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Shivers Basketball Practice Facility
In November of 2013 Drake University broke ground on what would become a transformative structure for the future of Drake basketball with the construction of the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility.
Less than 10 months after that ceremonial groundbreaking, the Bulldogs moved into their $8 million, 44,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art home. Complete with two practice courts, locker rooms, team lounges and a film room, the facility contains the tools needed to compete for Missouri Valley Conference championships.
"This facility will enhance learning for our student athletes in the same way classroom renovation improves the academic experience," said former Drake University President David Maxwell. "This really brings our efforts to take Drake Basketball to the next level full circle. It's laying the groundwork for our goal of competing for the Missouri Valley Championship and postseason play every single year."
"The basketball practice facility allows us to continue building the foundation for the type of sustained success that this university deserves," says Ray Giacoletti, men's basketball head coach.
Constructed on the east side of the Knapp Center, the facility is connected to the Bulldogs' gameday court, giving the program one of the finest basketball facilities in the Missouri Valley Conference. "We want Drake basketball to be an integral part of the Des Moines community," says Jennie Baranczyk, women's basketball head coach. "For that to happen at the level we envision, we needed to upgrade our facilities."
The facility will provide the team with a dedicated space that is available around-the-clock to allow each student athlete to improve their skills outside of traditional practices. "This is about developing players," said Drake men's basketball head coach Ray Giacoletti. "Our program may not be able to go recruit top-50 players. But we're going to develop them over four years. That is what this facility will help us do.
