DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's basketball team hosted its annual media day on Wednesday afternoon in the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility.
 
Excitement surrounds the program after head coach Darian DeVries led the Bulldogs to 24 wins and the MVC regular-season championship in his first season at the helm. The team's 24 wins were the third-most in program history.
 
DeVries earned the MVC Coach of the Year award for his efforts in leading Drake to the College Insider Tournament, the program's 12^th postseason appearance.
 
"This has certainly been an exciting offseason for us, coming off of a conference championship and 24 wins last season," DeVries told reporters. "We're really excited about the group we have coming back. I think they've had a great summer and offseason leading into this fall, and I feel like they've really taken that next step. There's a lot of reason for optimism for our team this year."
 
DeVries framed his program as one teeming with confidence after last year's success.
 
"I think there's certainly a different outlook," he said. "I think there's a different feel not only on campus but even in the community on what they think the Drake basketball program can be and what it can become. I know our guys feel that, too. They feel the energy around our program, and it excites them."
 
The Bulldogs, who were picked fifth in the MVC preseason poll, return three starters and seven letterwinners from last season's team that led the conference with 75.4 points per game. Eight newcomers will work to earn minutes this season.
 
Sophomore guard DJ Wilkins will look to build on a successful campaign in which he collected freshman all-conference honors. Drake's leading returning scorer, Wilkins earned a place on the preseason All-MVC third team earlier this month.
 
Noah Thomas and Roman Penn will join Wilkins in the backcourt. Thomas led Drake with 89 assists last season, and Penn will make his Bulldog debut after sitting out last season following his transfer from Siena. He started 19 games and averaged 9.7 points per game as a freshman for the Saints.
 
Garrett Sturtz averaged 18.2 minutes per game in 2018-19 and returns this season figuring to play a major role. He shot an impressive 53.3 percent from the field last season, the best mark of any returning Bulldog.
 
Wilkins, Thomas, Penn, and Sturtz will be tasked with replacing the production lost from the graduations of Nick Norton and Brady Ellingson, who remain with the program as graduate managers.
 
DeVries hopes that Jonah Jackson, a 6-foot-3 junior college transfer, can replace some of Ellingon's shooting prowess. Freshmen Okay Djamgouz and Joseph Yesufu will also compete for minutes in the backcourt.
 
Anthony Murphy leads a group of returnees in the frontcourt who will aim to fill the shoes of Nick McGlynn, an All-MVC selection and the conference's Defensive Player of the Year last season. Murphy earned a spot on the MVC All-Bench team after averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes off the pine.
 
A pair of freshman forwards, Issa Samake and Nate Ferguson, will work to carve out a role for themselves this season. They are joined by forward Antonio Pilipovic, who played a reserve role last season.
 
Sophomore Liam Robbins, a 7-foot center hailing from Davenport, will anchor the paint for the Bulldogs. Brady Ernst, a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast who previously spent time at Iowa State and Indiana Hills Community College, rounds out the frontline.
 
The Bulldogs posted a 13-2 home record last season, and the program's home-court advantage will be improved significantly thanks to a $5 million donation from Paul and Claudia Schickler. Of the $5 million, $2 million will be directed to renovations for the Knapp Center while another $1 million will be donated to the men's basketball program.
 
Drake celebrates the beginning of the season with its annual Blue/White Scrimmage on Thursday night. The action is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. inside the Knapp Center, and admission is free.
 
The Bulldogs open their season on Nov. 2 with an exhibition at home against Upper Iowa. Drake officially begins the regular season on Nov. 7 against Kennesaw State. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in the Knapp Center.