TELEVISION:  Thursday's game will be televised on Mediacom throughout Iowa with Larry Morgan and Al Lorenzen describing the action:

RADIO: KRNT (1350 AM) is the flagship station of Drake basketball with Larry Cotlar and Dolph Pulliam handling the broadcasting. The pregame show starts 30 minutes before tip-off.

FINAL  FIVE FOR $35 - The Drake Athletic Department has unveiled a special discounted ticket plan for area basketball fans to watch the Bulldogs down the home stretch .

The "Final Five for $35" allows fans to purchase one general admission ticket for the remaining five Drake MVC games, starting Jan. 28 with Evansville.

For more information contact the Drake Athletic Ticket Office at 515-271-DOGS or online by visiting the official Drake website at www.godrakebulldogs.com

THE SETTING: The Drake basketball team, coming off an impressive 74-62 road victory at preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorite Creighton Saturday, looks to protect home court when the Bulldogs open the second half of league play entertaining Evansville.
    
The Bulldogs will be out to avenge a 76-65 MVC season opening loss at Evansville, while also trying to redeem themselves from an 81-59 setback to Northern Iowa in their last home appearance Jan. 17.    
    
Evansville, which has lost its last two games, is coming off a stinging 51-50 setback at Wichita State Sunday being victimized by a three-point basket with eight seconds left after having led the entire game.

HOME SWEET HOME?: Last season, the Missouri Valley Conference was No. 2 among 31 conferences with a 62-28 (.6889) winning percentage at home in league games.  This year, the MVC has started conference play at just 27-18 at home.  Only Missouri State and Wichita State have failed to win a road league game so far this year.

D-E-F-E-N-S-E: Slowly but surely, the word is getting out in Missouri Valley Conference circles that Drake plays pretty good defense.
    
Consider that Drake limited Creighton to a season-low 30 percent shooting from the floor, including a paltry 22.5 percent in the second half (9-40) Saturday. The Bulldogs also held Creighton to 62 points - 11.7 under its MVC leading 73.7 scoring average.
    
Earlier, the Bulldogs held the league's top shooting team - Illinois State - to a season low 36.2 percent shooting (21-58) from the floor on its own homecourt.
    
The Bulldogs also have held two opponents to their lowest scoring outputs of the season: Iowa 43, and Missouri State, 49.
    
Drake's last five opponents ? Indiana State, Wichita State, Illinois State, UNI, Missouri State, Creighton ? have combined to shoot 40.3 percent from the floor (146-362) against the Bulldogs.
    
Drake ranks second in the MVC in scoring defense (62.0) and field goal percentage defense (.414).

EXPERIENCE: Although graduation claimed three senior starters from last year's school-record 28-5 mark, veteran leadership has been the biggest key in Drake's 14-7 record. Seniors Jacob Baryenbruch, Jonathan Cox, John Michael Hall, Brent Heemskerk and Alex White have combined to appear in 410 Drake games during their career. Then there's Drake juniors Bill Eaddy and Josh Young who have combined to appear in 124 games.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: With junior point guard Craig Stanley coming off his first- career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds at Creighton, Drake is the only team in the MVC which has had five players record double doubles this season.
    
Senior forward Jonathan Cox, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds at Creighton, is the clubhouse leader with an MVC high six double-doubles this season.  Senior Brent Heemskerk had 12  points and 10 rebounds against South Dakota State, while junior Adam Templeton had 13 points and 10 rebounds at Iowa State. Junior guard Josh Young collected 14 points and 10 boards in a home win against Indiana State.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Drake is playing on national television an MVC high eight times this season. The Bulldogs will host Illinois State Feb. 15 on ESPNU on its next national appearance.

So far, Drake owns a 5-2 record on nationally televised games with victories against New Mexico (68-62) on CBS College Sports, Iowa State (66-63) on ESPNU, Iowa (60-43) on ESPNU , Southern Illinois (67-60) on ESPNU and Wichita State (74-69) on ESPNU. Drake fell to Vanderbilt (72-57) at the Cancun Challenge with the game televised by CBS College Sports and dropped an 81-59 setback to UNI on ESPN2 last Saturday.

IOWA CONNECTION: Two native Iowans have played prominent roles in Evansville's success this season. Freshman guard Kaylon Williams, a former Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kennedy prep standout, was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 22 after averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. He had nine assists, eight rebounds and seven points in a 72-40 romp past 2008 NCAA participant Western Kentucky on Dec. 13.
    
Senior forward Nate Garner, a former Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Washington prep, is one of the most improved players in the MVC, averaging 9.3 points and 5.9 rebounds while owning two double-doubles this season.

REUNION: First-year Drake assistant coach Kareem Richardson was a two-year starter at Evansville being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team in 1996 and 1997. He also was a member of the 1996 MVC All-Underrated Team and graduated with a degree in telecommunications in 1997. Richardson also was an assistant coach at Evansville from 2003-07, serving as recruiting coordinator.

THE SERIES: In a series which started in 1995, Evansville owns a 16-14 advantage, but Drake has won 13 of the last 18 games. The Purple Aces won 10 straight games before Drake posted an 80-55 home victory in 2001, which started a three-game winning streak in the series. The Bulldogs have won nine of the last 12 games, sweeping the 2004-05 and 2007-08 season series.
    
Drake won two of three games in 2006-07, including a 101-96 overtime victory in the first round of the State Farm MVC Tournament.

THE LAST MEETING: Evansville  76, Drake 65 (Evansville, Ind. Dec. 28, 2008) ? Guard Jason Holsinger hit three straight three-point baskets to key a 12-0 run midway through the second half as Evansville spoiled the Missouri Valley Conference opener for Drake.
    
Junior guard Josh Young, enjoying his fourth straight 20-plus scoring game, led Drake with 24 points.
    
The defending league champion Bulldogs, who opened the MVC season on the road for an unprecedented fourth straight year, got out of the starting gates slow.
    
Drake shot just 30 percent from the floor in the first half, making nine-of-30 shots. But the Bulldogs still managed to go into the locker room at halftime, trailing only 30-26. Two free throws by Young knotted the score at 41-41 with 11 minutes 36 seconds left in the game.    
    
But the Purple Aces, fueled by Holsinger, reeled off 12 straight points in the next 3:32 which proved to be the difference in the game.

Drake missed two layups, along with the front end of a bonus free throw situation, during the surge by Evansville. The Purple Aces fired a 56.7 percent clip from the floor in the second half making 17 of 30 shots and finished the game at 50.9 percent (28-55).
    
Young, who scored a season-low six points in his last visit to Roberts Stadium, scored 16 points in the second half for Drake. He added four rebounds, while tying a career high with three steals.
    
Sophomore guard Josh Parker came off the bench to score 15 points for Drake, while senior forward Jonathan Cox netted 12 points.
    
Evansville outrebounded Drake, 42-29. Cox led Drake with eight rebounds, while collecting a season-high three steals. Senior forward Brent Heemskerk added eight points.

LAST TIME IN DES MOINES: Drake 73, Evansville 65 (Feb. 9, 2008 Des Moines, Iowa) ? Junior forward Jonathan Cox scored 14 of his season-high 21 points ,in the second half, helping power then No. 15 ranked Drake to its school-record 21st straight victory. Drake enjoyed a 33-24 halftime lead and expanded its margin to 59-40 following a three-point basket by Cox with 11:14 left in the game.
    
The Bulldogs forced Evansville into seven turnovers in the opening eight minutes of the second half. But the Purple Aces hung around, shooting a sizzling 65.4 percent in the second half to chop the deficit twice to eight points.
    
Cox bettered his previous single-game high of 19 set in an 81-78 victory at Evansville Jan. 6. Senior guard Leonard Houston added 15 points for Drake, while tying a career high with seven rebounds.
    
Josh Young chipped in with 13 points.     Senior guard Adam Emmenecker dished out nine assists.     Evansville went 6:05 without a basket in the first half, while missing five shots and committing five turnovers (18:40 to 10:35). Drake capitalized by reeling off 13 straight points to turn a 3-2 lead into a 16-4 advantage.

THE COACHES: A new era in Drake University basketball is underway with Mark Phelps being named the school's 25th head men's basketball coach, April 21, 2008. He succeeded Keno Davis who resigned to become head coach at Providence College.
    
Phelps served as associate head coach at Arizona State the past 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.
    
Marty Simmons, a 1987 graduate of Evansville, is in his second year as head coach of his alma mater, owning a 21-28 record. He has an overall collegiate mark of 119-101 in eight years as head coach including stops at Wartburg (1996-97, 10-14) and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (2002-07, 88-59). He served as an assistant coach under Jim Crews at Evansville from 1990-96.

COX IN ELITE COMPANY: Former walk-on Jonathan Cox is the only active player in the Missouri Valley Conference with more than 1,000 career points and 700 career rebounds.
    
After grabbing 13 rebounds in road games at Missouri State and Creighton last week, Cox also became just the fourth player in Drake history with more than 1,000 career points (1,043) and 700 rebounds (716).  He joins former Drake standouts Melvin Mathis (1982-86) who had 1,651 points and ranks No. 1 in rebounding at 854; Sam Roark (1986-90)  1,257 points and 792 rebounds; and Greg Danielson (1999-2003) 1,085 points and 735 rebounds.

SECOND HALF SUCCESS: Drake is holding opponents to 39.9 percent shooting (227-568) from the floor in the second half of games this season. The Bulldogs have outscored their last seven MVC opponents in the second half by an average margin of 5.0 points. In MVC games, Drake outscored Indiana State, 38-24; Wichita State, 38-29; and Creighton, 45-27, in the second half. The Bulldogs also rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit on the road to post a 66-63 victory at Iowa State.

YOUNG GUNS: Despite being hounded game-in and game-out by double teams, junior guard Josh Young has still managed to pick up where he left off last season when he led the MVC in scoring with a 15.9 average.
    
The personable guard leads the MVC in free throws made (121) and ranks second in free throw percentage (.852) and  scoring (16.2 avg.). He set a school record with 32 consecutive free throws made. He has committed just 32 fouls with his first infraction not occurring until the fourth game of the season.

AS STANLEY GOES, SO GOES...: Junior guard Craig Stanley usually serves as a barometer for the Drake basketball team.  Stanley is averaging 12.1 points in his last seven games, while also making four three-point baskets. He scored a career-high 17 points in a 67-60 win at Southern Illinois, hitting a key three-point basket with 5:08 left in the game to give Drake a 58-54 lead.  It was only his third three-point basket of the season.  Stanley ranks fourth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.525).
    
Stanley came back with 15 points against Indiana State, 12 against Wichita State, 10 against Illinois State and 11 versus Northern Iowa. He recorded his first double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds at Creighton Saturday. The Bulldogs are 8-2 in games in which Stanley scores in double figures and 5-1 when he makes a three-point basket. Stanley had scored a combined three points in his previous two MVC games before his outburst against the Salukis.
    
Stanley shot 64.7 percent (22-34) during Drake's six-game winning streak in December. He had a then career-high 10 points, along with six assists and three rebounds, in a 68-62 win against New Mexico. He dished out a career-high 11 assists against Lincoln and matched a career high with 10 points against Texas-Pan American. He tallied a then career-high 12 points at Iowa State, including the game-winning basket with 3:04 left, and had a then career-high 14 points against Georgia Southern on seven-of-10 shooting from the floor.

ON THE REBOUND?: Drake is 10-0 when outrebounding opponents and ranks fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding margin at plus 1.2.
    
When the Bulldogs outrebounded Creighton, 48-35, Saturday, it snapped a six-game streak in which they had been outrebounded. Drake had been outrebounded in their last six games by an average of 7.5 boards, most noticeably in their last three home games vs. Indiana State (41-28), Wichita State (28-19) and Northern Iowa (35-30). The 48 rebounds were a season high.
    
NATIONAL LEADERS: According to the latest NCAA statistics, Drake ranks 11th as a team in free throw percentage (.757), 16th in personal fouls per game (15.1), 20th in three-point field goals per game (8.4) and 53rd in scoring defense (62.0).Drake's Josh Young ranks 17th in free throw percentage (.852), while Jonathan Cox is 62nd in rebounding (8.5).

LITTLE BIG MAN: Despite being the smallest starter at 6-1, Drake guard Josh Young has led the team in rebounding in three of the last seven games. He grabbed a then career-high seven boards at Southern Illinois, followed by 10 against Indiana State, which allowed him to enjoy his first career double-double after scoring 14 points against the Sycamores. He also led the team with four rebounds against Wichita State.

BLUE COLLAR WORKER: Junior forward Adam Templeton was expected to be one of Drake's top offensive threats after transferring from UC Irvine. But he has played in five games where he hasn't scored a basket.
    
He has remained a fixture in the starter lineup because it is the little things that Templeton does on the court which have impressed Drake head coach Mark Phelps whether it is taking charging calls, setting screens, diving for loose balls or scoring off an offensive rebound

THE FORGOTTEN MAN: Senior reserve forward John Michael Hall is averaging 9.0 points in the last five games, while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor (14-22). He entered a Jan. 11 game against Wichita State having scored just eight points in his last five appearances. It took him just 2-minutes 45-seconds to equal that effort against the Shockers, scoring eight straight points from the 12:40 mark of the second half until 9:55, helping Drake turn a 49-48 deficit into a 56-49 lead. Hall finished the game, equaling a career high with 10 points.
    
Hall then scored eight points in 13 minutes at Illinois State. Hall had scored just one point in the previous combined three road games he had appeared before the outburst.
    
He is coming off a career-high 15-point effort in 20 minutes at Creighton Saturday.

TRENDS: Drake made a minimum of eight three-point baskets during its recent four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are 11-1 this season when making eight or more treys in a game. Drake has reached double figures in steals (11,12) in two of the last five games. The Bulldogs are 3-0 when collecting 10 or more steals in a contest.

CHARITY TOSSES: One bright spot during the season for the Bulldogs has been free throw shooting where Drake ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference, hitting at a 77.2 percent clip (333-440). Drake has made more free throws (333) than its opponents have attempted (296). Five players are shooting 75 percent or better, led by Josh Young, who ranks 16th nationally at 85.2 percent (121-142), followed by Bill Eaddy at 90.9 percent (10-11), Adam Templeton at 78.6 percent (22-28) and Jonathan Cox at 75.4 percent (43-57).

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS: Drake is 41-of-56 (.732) from the free throw line in the final two minutes of games this season. Drake's opponents have made 20-of-27 free throw attempts (.741) in the final two minutes. Drake is 6-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 2-1 in games decided by less than three points.

WHAT, ME WORRY?: With graduation claiming Klayton Korver, co-record holder for career three-point baskets at 241, off the 2007-08 Drake team which set a school single-season mark with 310 treys, there might have been some worries about the Bulldogs' perimeter attack this season. But Drake is on pace to eclipse last year's record, averaging 8.6 treys this season. With seven different players making a trey, Drake tied a season high with 15 three-point baskets against North Carolina Central Dec. 6.

OVERCOMING DEFICITS: The biggest deficit Drake has overcome to earn a victory this season is 13 points. The Bulldogs trailed at Iowa State, 22-9, before earning a 66-63 victory in Ames Dec. 9. Drake overcame a 25-14 first half deficit against Morehead State to claim an 86-70 home win and the Bulldogs erased a pair of 10-point deficits in the first half to beat Wichita State, 74-69. Drake trailed by nine points (13-4) in the first half at Creighton Saturday before earning a 74-62 victory.
    
Last year Drake rallied from a 12-point deficit (45-33) at home to beat Illinois State, 79-73.

VALUABLE POSSESSIONS: Drake is averaging 12.1 assists and 12.2 turnovers per game. Through 21 games last season, those averages were 15.1 assists and 13.6 turnovers per game.    

STOCK ON THE RISE: Sophomore guard Josh Parker, who was expected to challenge for the starting point guard vacated by the graduation of MVC Player of the Year Adam Emmenecker, has adapted well to his new role as off guard.
    
Parker ranks fourth in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage at .453. He had a career-high 25 points against Northern Iowa Jan. 17.He has scored in double figures in 11 games this season, including 22 against Lincoln (Mo.), after only accomplishing the feat only once last season.
    
The strong play  has allowed Parker to start the last two games. He made his first collegiate start at Missouri State last Wednesday where he collected nine points and three steals.
    
Parker was named the MVP of the Iowa Realty Invitational after averaging 15.0 points in the two games, while shooting  68.7 percent from the floor (11-16), including 66.7 percent (6-9) from three-point range. He came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points in Drake's opening round 59-57 victory against Texas-Pan American and added 12 points in a 89-46 romp past North Carolina Central.
    
He matched a then career high with 12 points against Vanderbilt in the Cancun Challenge. It marked the second straight game he had scored 12 points after first accomplishing his career-high feat against South Dakota State Nov. 23.

TRIO SPARK COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN: Swingman John Michael Hall and guards Craig Stanley  and Josh Young combined for 29 points in the second half, to help rally Drake to a 74-62 Missouri Valley Conference victory at preseason league favorite Creighton Saturday.
    
The Bulldogs erased a six-point deficit (43-37) behind the hot shooting of the trio. Young scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half. Hall finished with a career-high 15 points, including nine in the second half. He entered the game having scored 10 points in his previous three games combined.
    
Stanley recorded his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. He scored nine points in the second half.
    
Drake held Creighton to a season-low 30 percent shooting from the floor, including a paltry 22.5 percent in the second half (9-40).
    
That marked the second time in Drake's last three road games that it has held an opponent to a season low in field goal shooting on its own home court after limiting Illinois State to a season low 36.2 percent shooting Jan. 14.
     
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fired at a 56.7 percent clip in the second half, making 17 of 30 shots.
    
Drake used an 11-4 run to grab the lead for good at 48-47 following a left-hand reverse layup by senior reserve forward Alex White  with 11:50 remaining. Hall had five points in the surge, while Stanley scored four points including a rebound basket.
     
Clinging to a 50-49 lead, Young scored five straight points to ignite an 8-0 run that gave the Bulldogs a 58-49 lead following a three-point basket by junior Adam Templeton  with 8:07 left.
    
Two free throws by Stanley gave Drake its biggest lead of the game at 69-55 with 2:10 remaining.
    
Senior forward Jonathan Cox, the leading rebounder in the MVC, collected a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. It was his sixth double-double of the season and 23rd of his career. It also marked the second straight game in which Cox grabbed 13 rebounds.
    
It marked the first time Drake has beaten Creighton four straight times since winning seven straight from 1992-96.

WAITING IN THE WINGS: Drake will welcome guards Ryan Wedel and Frank Wiseler who will be eligible for the 2009-10 season. Wedel was a two-year starter at Arkansas State who led the Sun Belt Conference in three-point baskets in 2007-08 with 90 which also ranked second on the school single-season list. He earned third team All-Sun Belt Conference honors last year after averaging 15.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals. He was named Mr. Kansas Basketball as a senior at Minneapolis High School following the 2005-06 campaign when he averaged 25.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
    
Wiseler, a point guard, was a member of the 2008 Luxembourg National Team. He was a four-year starter at Urspring Academy in Schelkingen/Ehingen, Germany. He was captain of the team which won back-to-back Germany Under-19 national championships in 2007 and 2008.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES? As is customary with the ringing in of a new year, various media outlets look back on the top highlights from the previous year. Drake's heartbreaking NCAA Tournament loss to Western Kentucky was ranked No. 7 on ESPN's Top 10 Plays of 2008.  Ty Rogers made a desperation 26-foot three-point basket with three defenders in his face and no time on the clock in overtime to give Western Kentucky a 101-99 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

TOURNAMENT TIME: Drake has fared well while taking part in regular-season tournaments. The Bulldogs played in three tournaments in three weeks posting a 6-2 record. The Bulldogs tied for third in the 10-team Cancun Challenge  Nov. 30, won the Iowa Realty Invitational Dec. 6 and finished second in the inaugural Drake Hy-Vee Classic Dec. 13, falling to Stephen F. Austin, 66-64, in the championship. The Bulldogs have won 14 of 16 regular season tournament games dating back to 2006, claiming titles at the 2006 Sun Bowl Invitational, the 2006 and 2007 Drake Regency Challenge and the 2007 and 2008 Iowa Realty Invitational.

MVC-MOUNTAIN WEST CHALLENGE SERIES: Drake will host San Diego State Dec. 22 as part of the inaugural Challenge Series between the Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference.
    
The agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley conferences is a four-year term.  Nine Challenge Series games will be played each year, and each conference will host a total of 18 games in the four-year period.
    
“This is great exposure for our league,” said Drake head coach Mark Phelps. “Playing a league like the Mountain West Conference in a challenge type series brings excitement to both leagues.”
    
The Challenge will feature head-to-head competition between nine Mountain West and nine Missouri Valley teams annually.  Evansville, by virtue of finishing the 2007-08 MVC regular season in 10th place, will be the Valley school that does not participate in the 2009 Challenge Series.  In keeping with the overall objective of the Challenge, match-ups for the first year are based in part on 2008-09 pre-season rankings and on RPI rankings from the previous year, or RPI rankings from the preceding three-year period.
    
A number of factors were taken into consideration in determining the nine match-ups for the 2009 Challenge, starting with including the match-ups of teams in three previously scheduled games that were already contracted as part of home-and-home series between teams in the two conferences.  The MVC's participation in the ESPNU BracketBusters series also contributed to home-away assignments for the initial Challenge.  The initial Challenge spans nearly a month and a half from start to finish (Nov. 13 to Dec. 23), but future challenges will have a more concentrated schedule for the games in the series.
    
The two leagues will alternate between having five home games in one year and four in the second year (the Valley will have five home games in 2009 and only four in 2010).  In the third and fourth years of the Challenge Series, the Valley will have five home games one season and four in the other.

PULLIAM TO JOIN INDIANA HALL OF FAME: Former Drake  basketball standout Dolph Pulliam will be among 14 athletes to be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, Ind., March 25. The ceremony will take place at the Primo Banquet Hall, which is located on the south side of Indianapolis, Ind.
    
“This was a total surprise,” said Pulliam, who is director of community relations at Drake, while also serving as a  basketball radio analyst for the Bulldogs. “I had never thought about being enshrined. It is the biggest honor I have ever received especially in light of the other players being inducted. So this is quite a honor for my family.”
    
Pulliam was a two-year staring forward at Roosevelt High School in Gary, Ind., earning all-state honors while leading the team to the semifinal round of the 1965 Indiana State High School Tournament. He was a three-year standout forward at Drake from 1966-69, leading the Bulldogs to the 1969 NCAA Final Four where the team finished third.
    
Pulliam will have a plaque on permanent display at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame located in New Castle, Ind.
    
Steve Alford ? 1983 Indiana high school “Mr. Basketball” for New Castle, a two-year All-American and 1987 NCAA champion for Indiana, and a 1984 Olympic gold medalist ? also will be inducted along with current NBA coaches Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs (Merrillville, Ind.) and Scot Skiles of the Milwaukee Bucks (and 1982 state champion Plymouth).
    
Popovich, who played college basketball at the Air Force Academy, is one of five men who have coached four or more NBA championship teams.
    
Skiles, an All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year for Michigan State, has a spot in Indiana high school lore for his long game-tying basket at the end of regulation time and 39-point contribution to Plymouth's 75-74 double-overtime upset of Gary Roosevelt in the state championship game.

RESERVE FUELS VICTORY PAST WICHITA STATE: Senior forward John Michael Hall came off the bench to match a career high with 10 points helping Drake rally to its fourth straight victory with a 74-69 MVC triumph past Wichita State at the Drake Knapp Center.
    
Junior guard Josh Young led a balanced attack with 16 points, making a conventional three-point play to break a 67-67 tie giving Drake a lead it never relinquished. Guard Craig Stanley penetrated the lane before passing to Young who made a layup and converted a free throw with 1:38 left after being fouled by Wichita State's Aaron Ellis.
    
Drake's Adam Templeton then stole a pass on Wichita State's ensuing possession with Stanley hitting a jumper from the right wing to push the score to 72-67 with 53 seconds left.
    
The Shockers, behind the torrid shooting of guards Clevin Hannah and Toure' Murry, enjoyed a pair of 10-point leads in the first half. Hannah scored a career-high 22 points, tying a MVC record by making all six of his three-point shots. Murry netted a career-high 19 points, equaling his combined scoring output of his previous two games.
    
Hall was part of a productive Drake bench which scored 31 points - the third highest single-game output of the season. Sophomore reserve guard Josh Parker tallied 15 points, hitting three three-point baskets.
    
After a three-point basket at the top of the key by reserve senior guard Jacob Baryenbruch gave Drake a 16-15 edge, Wichita State made its next six shots, including three straight three-point baskets by Hannah, to grab a 31-24 advantage. Two free throws by Murry with 4:18 left in the first half gave the Shockers their first 10-point lead at 34-24.
    
Hall scored eight straight points during a 2 minute 45 second span midway through the second half to turn a 49-48 deficit into a 56-49 Drake lead capping the flurry with a dunk off his own steal. Drake senior forward Jonathan Cox scored 13 points while becoming the 22nd player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. He moved into a tie for No. 19 on the career scoring list with Dolph Pulliam (1966-69) at 1,007.
    
Stanley, who scored a combined three points in his first two MVC games, enjoyed his third straight double-figure contest by adding 12 points.
    
Drake tied a season high in field goal percentage shooting, firing at a 53.3 percent clip making 24 of 45 shots. The Bulldogs defense collected 12 steals, converting those miscues into 31 points. Young had a team-high four rebounds, while collecting two steals. Hall, Stanley, Templeton and senior Brent Heemskerk also had two thefts.

COX NAMED MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF WEEK: Drake senior forward Jonathan Cox, along with Kristi Cirone of Illinois State, were selected the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Week Dec. 31-Jan. 4.    
    
Cox and Cirone were honored for their performances during the period of Dec. 29-Jan. 4.  Now in its 10th year of existence, The Valley's Scholar-Athlete program is sponsored by Prairie Farms, Roberts and Hiland Dairies. Cox recorded a pair of double-doubles to help the Bulldogs defeat Missouri State (67-49 on Dec. 31) and Southern Illinois (67-60 on Jan. 4).
    
Cox, who has a 3.13 cumulative grade-point average in finance, averaged 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the week.  He had a season-high 23 points and 11 boards versus Missouri State and followed with 10 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots at Southern Illinois.
    
To qualify for Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.00, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.  In addition to the academic qualifications, student-athletes will be evaluated on their athletic performance for a one-week period.

YOUNG SWEEPS MVC WEEK AWARDS: One day after being named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Player of the Week, Drake's Josh Young was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the second straight week Dec. 23. He scored a game-high 24 points to spur the Bulldogs to a 60-43 victory past Iowa at the Drake Knapp Center.
    
Young, enjoying his third-straight 20-plus scoring game, recorded career highs of 14 made free throws and 15 free throws attempted. He also grabbed five rebounds for the third time in the last four games. The 6-foot 1-inch guard made two three-point baskets and collected a steal. Young scored seven points during a 16-0 run that turned a 13-10 lead into a 29-10 Drake advantage.
    
Young was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for his performance from Dec. 8-14 when he averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals in three games as the Bulldogs won at Iowa State (66-63 on Dec. 9), defeated Georgia Southern (84-73 on Dec. 12) and fell to Stephen F. Austin (66-64 on Dec. 13). Young, who has a 3.16 cumulative grade-point average in marketing and management, powered Drake to its road triumph at Iowa State, collecting 19 points, five boards and three steals.  In the Hy-Vee Classic, he averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest to earn all-tournament honors.

STANLEY HONORED: Drake's Craig Stanley was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week Dec. 15 for his effort in leading the Bulldogs to two victories. The 5-11 Stanley averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 assists in three games. He shot 56 percent from the field (14-of-25), while establishing career highs in scoring in consecutive games. Stanley collected a then career-high 12 points, including the game winning three-point basket with 3:04 left to key Drake to a 66-63 win at Iowa State. He had a new career high of 14 points in the 84-73 win against Georgia Southern.

PACK A SUITCASE: Fifth-year senior Brent Heemskerk, who has appeared in 111 games at Drake, has learned how to pack a suitcase during his career at Drake. He already has made three trips to California along with road trips to Florida and The Bahamas last season, as well as The Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2006, and most recently, Cancun, Mexico.
 
PARKER NAMED MVP: Sophomore guard Josh Parker, who came off the bench to spark Drake to the championship, was named the most valuable player of the Iowa Realty Invitational. Parker averaged 15.0 points in the two games, while shooting  68.7 percent from the floor (11-16), including 66.7 percent (6-9) from three point range.  He came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points in Drake's opening round 59-57 victory against Texas-Pan American and added 12 points in an 89-46 romp past North Carolina Central.
    
Joining Parker on the all-tournament team were Drake teammates Jonathan Cox and Josh Young. Cox averaged 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, scoring 21 points against North Carolina Central, including a career-high five three-point baskets. Young averaged 11.0 points. He hit the game-winning basket with three seconds left to guide Drake to a 59-57 victory past Texas-Pan American and came back with 15 points against North Carolina Central.

COX HONORED: Drake's Jonathan Cox was named recipient of the Cancun Challenge “Overachiever” award after averaging 12.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in two games, while leading Drake to a third-place finish. He had 12 points and seven rebounds vs. Vanderbilt, while tying a then career high with four three-point baskets. Cox collected 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds against New Mexico.

CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS UNVEILED: Prior to the basketball game against Lincoln (Mo.), both the 2007-08 MVC Championship and NCAA Tournament banners were unveiled.

DRAKE CLAIMS THIRD IN CANCUN: Senior forward Brent Heemskerk, appearing in his 100th career game, scored a season-high 17 points as Drake held off New Mexico, 68-62, to capture third place in the inaugural Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico, Nov. 30.        Senior forward Jonathan Cox enjoyed his first double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for the Bulldogs.
    
A jumper by Heemskerk gave Drake its largest lead of the game at 62-48 with 6 minutes 28 seconds left, but the Bulldogs would finish the contest without making a basket, missing their last three shots while committing four turnovers. But Drake preserved the win by making six of eight free throws down the stretch.
    
Young and Craig Stanley added 10 points apiece for Drake. Stanley dished out six assists. Jacob Baryenbruch added seven points, including a trey, while sinking all four free throw attempts in the waning minutes. Drake broke away from a 31-31 halftime tie by making its first five shots from the floor, including three-point baskets from Josh Young, Adam Templeton and Cox to forge to a 45-38 lead with 16:23 remaining. Then Heemskerk gave Drake its first double-digit lead of the game at 50-40 with a trey from the right baseline with 13:06 left. It marked the first three-point basket by Heemskerk since the 2005-06 campaign. Drake finished with eight three-point baskets, coming from five different players. The Bulldogs outrebounded New Mexico, 36-29 Two free throws by Stanley with 27.7 seconds left enabled Drake to tie the game at halftime at 31-31. Drake overcame 36.8 shooting from the floor by sinking 15 of 22 free throws compared to 6 of 10 charity tosses by New Mexico. The Lobos enjoyed a 13-5 lead before Drake went on an 11-2 run to grab its first lead of the game at 16-15 following a layup by Stanley.

ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL: Drake, coming off a school-record 28-5 campaign,  received one vote in the inaugural preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll released Oct. 31. The Bulldogs were ranked nine straight weeks in the 2007-08 Associated Press Top 25 poll, finishing No. 14 in the final poll. Four opponents which Drake will play this season also received votes: Vanderbilt 11, Butler seven, New Mexico three and Creighton seven.
    
A SEASON TO REMEMBER: Picked to finish ninth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, Drake was the TALK of college basketball in 2007-08, posting a school-record 28-5 mark. Picked to finish ninth in the MVC preseason poll, the Bulldogs enjoyed a school-record 21-game winning streak, while being ranked in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll nine straight weeks. The 21-game winning streak was the fourth longest winning streak by a team in Missouri Valley Conference history, and the longest winning streak since Bradley reeled off 22 straight wins in 1985-86. Drake started off the MVC season with a 13-0 record before finishing at 15-3 for the most league victories ever by a Bulldog team. Drake became just the 12th regular season MVC champion to also win the league tournament title. Drake's 13-0 league start marked just the fifth time in the last 50 years that a school has enjoyed a 13-0 start in the MVC. Drake more than doubled its entire MVC victory output of six wins in 2006-07.

SIZING UP THE BULLDOGS: Despite the loss of graduated seniors Adam Emmenecker, Leonard Houston and Klayton Korver, the Drake basketball team hopes to ride the momentum generated from a record-breaking campaign last year. First-year coach Mark Phelps inherits a roster that has eight returning letterwinners, including All-Missouri Valley Conference performers Josh Young and Jonathan Cox, from a team that posted a school-record 28-5 mark Veteran leadership, featuring five seniors, will be a key in aiding the transition of a new staff.
    
"When you look at the returning players coming back, especially the seniors, this team has a taste of winning at a high level and that mentality going into games will be every bit as valuable as our on-court preparation, because in big games they've had success and know what it feels like," said Phelps.
    
"Our players have been terrific. I knew that we were coming into a situation where we had really good players and good people but the reception has been outstanding from our guys. It just confirms what we thought all along that we have some terrific people and I think that will translate to success on the court as well."
    
The Bulldogs' biggest calling card to success was outside shooting after setting a school single-season mark with 310 three-point baskets. Despite the loss of Korver, who tied the school career mark with 241 treys, Drake should be lethal again from the perimeter with Young, Cox and the addition of junior transfer forward Adam Templeton from UC Irvine.
    
Young, a 6-foot 1-inch junior guard, led the MVC in scoring last year with a 15.9 average, while ranking second with 86 three-point baskets and third in three-point field goal percentage (.434). Selected to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District VI team, Young enjoyed eight 20-plus scoring games, netting  a career-high 25 in a 71-64 upset at then No. 8 ranked Butler.
    
At 6-8 Cox might be the most versatile frontline performer in the MVC. The former walk-on ranked second in the MVC in rebounding (8.5 avg.), three-point field goal percentage (.440) and defensive rebounding (6.1 avg.). Named to the 2008 MVC Most Improved Team, Cox saved his best for last with a career-high 29 points and 16 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game against Western Kentucky.
    
Senior forwards John Michael Hall (3.5 ppg), Brent Heemskerk (4.7 ppg) and Alex White (3.7 ppg) look to blossom in more expanded roles. Two-year letterwinner Bill Eaddy, a 6-5 junior swingman, also has make his presence known.    
    
The biggest shoe to fill is at point guard where Adam Emmenecker graduated after being named both the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year as well as the MVC Tournament MVP. He set a school single-season record with 213 assists last year. , will battle Junior Craig Stanley, a transfer from Collin (Texas) County Community College, has won the starting spot, while senior Jacob Baryenbruch, who started in five games last year, is a three-year letterwinner. Sophomore Josh Parker, who was Emmenecker's understudy last year playing in 31 games as a freshman, has moved to off guard.

NEW KIDS ON BLOCK: Newcomers who have contributed immediately are junior transfers Craig Stanley from Collin (Texas) County Community College and  Adam Templeton from UC Irvine. The 6-5 Templeton was a two-year starter at UC Irvine where he was named to the Big West Conference All-Freshman team in 2005-06. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Anteaters in 2006-07, while leading the team with 59 three-point baskets. He led the squad in scoring in five games, with a career-high 19 points at Drake in 2006. He also had a double-double in an upset win vs. South Carolina, collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds. Templeton earned first team all-state honors as a senior at Rapid City (S.D.) Central High School, while averaging 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in leading his team to the state tournament.
    
Stanley ranked seventh nationally in assists last year, averaging 5.4 and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14). He averaged 11.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 2006-07, while leading Collin County to a 21-9 record. He enjoyed double-doubles of 10 points and 10 assists against Southwestern Christian College and a career-high 23 points and 10 assists against Jacksonville. He earned first-team All-District 8-5A honors as a senior at West High School in Plano, Texas, in 2006 after leading the team in scoring (13.1 avg.) and assists (3.6 avg.).

RECRUITING CLASS CALLED TOPS IN MVC: Van Coleman, nationally respected college basketball recruiting analyst, calls the 2008 Drake fall recruiting class the best in the Missouri Valley Conference.
        
“Drake was clearly the leader in the Missouri Valley Conference during the early fall signing period,” said Coleman editor of Hoopmaster.com
         
High school basketball standouts Aaron Hawley, a 6-foot 7-inch forward from Rogers, Ark.; Ben Simons, a 6-7 guard from Cadillac, Mich.; David Smith, a 6-3 guard from Chicago;  Reece Uhlenhopp, a 6-7 forward from Urbandale, Iowa; and Seth VanDeest, a 6-9 forward from Bettendorf, Iowa, have signed national letters of intent indicating they will join the Drake men's basketball program.
        
Hawley earned Arkansas Class VII all-state honors in 2007-08 Rogers High School. Hawley also was named to the all-region teams of the Northwest Arkansas Morning News, The Benton County Daily Record and the KURM Dream Team.
    
The two-time all-league performer averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 2007-08 keying his team to a 21-8 record en route to the quarterfinal round of the Arkansas VII State Tournament. He scored 30 points vs. Little Rock Central as a sophomore, while tallying 28 points vs. Alma last year.
        
“Aaron is a versatile, athletic wing who has the ability to be successful from a variety of areas on the floor,” said Drake coach Mark Phelps.  “He shoots the ball very well from the perimeter and the ability to also score around the basket.  His competitive nature and desire to excel makes him stand out among his peers.”
        
Simons earned first-team Michigan Class B all-state honors by the Detroit Free Press and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. He was a two-time first team All-Big North Conference performer who averaged 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 blocked shots, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 2007-08 while leading Cadillac to a 16-6 record. Simons had 29 points vs. Traverse City Central, while grabbing 15 rebounds vs. Mount Pleasant. He is a nominee for the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American game.                                     
        
“Ben is a versatile guard who can put the ball on the floor very well and has a great shooting touch from beyond the college line,” pointed out Phelps. “His high basketball IQ, length and ability to score make him an ideal fit for our style of play.  He grew up in a basketball family and has a great passion for and knowledge of the game.”
            
Smith is a three-year starter at Lake Forest Academy, who has been a two-time first-team all-conference performer. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals in 2007-08 after guiding the team to a 24-9 record including the Independent School League title with a 13-0 mark. Smith is a nominee for the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American game. A three-time team captain, he had a career-high 22 points as a sophomore vs. Luther North. The versatile athlete also won the high jump in the 2008 Independent School League meet.
            
Uhlenhopp earned third-team all-state honors in 2007-08 by the Iowa Newspaper Association. He was a first-team all-district choice who averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from floor in 2007-08. He helped lead Urbandale to 13-9 record last year, including its fourth straight Central Iowa Metro League title. He is the step-brother of former Drake women's basketball standout Jill Martin (2003-08) who was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer. VanDeest earned second-team all-conference honors in 2007-008, while guiding Bettendorf to a 19-4 record including a second-place conference finish. He averaged 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
            
“Seth is a skilled center with tremendous toughness and determination,” Phelps said. “He has very good footwork, is an excellent passer and has a variety of post moves. Seth also has an excellent shooting touch for a player his size. Seth has a strong desire to reach his full potential. His grit and work ethic stood out to our staff during the recruiting process.”