DES MOINES, IOWA -- The Drake men's basketball team will host Upper Iowa in a 7:05 p.m. tip-off this Saturday (Nov. 7) at the Drake Knapp Center. It will mark the Bulldogs' lone exhibition test before they open the regular season, entertaining IUPUI Nov. 14 at the Drake Knapp Center.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Upper Iowa has two starters from last year’s team which posted a 5-22 record, including a 4-16 mark in the Northern Sun Conference.
Junior guard Matt Lesan was the team’s leading scorer last year, averaging 13.1 points. He was selected as a Northern Sun Conference Player to Watch for the upcoming season, while the Peacocks were selected to finish 12th in the coaches preseason poll. Junior guard Dan Bestul also returns after averaging 13.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds last year.
Victimized by 31.9 percent shooting from the floor, the Peacocks dropped a 67-39 verdict at Northern Iowa last Saturday. Freshman Jake Hughes led Upper Iowa with nine points.
Brian Dolan, a 1998 graduate of William Jewell, is in his fourth season as head coach at Upper Iowa. He was an assistant coach at Texas-Pan American from 2004-06. He also was an assistant coach a the College of Southern Idaho in 2003-04, Southern Utah from 2001-03 and Missouri State in 1999-2001.
SIZING UP THE BULLDOGS: How quickly a trio of returning veterans can mesh with a highly touted incoming recruiting class will determine the success the Bulldogs will enjoy on the basketball court this winter. Drake will rely on one of the strongest backcourts in the Missouri Valley Conference to aid in the development of one of the youngest teams in recent program history.
There are 10 players on the Drake roster who have yet to play a college basketball game. Drake returns three starters from last year’s squad which posted a 17-16 record, highlighted by an appearance in the 2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, marking the first time the Bulldogs had played in back-to-back post-season tournaments since making the NCAA Tournament from 1969-71.
Two-time All-MVC guard Josh Young enters his senior campaign on the verge of becoming the school’s career scoring and three-point basket leader. Young, who led the MVC in scoring as a sophomore, hopes to bounce back from an injury riddled junior campaign. He ranks seventh on the school career scoring list at 1,328 points, needing 330 points to becoming Drake’s scoring king.
Young averaged 15.4 points last year, while leading the league in free throws made at 168. Despite his 6-foot 1-inch frame, Young also enjoyed one of the best rebounding averages of any MVC guard at 3.8, grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds in a home victory against Indiana State.
“Josh is fully embracing his role as the leader on our team,” said Drake head coach Mark Phelps. “We’ve seen some terrific things out of Josh in the preseason. He has made significant improvement in his explosiveness and I feel like he is back to where he was as a sophomore before he suffered an ankle injury.”
Senior point guard Craig Stanley looks for continued improvement after ranking fourth in the MVC in assists (3.8 avg.) last year, while averaging 7.9 points. Junior guard Ryan Wedel becomes eligible after transferring from Arkansas State where he was a two-year starter, leading the Sun Belt Conference in three-point baskets (90) in 2007-08. Wedel, who is versatile enought to play both point and off guard, averaged 15.1 points earning All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2007-08
If that’s not enough, sophomore point guard Frank Wiseler, who was a member of the Luxembourg National Team the last two years, becomes eligible. Freshman guard David Smith, who was one of the top prep guards in Chicago, Ill., also is expected to see action.
Six-foot 6-inch senior Adam Templeton is the lone returning starter on a young frontline. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds last year. Senior two-year letterwinner Bill Eaddy also returns at forward. Phelps is counting on the senior leadership provided by Eaddy, Stanley, Templeton and Young to aid in the development of a young team.
The newcomers will grow up in a hurry with several freshmen expected to play key roles in the frontline, headed by 6-8 Ben Simons, who was runner-up for Mr. Basketball in the state of Michigan. Six-foot 8-inch Aaron Hawley, named the most valuable player of the Arkansas All-Star Game, along with 6-8 Reece Uhlenhopp and 6-10 Seth VanDeest, are expected to contribute right away.
Simons averaged 29.4 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior at Cadillac (Mich.) High School and should aid a Drake perimeter attack. Hawley averaged 17.8 points and 7.4 rebounds at Rogers (Ark.) High School, while Uhlenhopp and VanDeest were first team Iowa Class 4A all-state choices. VanDeest will battle with 7-0 redshirt freshman Sean Jones for playing time at the post.
YOUNG NAMED TO PRESEASON MVC ALL-LEAGUE TEAM: Drake senior guard Josh Young was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason All-Conference team for the second consecutive year. The 6-foot 1-inch Young is the only player in the MVC who has been selected to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District VI team in 2008 and 2009.
Drake has been picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors. Young earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2007-08 as a sophomore after leading the league in scoring with a 15.9 average, while ranking second in three-point baskets (86-2.87 avg.) and third in three-point field goal percentage (.434). He was a second-team All-MVC choice last year after finishing third in the league in scoring with a 15.4 average.
Northern Iowa, receiving 38 first-place votes, was picked to win the conference title with 389 points. Creighton was second with 336 points followed by Illinois State, 299 points; Southern Illinois, 272 points; Wichita State, 216 points; Bradley, 208 points; Indiana State, 173 points; Drake, 105 points; Missouri State, 92 points; and Evansville, 55 points. WHAT’S AHEAD: Drake will open the regular season Nov. 14 playing host to IUPUI in the opening round of the Glenn Wilkes Classic. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. in the Drake Knapp Center. TIP-OFF LUNCHES: Drake will once again provide a unique glimpse into Bulldog men basketball with the first monthly Tip-Off Luncheon set for this Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at All-Play in downtown Des Moines. Other luncheons will be Dec. 15, Jan. 19 and Feb. 23.
