As he nears the twilight of his illustrious four years on the court at Drake, senior Reed Timmer is without peer in the Drake career scoring ranks and putting more and more distance between his legacy and those who he has surpassed. 

With a three-pointer in the first half of the Bulldogs' win at Bradley, he became Drake's all-time leading scorer, moving past Josh Young, and finished the afternoon with a career-high 32 points to give him more than 1,800 career points in the Blue & White. Each successive basket and free throw adds to that gaudy total that has him ranked in the top 14 among active Division I players in career scoring and 19th all-time in Missouri Valley Conference history with 1,956 points heading into the MVC Tournament.

The rigors of being of one of the nation's top scorers in the midst of a heated conference race while balancing challenging pharmacy coursework have only allowed Timmer brief moments to reflect on his historic accomplishment.

"It gave me a chance to reflect on everything we've been through," Timmer said. "The ups and downs and all the teammates I've played with. It's surreal to believe. It's a testament to all the hard work we've put in over the years and all my teammates and coaches for believing in me and letting me have the role that's allowed me to achieve this milestone."

Those initial thoughts from Timmer on achieving one of the most heralded individual accomplishments a basketball player can earn speak volumes about him. Every time he speaks of the honor, it is in terms of 'we' and 'us,' not 'I.'

That's not a calculated manipulation of language to deflect attention, but rather an earnest bond he shares with his fellow seniors, four of which have been by his side for every practice and every one of his more than 1,900 points. In an era where nearly 40 percent of freshmen transfer by the end of their sophomore season, the solidarity of Drake's seniors has helped make Timmer's success possible.

"Having that relationship and bond off the court is something you don't find often," Timmer said. "Lots of guys are self-oriented and switch teams according to what they think their role should be."

However, through the trials and tribulations of the last four years, that group has never splintered and been completely resolute in their commitment to each other.

"It was crucial for us to stick together and say 'we've put so much time and effort into this, why not give it our best shot one more year,'" Timmer added. "It's something special we have. We've put so much time and effort into this that having some success on the court this season makes it so much sweeter."

Reaping the rewards of hard work and constant effort is a familiar theme in Timmer's on and off court pursuits. While he has had explosive scoring nights, becoming the school's all-time scoring leader has been achieved with a glacial application of consistency. In his more than 120 career games, he has scored in double-figures more than 90 times and only once has he been held scoreless. At the free-throw line, he owns the school record with more than 500 free throws and has made a staggering 85 percent of the attempts in his career.

Often those free throws have been earned by crashing to the floor. With each successive tumble to the hardwood that causes fans to hold their breath, Timmer dutifully rises, unscathed. Being diligent in preparing his body to absorb and recover from those blows has been critical to his ability to climb the scoring ranks. 

"Going through a season there's so many bumps and bruises," Timmer said. "Keeping me healthy has been a credit to our staff and athletic trainers. Coach Burch [Strength & Conditioning] has helped me with injury prevention exercises and that's often overlooked, but it's helped me. I've only missed a handful of practices and it's been huge to stay healthy."

That same diligence and preparation are reflected in the classroom as he pursues his doctorate of pharmacy degree. During the fall semester, he carried 18 hours of the rigorous pharmacy curriculum, often while the team was on the road for much of November and December. Just the thought of balancing those responsibilities would make even the most seasoned student-athlete stressed. However, Timmer is more seasoned than most.

"Just as in basketball, I've gotten better at school and managing my time because I need to be," Timmer said. "I don't stress about it. It's second nature. Go to the library after practice and study. Don't stress about it, just take the mindset of 'this is part of my schedule and what I need to do.'"

But without that demanding balance of academics and Division I basketball, Timmer would probably not be at Drake. It was Drake's willingness to allow Timmer to pursue a pharmacy degree while playing basketball that set in motion the series of events that eventually led to the Bulldogs' having a new career scoring leader.

"It was huge. That was why I came here and why I stayed," Timmer said of being what is believed to be the first Drake men's basketball player to pursue a pharmacy degree. "I know other places wouldn't let you pursue academics at that level while playing college basketball. The University and staff have done such a good job working with me that it motivated me to come here and stick with it for all four years."

The flexibility has come from both athletics and academics to allow Timmer this unique opportunity and become one of Drake's most decorated student-athletes in recent history. 

"We [basketball] work around my schedule for class and if I miss class for a game, the faculty never puts me at a disadvantage and gives me the same accommodations as any other student. That's been a rock for me, I've never had to worry about balancing the two and I can't thank everyone enough who has made it possible."

Not only have those parties made it possible for Timmer to eventually graduate with a doctorate, but to amass multiple academic honors. He is poised to become just the second student-athlete to be named MVC Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year three years in a row, joining another Drake legend Adam Emmenecker as the only two to accomplish that feat. Along the way, he has been named MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week an astonishing 11 times as of Feb. 7. 

Timmer hopes to explore the potential of continuing that balance of pursuing basketball and his degree, but as has been the case to date, it won't be a traditional path. His degree requires two more years of coursework, but he has started working with his academic advisors to consider adding another unique chapter to his legacy. 

"It's never been done before, but we've been discussing it to see if that option is available and we'll know more when the season is over," Timmer said of the potential of playing professionally while completing his coursework. "I'll have the choice and information to make that decision when I need to."

That decision will come in time. For now, Timmer is focused on enjoying the team and teammates that have allowed him to reach such lofty heights in the Drake record books and sharing his success with them.

"It's been so special this year to have moments where you see your hard work pay off and to do it with these seniors I came in with is so much fun," Timmer said. "Those moments feel a lot sweeter having gone through those tough times. You appreciate winning and you appreciate having fun so much more. That's really special."

Timmer hopes for more of those rewarding moments with his teammates this week as the team enters the MVC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, something that has only been accomplished or bettered four times in program history.