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.

TELEVISION: The game will be televised on Mediacom Connections, Channel 22, with Larry Morgan and Al Lorenzen handling the announcing.

THE SETTING: Drake hopes a return to the Knapp Center is the perfect dose of medicine after suffering a pair of heartbreaking losses on road trips to Illinois where it encountered last-second setbacks at Bradley, 67-65, Feb. 2 and at Illinois State, 71-68, last Saturday.
   
The Bulldogs will look to protect a four-game home winning streak when theyhost No. 18 ranked Northern Iowa Wednesday.
   
Northern Iowa, which owns a 3 1/2 game lead over second-place Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, has posted a 13-2 mark in MVC road games the past two seasons, including a 5-1 record this year.
   
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).

DRAKE-UNI CONNECTIONS: Drake freshman forward Reece Uhlenhopp was a teammate of UNI freshman Tyler Lange at Urbandale High School. Reece’s cousin, Indy Uhlenhopp, is a sophomore on the UNI women’s basketball team.
   
ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO FOR YOUNG: Senior guard Josh Young became Drake’s career scoring leader after collecting a season-high 22 points at Illinois State Saturday. He pushed his career totals to 1,665 points, surpassing Melvin Mathis (1982-85, 1,651 points) and  Red Murrell (1955-58, 1,657 points) in the process. Young also become the 11th player in school history to make 500 field goals.
   
Young needs four three-point baskets to become the school’s career leader in treys at 242. He also needs to make 25 free throws to become the career leader in that category at 440.
   
Young has led Drake in scoring in the last seven games, while averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He also scored 20 points against Wichita State and Creighton in that stretch, while tallying 19 at Bradley and 18 against Illinois State and Evansville. Young needs four treys to become Drake’s career three-point basket leader at 242.

THEN THERE’S THE FRESHMAN:  Drake center Seth VanDeest is among the top freshman frontliners in the MVC, leading the league in blocked shots with 38, while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.497).
   
He was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week for his performance Feb. 1 after averaging 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.
   
VanDeest held his own in back-to-back games 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 (6-of-9 shooting, 8-for-8 free throw line) 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.
    
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’s 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 on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award basketballballot for a nationwide vote that  concludes March 22.
   
Fan balloting is 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: Northern Iowa leads the series, 31-23, but Drake has won five of the last seven games including two of the last three games played in Des Moines. Northern Iowa has won all four overtime games played in the series, including three contests played in Des Moines.

LAST TIME AT THE KNAPP: Northern Iowa 81, Drake 59 (Jan. 17, 2009, Des Moines, Iowa) — Northern Iowa took advantage of nearly an 11-minute drought without a basket by Drake.
   
Guard Josh Parker came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points for the Bulldogs, including 14 in the second half.  Jonathan Cox, the league’s leading rebounder, recorded his 17th career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Craig Stanley enjoyed his fifth straight double-figure scoring game by adding 11 points.    
   
After Cox hit a three-point basket from the left wing with 19:13 left to give Drake a 3-2 lead, the Bulldogs missed six straight shots during the next five minutes 16 seconds before Parker broke the ice with a three-point basket with 13:57 left.
   
Northern Iowa took advantage, scoring 11 straight points to grab a 13-3 lead with Johnny Moran scoring six points in the surge. Owning a 17-8 lead, the Panthers went on a 16-4 run to push their lead to 33-12, forcing Drake to call its second time out with 8:06 left.
   
Drake missed 14 straight shots following a layup by Stanley with 1:18 left in the first half until Cox ended the dry spell with a layup with 10:21 left in the game.
   
The drought covered 10:55 and by then Northern Iowa built a 65-30 advantage. Drake shot 40.8 percent from the floor, while Northern Iowa fired at a 51.7 percent clip.

THE LAST TIME: Northern Iowa 67, Drake 51 (Jan. 27, 2010, Cedar Falls, Iowa)     —   Northern Iowa used a 10-0 run during a 92-second spurt late in the second half, snapping the Bulldogs’ five-game winning streak.
   
Senior guard Josh Young led Drake with 12 points and a season-high six rebounds, while collecting two steals. Senior forward Adam Templeton added 10 points and six rebounds for Drake.
   
After a jumper by Young pulled Drake within 53-45, the Bulldogs had an opportunity to cut the deficit further, but Templeton missed a three-point shot from the right baseline. The Panthers then went on the 10-0 blitz.
   
Drake shot 38 percent from the floor, hitting 19 of 50 shots, including  four of 17 from beyond the three-point arc. The Bulldogs had a season-low two assists.
   
Senior forward Adam Koch scored 10 points of his team-high 14 points in the first half to power Northern Iowa to a 34-24 halftime lead.
   
Sophomore point guard Frank Wiseler led Drake with nine points in the first half, while freshman center Reece Uhlenhopp came off the bench to match a career high with six points in seven minutes. The duo each scored six points to key a 12-4 run that pulled the Bulldogs within 24-20 with 4:10 left.
   
But Northern Iowa answered with a 10-4 run to close out the half.
   
Drake freshman center Seth VanDeest blocked two shots from Northern Iowa’s 7-foot center Jordan Eglseder in the opening three minutes.

THE COACHES: Mark Phelps was named Drake’s 25th head basketball coach, April 21, 2008. He owns a 28-30 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.
   
Ben Jacobson, a 1994 graduate of North Dakota, is in his fourth year as head coach at Northern Iowa, owning a 60-38 record. He was named the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Panthers to the co-regular season and tournament championships. Northern Iowa tied a school record with 23 wins (23-11) while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history.
   
The Mayville, N.D., native was named the school’s 21st head coach on March 22, 2006, after serving as an assistant coach at UNI since 2001.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL IN ILLINOIS: Drake is coming off a road swing last week in which it suffered a 67-65 loss at Bradley determined by a rebound basket with 1.8 seconds left followed by a 71-68 setback at Illinois State Saturday. With Drake trailing 69-68 with 0.5 seconds left, Josh Young missed a free throw that would have sent the game into overtime against the Redbirds.
   
Drake was outrebounded by a 38.5 to 27.0 margin which proved detrimental on the trip.

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: The 67-65 last-second loss at Bradley Feb. 2 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 nine 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. In its last home game, 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 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 58.2 percent (39.6 points) of Drake’s scoring. Five newcomers are averaging at least 14 minutes of playing time. Freshman Seth VanDeest has started all 25 games at center, while freshmen Ben Simons and Aaron Hawley have shared starting duties in 15 games at small forward.

TRAITS: Did you know Drake’s Josh Young has gone to the free throw line 54 times in the last six games, making 42? While he might be more known for his scoring, Young has collected 30 rebounds, including a season-high seven boards at Illinois State, in his last seven games.
-Senior forward Adam Templeton has made clutch three-point baskets in the waning minutes of the last two contests to allow Drake to tie the game. He made a trey from the left baseline with 16 seconds left at Bradley to knot the score at 65-65. Then four days later he drilled a trey with 1:27 remaining that allowed Drake to tie Illinois State at 64-64.
-Junior guard Ryan Wedel has gotten off to red-hot starts in the last two games only to hit a cold spell to close out the contests. He scored all 15 of his points in the opening 12 minutes at Bradley but failed to score the remainder of the game. He then scored all nine of his points in the opening eight minutes at Illinois State before failing to score the rest of the game.
-Freshman center Seth VanDeest is shooting a team high 54.9 percent from the floor in Drake’s 13 home games

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 Conference 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 seven 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 10.2 turnovers.

Drake has equaled or had more assists than turnovers in 16 games, including 14 of its last 20. Guard Frank Wiseler has 60 assists to 37 turnovers. Josh Young has 62 assists to 40 turnovers, while Craig Stanley has 44 assists to 32 turnovers. Ben Simons has 24 assists to 18 turnovers, while Ryan Wedel has 38 assists to 32 turnovers and freshman Seth Van Deest 25 assists to 22 turnovers.

TRIFECTA: Drake leads the Missouri Valley Conference in three-point baskets, while ranking 15th 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 (49), Adam Templeton (44), Josh Young (36) and freshman forward Ben Simons (26).

CHARITY TOSSES: Drake ranks sixth nationally in free throw percentage, firing at a 76.1 percent clip (341-448). 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 84.4 percent (38-45), Adam Templeton 78.7 percent (37-47), Bill Eaddy 73.3 percent (11-15) and Josh Young 73 percent (89-122).

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), a home triumph against second-place Wichita State (78-64) and a home victory 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 70.9 points in its last 10 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 85 baskets this season, surpassing his entire 2008-09 output of 59. He has grabbed 180 rebounds, surpassing his entire 2008-09 total of 127 boards. He also has 44 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.

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 21-4, but the Bulldogs’ demise in 10 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.
   
Owning a 67-65 lead with 25 seconds left at Illinois State, Drake missed a layup and free throw to close out the game en route to a 71-68 setback. 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 22 opponents to 35.5 percent (161-453) 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 (43-1.7 avg.) and sixth in the MVC in three-point baskets with 49 for a 2.0 avg. Wedel, who has enjoyed three 20-plus scoring games, ranks second on the team with an 11.6 scoring average. Wiseler, a sophomore point guard who has been a member of the Luxembourg National Team, has a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranks second on the team in assists at 60.

UNDER THE RADAR: Here are some notes you might not be aware of on the Drake basketball team:
—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 lead the Pac-10 Conference with a 6-4 record, while rank seventh in the NCAA in scoring defense this year, allowing 58 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.

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 12 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 4-14 when being outrebounded. Senior forward Adam Templeton does rank fourth in the MVC in rebounding with a 7.2 average.

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 Jan. 30. 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.