillip McDonald (6-5, Fr., Cypress, Texas)    10.4    6.0    .442    .727
F-30    Roman Martinez (6-6, Jr., El Paso, Texas)    12.6    6.6    .535    .467
G-32    Tony Danridge (6-5, Sr., San Bernardino, Calif.)    14.2    4.4    .542    .581
F-53    Daniel Faris (6-9, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.)    9.6    5.8    .538    .741
*record prior to Nov. 29 vs. Virginia Commonwealth    

Virginia Commonwealth Rams: 2-1* (Coach: Anthony Grant, third year)
Pos.    Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown)        PPG    RPG    FG%    FT%
F-1    Larry Sanders (6-10, So., Fort Pierce, Fla.)    5.0    4.0    .412    .500
G-3    Eric Maynor (6-3, Sr., Raeford, N.C.)        21.0    3.7    .500    .667
G-5    Brandon Rozzell (6-2, So., Richmond, Va.)    8.0    1.7    .375    1.00
G-20    Bradford Burgess (6-5, Fr., Midlothian, Va.)    9.0    4.3    .563    .667
G-50    Ed Nixon (6-4, So., St. Petersburg, Fla.)        8.7    3.7    .524    .750      
*record prior to Nov. 25 vs. East Carolina, Nov. 29 vs. New Mexico    

THE SETTING: Drake hits the road for the first time this season, spending the Thanksgiving weekend in Cancun, Mexico, for the final two rounds of the inaugural Cancun Challenge.
    
The Bulldogs will face strong challenges starting with a Saturday test against Vanderbilt which went 26-8 last year, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Drake meets either New Mexico or Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday with both of those teams playing in the NIT last season.
    
Drake concluded its regional portion of the Cancun Challenge with home victories against Morehead State (86-70) Nov. 19, and South Dakota State (75-65) last Sunday.
    
Following a disappointing season opening loss to Butler, the Bulldogs regained their shooting touch by hitting 15 three-point baskets against Morehead State, while five players scored in double figures against South Dakota State.    

MORE ON CANCUN CHALLENGE: The Cancun Challenge, sponsored by Triple Crown Sports, is the only opportunity that college men's basketball teams have to play in Mexico during the 2008-09 season.
    
All 10 participating teams will play the final two games of the tournament in Cancun, Mexico at the all-inclusive Moon Palace Resort this weekend. The field also includes Central Florida, The Citadel, Central Arkansas and Grambling.

SECOND TIME AROUND: Drake did play three exhibition games in Cancun, Mexico, during the 2003 Labor Day weekend under then head coach Dr. Tom Davis winning all three contests.

PACK A SUITCASE: Fifth-year senior Brent Heemskerk has learned how to pack a suitcase during his career at Drake. He has already made three trips to California along with road trips to Florida and The Bahamas last season, as well as The Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2006.

FIRST OF THREE: This will mark the first of three straight weekends that Drake will be playing in tournaments. The Bulldogs will host the second annual Iowa Realty Invitational Dec. 5-6 and the inaugural Drake Hy-Vee Classic Dec. 12-13.
    
The Bulldogs won two regular-season tournaments last year, beating Duquesne (77-73) in the Iowa Realty Invitational, and Texas-Pan American (83-55) in the championship of the Drake Regency Challenge.
    
The Bulldogs also played in two regular season tournaments in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Drake finished third in the 2005 Las Vegas Holiday Invitational, while capturing the Drake Regency Challenge. The Bulldogs won the 2006 Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas, as well as the 2006 Drake Regency Challenge, while finishing fifth in the 2006 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Vanderbilt has two starters back from last year's squad that finished 26-8 advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore center A.J. Oglivy is the third leading returning scorer in the Southeastern Conference after averaging 17.0 points last year. He was named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Candidates in mid-November and was named the second best center in the nation by Rivals.com. Junior Jermaine Beal led the Southeastern Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 3.06 mark in 2007-08, while ranking third nationally. This year's five-man freshmen class, is the highest ranked group that has ever suited up at the school.
    
New Mexico has four starters from last year's team that posted a 24-9 record, including an 11-5 third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference while advancing to NIT and finishing second in the nation in three-point accuracy last year at .420, making 271 of 646 attempts. The Lobos' six returning players combined to shoot 43.6 percent, led by senior guard Chad Toppert who led the Mountain West Conference last year and ranked second in the NCAA in three-point accuracy (.480). Guard Phillip McDonald, rated as one of the top four prep players in Texas last year, was named the Mountain West Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year. Senior guard Tony Dandridge, a two-year starter who was redshirted in 2007-08, scored 23 points for the Lobos in their season opening 82-75 loss at Creighton.
    
Virginia Commonwealth has three starters back from last year's 24-8 squad which won its second straight Colonial Athletic Association regular season title. Senior guard Eric Maynor was named the CAA Player of the Year last season after averaging 17.9 points and a league-leading 5.5 assists. He has been named one of the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Candidates for the second straight season. Sophomore forward Larry Sanders blocked a league-high 95 shots and made the CAA All-Rookie and All-Defensive squad last year. Sophomore guard Joey Rodriguez also is a returning starter. The Rams led the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage defense at .269.

THE SERIES: Drake won the only previous meeting against Vanderbilt, 47-46, Dec. 29, 1948, at the Drake Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs have never played Virginia Commonwealth. Drake owns 2-1 series lead against New Mexico with both games in Albuquerque, N.M. Drake beat New Mexico in the last meeting between the schools, 59-52, Dec. 27, 1987, to win the Lobo Classic. New Mexico clipped Drake, 65-60, in the quarterfinal of the 1964 NIT in New York, N.Y.

DRAKE VS. SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE: Saturday's game with Vanderbilt will mark the first time a Drake basketball team has played a Southeastern Conference opponent since dropping a 94-86 decision at LSU, Jan. 2, 1993 under Coach Rudy Washington. The Bulldogs own a 3-6 record against teams from the Southeastern Conference (Arkansas: 0-1; Georgia: 1-1; LSU 0-1: Mississippi State: 0-2; South Carolina: 1-0; Tennessee: 0-1; Vanderbilt: 1-0).

VS. CCA, MOUNTAIN WEST:  Drake owns a 21-15 record against the current nine members of the Mountain West Conference (Air Force: 5-0; Brigham Young: 0-1; Colorado State: 4-5; New Mexico: 2-1; San Diego State: 4-1; Texas Christian: 3-2; Utah: 2-2; Wyoming: 1-3). The last time Drake played a Mountain West Conference team it came away with an 86-79 triumph past Texas Christian in the consolation championship of the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational Nov. 26, 2005.
    
The Bulldogs have never played a member of the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association Conference which includes: Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, Georgia State, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern, Old Dominion, North Carolina-Wilmington, Towson and William and Mary.

THE COACHES: A new era in Drake University basketball is underway with Mark Phelps being named the school's 25th head men's basketball coach, April 21, 2008. He succeeded Keno Davis who resigned to become head coach at Providence College.
    
Phelps served as associate head coach at Arizona State the past 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.
    
Kevin Stallings, a 1982 graduate of Purdue, ranks third among the winningest coaches in Vanderbilt history with a 172-116 record in 10 years  prior to a Nov. 26 game against Central Arkansas. He has an overall collegiate coaching record of 295-179 in 16 years, including a 123-63 mark at Illinois State from 1993-1999. He led the Redbirds to the 1997 and 1998 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles. He also served as an assistant coach at Purdue (1982-88) and Kansas (1988-93).
    
Steve Alford, a 1987 graduate of Indiana, is in his second year as head coach of New Mexico owning a 27-11 record prior to a Saturday (Nov. 29) game against Virginia Commonwealth. He has an overall collegiate coaching mark of 335-194 in 18 years including stops at Manchester (78-29, 1991-95), Southwest Missouri State (78-48, 1995-99) and Iowa (152-106, 1999-2007). He concluded his collegiate career as Indiana's all-time scoring leader with 2,438 points while guiding the Hoosiers' to the 1987 NCAA title.
    
Anthony Grant, a 1987 graduate of Dayton, has a 54-16 record in three years as head coach at Virginia Commonwealth prior to a Nov. 25 game against East Carolina. He was named the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to their second straight league title as well as the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Grant was an assistant coach at Stetson (1993-94), Marshall (1994-96) and Florida (1996-2006).

COMMON OPPONENTS: Drake and Vanderbilt have played one common opponent ? Morehead State. The Bulldogs earned an 86-70 home victory against Morehead State Nov. 19, while Vanderbilt opened its season with a 74-48 home win against the Eagles Nov. 16.
    
If Drake were to face Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday each team has played one common opponent ? South Dakota State. Drake is coming off a 75-65 home victory against South Dakota State last Sunday. The Rams beat South Dakota State at home, 72-56, Nov. 19.

PRESEASON POLLS: Vanderbilt was selected to finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference East Division preseason media poll. New Mexico was picked to finish fifth in the 2008-09 Mountain West Conference race in the league's preseason coaches and media poll. Virginia Commonwealth was favored to win its third straight league title in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason coaches and media poll.

SNEAK PREVIEW: If Drake were to face New Mexico on Sunday the teams could possibly face one another again in 2009-10.
    
The Mountain West Conference and Missouri Valley Conference entered into an agreement in principle to the formation of an annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge for men's basketball. Specific details regarding the Challenge will be released at a later date. Officials from both leagues are working towards a four-year commitment that could begin as early as November, 2009.
    
All 19 members of both leagues will participate in the Challenge, which will feature head-to-head competition between nine Mountain West and nine Missouri Valley teams annually.
    
The Mountain West has ranked among the Top 10 in the NCAA's final RPI report in eight of the last nine years, while the Valley has been among the Top 10 in each of the last four. Teams from the two leagues

have squared off 32 times since the inception of the Mountain West in 1999, with MWC teams holding a 17-15 edge in those contests.
    
“The Challenge series is a positive step for both conferences,” said Doug Elgin, in his 21st year as commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference. “Tough non-conference scheduling has always been paramount in improving our league's stature on the national scene. The series helps institutions in both leagues achieve that goal by adding at least one game annually against quality non-conference competition. And it's great for the fans of the Missouri Valley and the Mountain West as new rivalries are developed with nationally-recognized programs that have a strong history in men's basketball.”

OPPOSITES ATTRACT: Consider the start Drake junior Josh Young is enjoying to open the season.  The personable guard  is not only leading the MVC in scoring (22.3 avg.), free throws made (22) and free throws attempted (25) but he has yet to commit a foul in three games.

COX NEARS CENTURY MARK: Preseason All-MVC forward Jonathan Cox will be appearing in his 100th career game when Drake plays Vanderbilt Saturday. He will be facing Vanderbilt's 6-11 A.J. Ogilvy, a first-team All-SEC choice last year. Cox, a former walk-on, grabbed a season-high nine rebounds against South Dakota State Sunday to move up two spots to No. 15 on the school's career rebounding list at 558, surpassing Bob Tealer (551, 1957-59) and Marv Torrence (554, 1960-62).

ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL: Drake, coming off a school-record 28-5 campaign,  received one vote in the inaugural preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll released Oct. 31. The Bulldogs were ranked nine straight weeks in the 2007-08 Associated Press Top 25 poll, finishing No. 14 in the final poll.
    
Three opponents which Drake will play this season also received votes: Vanderbilt 11, Butler seven and Creighton seven.
    
Drake will face Vanderbilt in the Cancun Challenge  and then play either Virginia Commonwealth or New Mexico Nov. 30. Virginia Commonwealth  and New Mexico received eight and three votes, respectively, in the AP preseason poll.

DRAKE IN SEASON OPENERS: The Bulldogs' record in season openers slipped to 66-37 following a 58-48 home loss to Butler that ended a streak of seven straight season opening wins.
        
A SEASON TO REMEMBER: Picked to finish ninth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, Drake was the TALK of college basketball in 2007-08, posting a school-record 28-5 mark while storming to the MVC regular-season and post-season tournament titles. The Bulldogs also made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1971.
    
The Bulldogs enjoyed a school-record 21-game winning streak, while being ranked in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll nine straight weeks. The 21-game winning streak was the fourth longest winning streak by a team in Missouri Valley Conference history, and the longest winning streak since Bradley reeled off 22 straight wins in 1985-86.
    
Drake started off the MVC season with a 13-0 record before finishing at 15-3 for the most league victories ever by a Bulldog team.
    
Drake became just the 12th regular season MVC champion to also win the league tournament title. Drake's 13-0 league start marked just the fifth time in the last 50 years that a school has enjoyed a 13-0 start in the MVC.  Drake more than doubled its entire MVC victory output of six wins in 2006-07.

DRAKE WINS EXHIBITION TUNE UPS: In a final tune-up before its season opener, junior guard Josh Young scored a game-high 14 points as Drake rallied for a 57-51 victory past Arkansas Tech.  Junior forward Adam Templeton netted 12 points, while senior forward Jonathan Cox added nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Drake.
    
Drake shot just 35.6 percent from the floor, making 16 of 45 shots. But the Bulldogs relied on a sizeable advantage at the free throw line, sinking 20 of 28 free throws while Arkansas Tech failed to have a free-throw attempt.

A reverse layup by junior transfer guard Craig Stanley with 1 minute 21 seconds left gave Drake a 52-51 advantage. That would be the last basket either team would score as the Bulldogs sealed the victory by making five free throws in the last 53.9 seconds.
    
After a charity toss by Templeton with 18 seconds left pushed Drake's lead to 54-51, senior reserve guard Jacob Baryenbruch preserved the victory when he stole a pass on Arkansas Tech's next possession. Baryenbruch was fouled and made two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
    
After a layup by Stanley gave Drake a 43-41 lead at the 12:01 mark, the Bulldogs would go the next 8:01 without a basket. But Drake's defense held Arkansas Tech scoreless for nearly 7 minutes. A three-point basket by Young pushed Drake's lead to 48-43 before Brandon Friedel ended Arkansas State's dry spell with a basket with 3:53 left.
        
Drake 77, Truman State 61 (Nov. 1, 2008, Des Moines, Iowa) ?Senior forward Jonathan Cox collected 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots to pace a balanced attack for Drake. Six players scored in double figures for Drake.
    
Senior guard Jacob Baryenbruch came off the bench to score 14 points, hitting four of six three-point baskets, for Drake. Sophomore guard Josh Parker tallied 11 points, including six in the first half, for the Bulldogs who owned a 41-26 halftime lead.
    
A three-point basket from the left baseline by Parker gave Drake a 5-2 lead that it never relinquished. That also triggered an 11-0 scoring outburst by the Bulldogs. Truman State opened the game making just one of its first 12 shots from the floor in the opening 11 minutes 32 seconds.
    
Junior transfer Craig Stanley, who started at point guard, responded with 12 points in his Drake debut, hitting all four shots from the floor, along with five assists and two steals.
    
Drake junior guard Josh Young, who led the MVC in scoring last year, added 12 points, while fifth-year senior forward Brent Heemskerk netted 10. Heemskerk also blocked three shots as Drake totaled nine rejections in the contest.
    
Drake forced Truman State into 18 turnovers, while scoring 23 points off its miscues. Drake shot 49.1 percent from the floor, hitting 26 of 53 shots, including 50 percent in the second half.

SIZING UP THE BULLDOGS: Despite the loss of graduated seniors Adam Emmenecker, Leonard Houston and Klayton Korver, the Drake basketball team hopes to ride the momentum generated from a record-breaking campaign last year.
    
First-year coach Mark Phelps inherits a roster that has eight returning letterwinners, including All-Missouri Valley Conference performers Josh Young and Jonathan Cox, from a team that posted a school-record 28-5 mark.
    
The Bulldogs were the talk of college basketball in 2007-08. Picked to finish ninth in the MVC preseason poll, Drake reeled off a school-record 21 straight wins  - including 13 straight to begin conference play - en route to becoming the first team to sweep both the MVC regular-season and tournament titles since 2002.
    
Veteran leadership, featuring five seniors, will be a key in aiding the transition of a new staff.
    
"When you look at the returning players coming back, especially the seniors, this team has a taste of winning at a high level and that mentality going into games will be every bit as valuable as our on-court preparation, because in big games they've had success and know what it feels like," said Phelps.
    
"Our players have been terrific. I knew that we were coming into a situation where we had really good players and good people but the reception has been outstanding from our guys. It just confirms what we thought all along that we have some terrific people and I think that will translate to success on the court as well."
    
The Bulldogs' biggest calling card to success was  outside shooting after setting a school single-season mark with 310 three-point baskets.
    
Despite the loss of Korver, who tied the school career mark with 241 treys, Drake should be lethal again from the perimeter with Young, Cox and the addition of junior transfer forward Adam Templeton from UC Irvine.
    
Young, a 6-foot 1-inch junior guard, led the MVC in scoring last year with a 15.9 average, while ranking second with 86 three-point baskets and third in three-point field goal percentage (.434).
    
Selected to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District VI team, Young enjoyed eight 20-plus scoring games, netting  a career-high 25 in a 71-64 upset at then No. 8 ranked Butler.
    
At 6-8 Cox might be the most versatile frontline performer in the MVC. The former walk-on ranked second in the MVC in rebounding (8.5 avg.), three-point field goal percentage (.440) and defensive rebounding (6.1 avg.).
    
Named to the 2008 MVC Most Improved Team, Cox saved his best for last with a career-high 29 points and 16 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game against Western Kentucky.
    
"Cox is such a unique front court player because he can play all over the floor and at 6-8 he can score in the low post and can operate off the lane and stretch the defense to the perimeter," Phelps added.
    
Senior forwards John Michael Hall (3.5 ppg), Brent Heemskerk (4.7 ppg) and Alex White (3.7 ppg) look to blossom in more expanded roles. Two-year letterwinner Bill Eaddy, a 6-5 junior swingman, also is expected to make his presence known.
    
"Several of those players who haven't had a major role on the floor, to date in their career, have an opportunity to step up in a big way for us," said Phelps.
    
The biggest shoe to fill is at point guard where Adam Emmenecker graduated after being named both the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year as well as the MVC Tournament MVP. He set a school single-season record with 213 assists last year.
    
Sophomore Josh Parker, who was Emmenecker's understudy, will battle junior Craig Stanley, a transfer from Collin (Texas) County Community College, and senior Jacob Baryenbruch for the vacated position. Baryenbruch, who started in five games last year, is a three-year letterwinner, who impressed Phelps during preseason workouts. Parker played in 31 games as a freshman averaging 2.0 points.

NEW KIDS ON BLOCK: Newcomers who are expected to contribute immediately are junior transfers Craig Stanley from Collin (Texas) County Community College and  Adam Templeton from UC Irvine.
    
The 6-5 Templeton was a two-year starter at UC Irvine where he was named to the Big West Conference All-Freshman team in 2005-06. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Anteaters in 2006-07, while leading the team with 59 three-point baskets. He led the squad in scoring in five games, with a career-high 19 points at Drake in 2006. He also had a double-double in an upset win vs. South Carolina, collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds. Templeton earned first team all-state honors as a senior at Rapid City (S.D.) Central High School, while averaging 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in leading his team to the state tournament.
    
Stanley ranked seventh nationally in assists last year, averaging 5.4 and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14). He averaged 11.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 2006-07, while leading Collin County Community College to a 21-9 record. He enjoyed double-doubles of 10 points and 10 assists against Southwestern Christian College and a career-high 23 points and 10 assists against Jacksonville. He earned first-team All-District 8-5A honors as a senior at West High School in Plano, Texas, in 2006 after leading the team in scoring (13.1 avg.) and assists (3.6 avg.).

DRAKE IN KNAPP CENTER: The Bulldogs have won 18 of their last 20 home games, dating back to last year. The season opening 58-48 loss to Butler did snap a string of 11 straight home nonconference victories. The 16-game home winning streak last year was the longest in the 15-year history of the Knapp Center.
    
The Bulldogs have posted a 26-6 home record in the Drake Knapp Center during the past two seasons, including a 14-1 mark in 2007-08. Drake owns a 128-94 home record in the  Drake Knapp Center. Drake is the only private school in the Missouri Valley Conference which plays its home games at an on-campus site.

PREP STANDOUTS JOIN PROGRAM: High school basketball standouts Aaron Hawley, a 6-foot 7-inch forward from Rogers, Ark.; Ben Simons, a 6-7 guard from Cadillac, Mich.; David Smith, a 6-3 guard from Chicago;  Reece Uhlenhopp, a 6-7 forward from Urbandale, Iowa; and Seth VanDeest, a 6-9 forward from Bettendorf, Iowa, have signed national letters of intent indicating they will join the Drake men's basketball program.
        
“We are very excited to announce the signing of five outstanding young men who will join us as freshmen here at Drake in the fall of 2009,” said Drake coach Mark Phelps. “Each of these young men comes to us with demonstrated success and each has had the privilege of playing for winning high school basketball programs.  
        
“These five men exemplify the type of student-athletes we want to recruit to Drake. They excel in the classroom, they are men of character and integrity and are versatile, talented basketball players. Each of these young men are from terrific families and are very enjoyable to be around.”
        
Hawley will enter his third year as a starter at Rogers High School where he earned Arkansas Class VII all-state honors in 2007-08. Hawley also was named to the all-region teams of the Northwest Arkansas Morning News, The Benton County Daily Record and the KURM Dream Team.
        
The two-time all-league performer averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 2007-08 keying his team to a 21-8 record en route to the quarterfinal round of the Arkansas VII State Tournament. He scored 30 points vs. Little Rock Central as a sophomore, while tallying 28 points vs. Alma last year.
        
“Aaron is a versatile, athletic wing who has the ability to be successful from a variety of areas on the floor,” said Phelps.  “He shoots the ball very well from the perimeter and the ability to also score around the basket.  His competitive nature and desire to excel makes him stand out among his peers.”
        
Simons earned first-team Michigan Class B all-state honors by the Detroit Free Press and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. He was a two-time first team All-Big North Conference performer who averaged 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 blocked shots, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 2007-08 while leading Cadillac to a 16-6 record. Simons had 29 points vs. Traverse City Central, while grabbing 15 rebounds vs. Mount Pleasant. He is a nominee for the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American game.                                     
        
“Ben is a versatile guard who can put the ball on the floor very well and has a great shooting touch from beyond the college line,” pointed out Phelps. “His high basketball IQ, length and ability to score make him an ideal fit for our style of play.  He grew up in a basketball family and has a great passion for and knowledge of the game.”
            
Smith is a three-year starter at Lake Forest Academy, who has been a two-time first-team all-conference performer. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals in 2007-08 after guiding the team to a 24-9 record including the Independent School League title with a 13-0 mark.
             
Smith is a nominee for the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American game. A three-time team captain, he had a career-high 22 points as a sophomore vs. Luther North. The versatile athlete also won the high jump in the 2008 Independent School League meet.
        
“David is an explosive guard who can create shots for himself and others,” Phelps said.  “He has great speed and quickness and is a very effective open court player.  David is court savvy, has a high basketball IQ and plays with tremendous poise.  He will be a very important addition to our backcourt.”
            
Uhlenhopp earned third-team all-state honors in 2007-08 by the Iowa Newspaper Association. He was a first-team all-district choice who averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from floor in 2007-08.
            
Uhlenhopp helped lead Urbandale to 13-9 record last year, including its fourth straight Central Iowa Metro League title. He is the step-brother of former Drake women's basketball standout Jill Martin (2003-08) who was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer.
            
“Reece is a forward who will provide great versatility and toughness along our front line,” added Phelps.  “He can score around the basket in a variety of ways while also being able to step out and shoot from the perimeter.  Reece is a very hard worker and understands what it means to be a student-athlete at Drake University.”
            
VanDeest earned second-team all-conference honors in 2007-008, while guiding Bettendorf to a 19-4 record including a second-place conference finish. He averaged 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
            
“Seth is a skilled center with tremendous toughness and determination,” Phelps said. “He has very good footwork, is an excellent passer and has a variety of post moves. Seth also has an excellent shooting touch for a player his size. Seth has a strong desire to reach his full potential. His grit and work ethic stood out to our staff during the recruiting process.”