IOWA REALTY INVITATIONAL
Friday. Nov. 30, 2007
5:05 p.m. - Cal State Northridge Matadors (4-0) vs. Duquesne Dukes (5-0)
7:37 p.m. ? Drake Bulldogs (3-1) vs. North Carolina Central Eagles (1-7)

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007
5:05 p.m. & 7:37 p.m. with Drake playing in latter game

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: Both of Drake's games in the Iowa Realty Invitational will be televised live on Mediacom in central Iowa. Larry Morgan and Al Lorenzen will describe the action. Friday's game will be carried on Channel 22, while Saturday's game will be carried on Channel 16.

DRAKE RADIO SHOWS: The Drake Basketball Coaches Show will be broadcast from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on KRNT Radio (1350 AM) before a live audience at Rock Bottom Brewery in Clive this Monday Nov. 26.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Drake Bulldogs 3-1: (Coach: Keno Davis, first year)
Pos. Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown) PPG RPG FG% FT%
G-5 Leonard Houston (6-3, Sr., Holland, Mich.) 17.5 3.8 .469 .773
G-15 Adam Emmenecker (6-1, Sr., Saginaw, Mich.) 4.8 4.8 .625 .750
G-20 Josh Young (6-1, So., Lawton, Okla.) 19.0 2.8 .548 .667
F-24 Klayton Korver (6-5, Sr., Pella, Iowa) 6.3 3.5 .333 .667
F-31 Jonathan Cox (6-8, Jr., Barrington, Ill.) 12.5 8.5 .528 .778
Top Reserves
F-2 Alex White (6-6, Jr., Albuquerque, N.M.) 5.3 4.5 .529 .429
F-4 Brent Heemskerk (6-8, Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich.) 5.8 2.0 1.000 .500
G-11 Jacob Baryenbruch (6-0, Jr., Spring Green, Wis.) 4.0 1.3 .500 .667
G-23 Josh Parker (6-0, Fr., Harvey, Ill.) 2.3 1.8 .500 .000
F-50 John Michael Hall (6-5, Jr., Moultrie, Ga.) 2.3 1.8 .176 .750

North Carolina Central Eagles: 1-7 (Coach: Henry Dickerson, fourth year)
Pos. Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown) PPG RPG FG% FT%
G-12 Bryan Ayala (6-3, Jr., Norfolk, Va.) 13.7 2.3 .395 .688
G-23 Ashton Sauis (6-0, Jr., Des Moines, Iowa) 6.0 2.3 .341 .500
C-2 Marius Vaskys (6-9, Fr., Klaipeda, Lithuania) 7.0 4.8 .545 .333
F-32 Calvin Wright (6-7, Fr., Hampton, Va.) 1.6 2.9 .357 .500
F-34 Charles Futrell (6-6, Sr., Fayetteville, N.C.) 14.4 5.3 .500 .700

Cal State Northridge Matadors: 4-0 (Coach: Bobby Braswell, 12th year)
Pos. Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown) PPG RPG FG% FT%
G-4 Rob Haynes (6-4, Jr., Cerritos, Calif.) 9.3 3. .435 .1.000
G-15 Paul Wayne (6-1, Jr., Washington DC) 6.0 1.0 .286 .875
C-11 Jayme Miller (6-8, Sr., Newbury Park, Calif.) 4.3 5.0 .500 .200
F-1 Jonathan Heard (6-6, Sr., Inglewood, Calif.) 18.3 6.0 .571 .824
F-32 Calvin Chitwood (6-8, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) 13.7 9.3 .533 .667

Duquesne Dukes: 5-0 (Coach: Ron Everhart, second year)
Pos. Player (Ht., Yr., Hometown) PPG RPG FG% FT%
G-13 Jason Duty (6-0, So., Cranberry Township, Pa.) 5.4 2.0 .571 .714
G-20 Phillip Fayne (6-3, Jr., Carbondale, Ill.) 5.6 2.6 .429 .875
G-33 Kojo Mensah (6-1, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) 16.2 3.8 .424 .771
C-21 Shawn James (6-10, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y.) 12.6 7.4 .591 .733
F-30 Bill Clark (6-5, Fr., Redondo Beach, Calif.) 9.8 7.0 .400 .556

THE SETTING: Drake, coming off an impressive 80-59 victory at Milwaukee last Saturday, will open a season-long five-game home stand this weekend playing host to the inaugural Iowa Realty Invitational.

The Bulldogs will face North Carolina Central in Friday's first-round game. Unbeaten Cal State Northridge (3-0) and Duquesne (5-0) square off in the other first-round game. Drake will play Saturday's second game at 7:37 p.m. regardless of Friday's outcome.

NATION'S TOP TWO OFFENSIVE TEAMS COLLIDE: Friday's opening round game features the top two scoring teams in NCAA basketball. Duquesne (95.2 ppg.) and Cal State Northridge (95.0 ppg.) began the week ranked first and tied for second nationally in scoring offense.

HOMECOMING:North Carolina Central starting guard Ashton Sauls earned third-team all-state honors as a senior at East High School in Des Moines before attending both Indian Hills and Des Moines Area Community Colleges.

Meanwhile, Duquesne is making just its first appearance in the state of Iowa since dropping a 98-87 verdict Dec. 11, 1969 when the Dukes were then ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll.

TOURNAMENT TIME: The Iowa Realty Invitational will mark the second tournament the Bulldogs have played after opening the season with a runner-up finish at the Saint Mary's (Calif.) Classic. The Bulldogs will host the Drake Regency Classic, presented by Hy Vee and Mediacom, Dec. 7-8 with Chicago State, Jackson State and Texas-Pan American in the field.

This marks the second straight year Drake is playing in three-regular season tournaments, The Bulldogs opened the 2006-07 season finishing fourth in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska; won the 2006 Drake Regency Challenge; and also captured the Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas.

SCOUTING THE FIELD: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL, located in Durham, N.C., is in its first season of NCAA Division I competition. The Eagles have played eight of their first nine games on the road, including trips to two-time defending NCAA champion Florida (105-51 loss), perennial NCAA power Duke (121-56 loss) and Wake Forest (75-58 loss).

North Carolina Central is playing as an independent this season and is expected to travel 22,240 miles in 22 road games, including a Jan. 9 game at another Atlantic Coast Conference team ? North Carolina State.

Junior guard Bryan Ayala is the lone starter back from last year's team which posted a 13-15 record, including a 67-65 victory against eventual NCAA Division II national champion Barton. Forward Charles Futrell was an all-league receiver on the North Carolina football team as a senior in 2006 before joining the basketball program. He averaged 10.0 points and 6.4 rebounds while being named to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association All-Newcomer team last year.

Henry Dickerson, a 1973 graduate of Morris Harvey, is in his fourth season as head coach at North Carolina Central owning a 40-55 record. He has a 112-128 collegiate career coaching record in nine years, including a 72-73 mark at Tennessee-Chattanooga from 1997-2002. He led Tennessee Chattanooga to two Southern Conference divisional titles. He also served as associate head coach at Chattanooga from 1989-97 and assistant coach at Marshall (1983-89) and Charleston (1979-83).


CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE leads the Big West Conference in scoring (95.0 avg.), rebounding (42.0 avg.) and blocked shots (4.0 avg.) The Matadors were picked to finish sixth in both the coaches and media preseason Big West Conference poll.

Cal State Northridge has three starters ? headed by second-team all-league guard Jonathan Heard ? from last year's team which posted a 14-17 record, including a 5-9 sixth-place league finish. Heard, who is averaging 18.3 points, scored a career-high 29 points in a season opening 96-85 home victory against Chicago State. Senior forward Calvin Chitwood leads the Big West in rebounding with a 9.3 avg., grabbing a career-high 18 against Chicago State.

Bobby Braswell, a 1985 graduate of Cal State Northridge, is in his 12th season as head coach at his alma mater, owning a 172-157 record at Cleveland State. During his tenure the Matadors have been ranked in the top 25 in steals nationally in 10 of the last 11 seasons.

DUQUESNE is off to its best start since 1985-86, while holding all five opponents under 36 percent shooting from the floor. Duquesne won its first two games at home by a combined 100 points (129-59 vs. Howard, 93-63 vs. Winston-Salem). The Dukes have won their last four nonconference games dating back to last season with the streak including a 98-93 overtime victory at perennial ACC power Boston College.

Duquesne has three starters back from last year's team which posted a 10-19 record but the arrival of two transfers have made the biggest impact. Six-foot 10 inch forward Shawn James, a transfer from Northeastern, is in the process of rewriting the NCAA record book for blocked shots with his 5.93 career average while owning four career triple-doubles which is two shy of the NCAA career record. He led the NCAA in blocked shots in 2005-06 while at Northeastern.

James, who has blocked 10 or more shots in a game eight times, was named the Defensive Player of the Year in two conferences (2005 America East & 2006 Colonial both while at Northeastern).

Junior guard Kojo Mensah, a transfer from Siena, leads the Dukes with a 16.2 scoring average. The friendship of James and Mensah goes back to their high school days in Brooklyn, N.Y. If that isn't enough, 6-10 center Kieron Achara, who is the only Scottish player in NCAA Division I, is averaging 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. Achara and James were named to the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 preseason all-defensive team.

Ron Everhart, a 1985 graduate of Virginia Tech, is in his second season as head coach at Duquesne, owning a 14-19 record, He has an overall collegiate coach mark of 188-91 in 14 seasons, including stops at Northeastern (2001-06, 82-68) and McNeese State (1994-2001, 92-104). Everhart guided McNeese State to a school record 22-9 mark in 2000-01 climaxed by an appearance in the NIT.

DUQUESNE HONORED BY SPORTSWRITERS: The 2006-07 Duquesne basketball team was named recipient of the 2007 Most Courageous Award by the United States Basketball Writers Association. The award is presented annually to honor a “player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball.”

The Dukes were recognized for overcoming an early-morning shooting on Sept. 17, 2006, that saw five players treated and three hospitalized. Duquesne began the season with just seven scholarship players, yet qualified for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Current team members ? Shawn James, Kojo Mensah and Aaron Jackson ? were shot.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Drake owns an overall record of 58-38 in regular-season tournaments. This is the fifth different regular-season tournament Drake has hosted. The Bulldogs own a 3-1 record in the Drake Regency Challenge which started in 2005. Drake also owns a 9-3 record in the
Heritage Cablevision Drake Classic which was held from 1985-90, winning titles in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989. Drake hosted the AAA-Drake Classic in 1983 and 1984, posting a 2-2 mark. The Bulldogs also hosted the Corn Bowl at the Drake Fieldhouse from 1946-49, compiling a 4-3 mark.

DRAKE COACH: Keno Davis was named Drake's 24th head men's basketball coach on March 21, 2007, succeeding his father, Dr. Tom Davis, who retired as head coach but remains at Drake as a special assistant to the athletic director.

Keno Davis served six years as an assistant coach under former Drake head coach Gary Garner at Southeast Missouri State, before being named the first assistant to join the men's basketball coaching staff at Drake under Tom Davis on May 19, 2003.

He also served as an assistant coach at Southern Indiana from 1995-97 under coach Bruce Pearl who is now the highly successful coach at the University of Tennessee. Keno earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications studies from the University of Iowa in 1995.

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND: This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the Drake Knapp Center in which the first basketball game was played on Dec. 1, 1992, when the Drake women faced Montana State. Drake is the only private school in the MVC that has an on-campus arena.

Ironically, the Drake women's basketball team will be playing host to Montana State in a 2 p.m. tip-off Sunday. Former Drake player Jennifer Stanton, who scored the first basket ever in the Drake Knapp Center during the Bulldogs' 59-54 victory against Montana State, will be on hand for a special pre-game ceremony.

Admission to the game is discounted to $1 for all fans wearing blue for the game.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: Drake ranked last in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2006-07 in three-point baskets made as well as three-point field goal percentage. But the Bulldogs have seen their perimeter attack make a 360-degree turn this season, leading the conference in both categories including averaging a league-high 10.3 treys.

Drake shot 50 percent from beyond the three-point arc while making a season-high 13 treys Saturday in an 80-59 victory against a Wisconsin-Milwaukee team which ranked first in the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage defense at .218.

Those were the most treys by a Drake team since the Bulldogs made 13 in a Nov. 27, 2000 home game against Delaware State.

YOUNG GUNS: Drake sophomore guard Josh Young is shooting a sizzling 56.3 percent from three-point range, having made 18 of 32 attempts. Young has made 13 three-point baskets in his last two games.

When he hit six treys at Milwaukee Saturday following a career-high seven three-points against Cornell Nov. 14, he became the first player in Drake history to make at least six three-point baskets in consecutive games. Drake has made 25 three-point baskets in its last two games including 12 against Cornell in its previous outing Nov. 14.

3-POINT SHOOTING KEYS BULLDOGS: Drake showed no effects of a 10-day layoff by making a season-high 13 three-point baskets en route to an 80-59 nonconference victory at Milwaukee Saturday. It marked Milwaukee's worst home loss since suffering a 84-47 setback to Western Michigan Nov. 29, 1997.

Drake shot a season-high 54.7 percent from the floor, hitting 29 of 53 shots. The Bulldogs made 13 of 26 three-point attempts.

Drake junior guard Josh Young continued his torrid shooting by achieving a career high with 24 points for the second straight game, bettering his 23-point outing against Cornell Nov. 14.

Drake had five players score in double figures for the second time in four games this season.Senior guard Leonard Houston added 15 points, along with six rebounds and a career-high six assists.

Junior forward Jonathan Cox achieved his second double-double of the season and third of his career with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Cox also tied a career high with three three-point baskets. Senior forward Klayton Korver added 10 points and dished out a season-high four assists. Drake senior forward Brent Heemskerk collected 10 points as well.

Drake shot 53.6 percent from the floor while owning a 40-30 halftime lead.The Bulldogs' nine three-point baskets in the first half were the third highest total in one half in school history. Drake made 12 in the second half of Jan. 11, 2001 game vs. Wichita State and made 10 in the first half against Evansville in the first round of the 2007 MVC Tournament in St. Louis, March 1, 2007.

During a seven-minute stretch midway through the first half, the Bulldogs hit six straight three-point baskets to erect a 27-16 lead. Two straight three-point baskets by Young, along with a three-pointer by Cox, triggered a 9-0 run that gave Drake an 18-9 lead it never relinquished.
After Milwaukee pulled within 42-37, Young answered with a three-point basket with 16:12 left in the game. A three-pointer by Young with 10:20 remaining pushed Drake's lead to 64-45.

MINI BUT MIGHTY: Drake might be one of the smaller teams in the Missouri Valley Conference but that hasn't hampered the Bulldogs' ability to rebound.

Drake ranks second in the MVC in rebounding margin at plus 9.0 per game (37.2 to 28.3 avg.). The Bulldogs outrebounded Milwaukee, 40-31. Milwaukee senior forward Torree Johnson, who had earned double-doubles (21.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg.) in his team's initial four games, was held to nine points and a season low six rebounds.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Drake has held its last two opponents ? Cornell & Milwaukee ? to a combined 35.4 percent shooting from the floor, making 39 of 110 shots. The Bulldogs limited Milwaukee to a season low 32.8 percent shooting (19-58).

ASSISTS PILE UP: Drake collected a season-high 21 assists at Milwaukee with senior guard Leonard Houston collecting a career-high six assists, while senior guard Klayton Korver dished out a season-high four assists.

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: Senior guard Leonard Houston scored a career-high 23 points in just 13 minutes of playing time in Drake's in only home game ? a 92-55 victory past Cornell College Nov. 14. Houston made eight of 11 shots from floor, while collecting three steals, three rebounds and one assist.

It marked the second time in three games, that he scored a career high after netting 21 in the season opener against UC San Diego.

IMPRESSIVE OPENING WEEKEND: Drake junior forward Jonathan Cox averaged 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot, while shooting 50 percent (11-22) from the floor en route to leading Drake to a runner-up finish in the Saint Mary's Classic, including a near upset of host Saint Mary's in the championship.

He enjoyed a double-double against UC San Diego with 11 points, 10 rebounds in an 81-63 victory.

Cox came back with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in a 72-66 loss to Saint Mary's Saturday. He helped limit Saint Mary's first-team All-West Coast Conference forward Diamon Simpson to just one basket. Simpson was averaging 18.0 points and was the team's top returning scorer from the previous year (17.5 average).

LITTLE BIG MAN: Senior point guard Adam Emmenecker enjoyed back-to-back career high efforts of seven rebounds against Saint Mary's (Calif.) and Cornell College. With 19 rebounds on the season, Emmenecker is well on his way to surpassing his entire 2006-07 season output of 33 boards.

TRIFECTA: Sophomore Josh Young tied a career high with 23 points in a 92-55 home victory past Cornell Nov. 14. All seven baskets were beyond the three-point arc to mark the first time a Drake player made seven three-point baskets in a game since Dontaie Smith made seven treys against Wichita State Jan. 11, 2001.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: It took Drake guard Jacob Baryenbruch 10 games before he scored his first basket during the 2006-07 season after missing his first 13 shots -- all from three-point range.

But this season is a new story with the junior guard already having made four of nine shots from three-point range in Drake's first four games of the season.

STEADY PLAY: Drake senior point guard Adam Emmenecker opened the season by tying a career high with five steals in the season opener against UC San Diego and then grabbing a career high seven rebounds against Saint Mary's.

GUARD DUO KEY HOME OPENER: Senior guard Leonard Houston and sophomore guard Josh Young each scored 23 points, along with three steals, to pace Drake to a 92-55 victory past Cornell College in its home opener Nov. 14. It marked the seventh straight year Drake had won its home opener.

Houston set a career high in points, bettering his 21-point effort in Drake's season opening win past UC San Diego. Young matched his career high in points, but did set a career high with seven three-point baskets.

The Bulldogs hit 12 three-point baskets. Clinging to a 24-21 lead, Drake made seven of its next nine shots from the floor including four of five from three-point range, to erect
a 48-27 lead.

Consecutive three-point baskets from reserve guard Jacob Baryenbruch, Jonathan Cox and Young started the surge.

Drake shot 50 percent from the floor, hitting 32 of 64 shots. Freshman guard Josh Parker came off the bench to add 10 points.

Cox, making his first start of the season, also netted 10 points along with five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Drake outrebounded Cornell, 43-26, with junior transfer forward Alex White grabbing a game-high nine boards.

Drake collected 14 steals, while forcing Cornell into 21 turnovers. The Bulldogs scored 28 points off Cornell turnovers.

DRAKE IN KNAPP CENTER: Drake owns a 114-92 home record in the 15-year history of the Drake Knapp Center. The Bulldogs have won their last four home games dating back to last year and their last six nonconference home games. Drake is the only private school in the Missouri Valley Conference which plays its home games on an on-campus site.

DOGS SUFFER FIRST LOSS: Junior reserve forward Yusef Smith scored his only basket of the game on a layup followed by a free throw with 1:51 left that broke a 61-61 tie, giving Saint Mary's the lead for good en route to a 72-66 victory against Drake Nov. 10.

The Gaels, who have four starters back from last year's team which went 17-15, are picked to challenge perennial national power Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title.

But scrappy Drake held its own against the taller Gaels erecting an eight-point lead in the second half before making only five of 23 shots in a 15-minute stretch.

The Bulldogs forced Saint Mary's into 22 turnovers and won the rebounding battle, 32-30. Drake also held first-team All-WCC forward Diamon Simpson, who was Saint Mary's leading scorer with an 18.0 average, to just one basket. Simpson also committed five turnovers against Drake.

The Bulldogs collected 10 steals with Young and senior guard Adam Emmenecker recording three apiece.

Saint Mary's sealed the victory by scoring five of its last eight points at the free throw line in the final 1:29.

Junior forward Jonathan Cox came off the bench to pace Drake with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Sophomore guard Josh Young added 16 points for the Bulldogs before fouling out with 7 minutes 7 seconds left in the game.

There were 12 ties in the game before Smith's heroics. A layup by Drake guard Adam Emmenecker with 1:22 left cut the margin to 65-63. But senior guard Todd Golden drilled a three-point basket to push Saint Mary's lead to 68-63 with 48 seconds left.

Cox then missed a layup and forced to foul, Drake saw Saint Mary's score its last four points at the free throw line. It was a tale of two halves for the Bulldogs. Drake shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the first half en route to a 38-35 halftime lead.

Young and Cox combined for 23 points in the first half, with Young scoring 13 points on five of seven shooting from the floor. But Drake shot just 30.3 percent in the second half, making 10 of 33 shots.

The Bulldogs also committed 10 turnovers in the second half, including six unforced errors.

A layup by junior transfer forward Alex White, from a pass by Emmenecker, gave Drake a 40-35 lead with 18:21 left. White then stole the ball from Saint Mary's Simpson and then fed Leonard Houston who made a three-point basket to give Drake its biggest lead of the game at 43-35 with 17:31 left. Houston scored 11 points for Drake.

HOUSTON KEYS OPENING WIN: Senior guard Leonard Houston scored a career-high 21 points to pace a balanced attack as the Drake earned a 81-63 victory past UC San Diego Nov. 9 to mark the successful head coaching debut of Keno Davis. It marked the seventh straight year the Bulldogs had won their season opener.

The Bulldogs had five players score in double figures with 6-foot 8-inch junior forward Jonathan Cox coming off the bench to collect a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Houston matched his career high with 12 points in the first half, while Cox tallied nine points as Drake enjoyed a 40-28 halftime lead.

Drake shot 52.9 percent from the floor, hitting 27 of 51 shots. The Bulldog pressure defense also caused havoc by forcing UC San Diego into 25 turnovers. Drake scored 25 points off those miscues.

Consecutive three-point baskets by Houston powered the Bulldogs to their biggest lead of the first half at 33-19 with 4:24 left.

Young finished with 13 points, while junior forwards Brent Heemskerk and Alex White each scored 11. White also grabbed seven rebounds for Drake which outrebounded UC San Diego, 34-26.

Midway through the second half junior reserve guard Jacob Baryenbruch hit two straight three-point baskets to trigger an 8-0 run allowing Drake to enjoy its first 18-point lead at 67-49 following a three-point basket at the top of the key by Cox.

A STARTING DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Even though Leonard Houston had appeared in 79 games entering this season, did you know that the season opener against UC San Diego marked the first time the senior guard had started a game in his collegiate career?

IT TAKES A THIEF: The Bulldogs collected 15 steals against UC San Diego with senior guard Adam Emmenecker tying a career high with five steals. Leonard Houston and sophomore guard Josh Young had three steals apiece. Drake collected 10 or more steals in nine games last year.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Bulldogs' home opener with Cornell Nov. 14 marked the fifth time in the last six years Drake has played a small college team from Iowa during the regular season. The Bulldogs set a Missouri Valley Conference record outlasting Grinnell, 162-110, Dec. 11, 2002. Drake opened the 2003-04 campaign beating Simpson, 87-72, at home. The Bulldogs also trimmed Cornell (Iowa), 102-62, Nov. 30, 2005, and toppled Waldorf, 104-51, last season.

DRAKE IN SEASON OPENERS: With the victory against UC San Diego, Drake improved its record to 63-36 in season openers, having won their last seven season openers dating back to the 2001-02 season.

During that span Drake has opened the season playing in Honolulu, Hawaii (2001-02), as well as Fairbanks, Alaska (2006-07). Drake beat Sam Houston State in the first round of the 2001 Hawaii Nike Classic and stopped Southeast Missouri State, 78-51, in the first round of the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

When Drake beat Simpson (87-72) in its 2003-04 opener, Dr. Tom Davis became the first coach to win his Drake coaching debut since Howard Stacey guided the Bulldogs to a 123-71 home romp past Wisconsin-Platteville Dec. 1, 1971.

STATISTICS CAPSULE: The Bulldogs lost five players from last year's squad. Here is a breakdown of what is on hand for 2007-08. The statistical capsule includes:
Category Total Return Pct. Lost Pct
Scoring 69.0 28.8 .417 40.2 .583
Rebounding 36.0 17.2 .477 18.8 .522
Assists 402 144 .358 258 .642
3-Point Baskets 157 138 .878 19 .122
Steals 277 129 .465 148 .535
Blocked Shots 79 15 .189 64 .811

SIZING UP THE BULLDOGS: Drake hopes to continue the momentum from last year when the Bulldogs achieved the most victories (17) at the school since the 1986-87 season.

New coach Keno Davis takes over the program from his father ? the legendary Dr. Tom Davis, who accumulated 598 victories during a 32-year college coaching career.

Keno Davis is surrounded by some familiar faces, along with a talented cast of newcomers.Graduation claimed starting forward Ajay Calvin, along with guards Nick Grant and Al Stewart

Calvin earned honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference honors last year while being the only player to rank in the top seven in the league in scoring (third, 16.3 avg.) and rebounding (seventh, 6.4 avg.). Both Grant, who led the MVC in steals (62-1.9 avg.), and Calvin were named to the MVC Most-Improved Team.

But Keno Davis can call on seven returning letterwinners, including five players who have had previous starting experience, with some new additions who will be expected to contribute quickly.

Opportunity will be knocking on the door for several players as Davis and his staff will rely upon the continued development of several upperclassmen who remain the key members of the team's core.

Drake set a State Farm MVC Tournament single-game record with 15 three-point baskets in a 101-96 first-round overtime victory against Evansville last year.

The nucleus of that perimeter attack is back, headed by six-foot 5-inch senior forward Klayton Korver and 6-1 sophomore guard Josh Young.

Korver, who ranks fourth on the school career three-point basket list (158), is the team's top returning veteran who looks to close his collegiate career on a high note after being hampered the past two seasons with a knee injury.

Korver made the 2003-04 All-MVC Freshman team but was redshirted in 2005-06 while recovering from knee surgery. He averaged 9.3 points last year, while leading the team with 63 three-point baskets. Korver made four or more three-point baskets in six games last year, including a career-high six treys en route to a career-high 23 points that sparked Drake to a 74-61 victory past Northern Iowa.

Young was one of two players named to both the MVC All-Newcomer Team and MVC All-Freshman team last season. He scored more points (342) than any freshman in The Valley. The three-time MVC Newcomer of the Week averaged 10.7 points, while saving his best for last. He scored in double figures in 10 of Drake's last 12 games, including a career-high 23 points with a career-high five treys, in the MVC Tournament win against Evansville.

Davis feels 6-1 senior guard Leonard Houston, who averaged 4.5 points last year, also will help Drake's perimeter attack. Junior guard Jacob Baryenbruch is a returning two-year letterwinner as well.

The backcourt will have to deal with the loss of point guard Stewart, who set a Drake single-season record for assists with 174 last year, including a MVC season-high 12 against Missouri State. Senior Adam Emmenecker, a three-year letterwinner as a point guard, could figure in the equation as well as newcomers.
In the front court, Davis will rely on 6-8 junior forward Jonathan Cox, a two-year letterwinner, along with 6-7 junior redshirt Brent Heemskerk and 6-5 sophomore Bill Eaddy. Cox averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds and was named to the All-Sun Bowl Tournament team after helping lead the Bulldogs to the championship crown. Cox scored a career-high 23 against Troy in the championship of the Drake Regency Challenge. Heemskerk averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 2005-06.

NEW KIDS ON BLOCK: Newcomers who are contributing are junior college transfers Alex White (Cochise College, Ariz.) and John Michael Hall (Abraham Baldwin College, Ga.) in the front court.

Ryan Daniels, a sophomore transfer from Butler (Kan.) Community College, and Josh Parker, a freshman from Thornton High School in Harvey, Ill., will see action in the backcourt

At 6-6, weighing 235 pounds, White earned All-Region I accolades while averaging 11.5 points and 9.1 rebounds to lead Cochise to 48 wins and two league titles the last two years.

"Alex gives us a big inside presence that we haven't had at Drake," said Davis. "He has a chance to be a good post player because of his quickness and strength."

Hall averaged 12.8 points while leading Abraham Baldwin College to a 27-5 record in 2006-07, including a No. 11 ranking in the final National Junior College Athletic Association Division I poll.

"Hall fits into our system well because of his athleticism and ability to run the court and stretch the defense," added Davis.

“We feel we have our most talented recruiting class coming in, but the question is how quickly they can learn and gain experience to be ready for the league."

CHALLENGING SCHEDULE: For the second straight year, Drake will play in a school record tying three regular-season tournaments to highlight a 30-game schedule for the 2007-08 season. The Bulldogs also played in three regular season tournaments during the 1986-87 season, participating in the Hawaii Pacific Tournament, while also competing in the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Heritage Drake Classic.

The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Keno Davis, will play eight games against teams which advanced to 2007 postseason play. The MVC schedule features four games against Creighton and Southern Illinois which competed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Drake also will play four contests against Bradley and Missouri State which also played in the 2007 NIT.

The Bulldogs meet Southern Illinois, which advanced to the semifinal round of the 2007 NCAA West Regional, in their MVC home opener Jan. 2.