ST. LOUIS – The Drake University men's basketball team racked up several All-Missouri Valley Conference awards, the league announced on Tuesday (March 1).
 
Tucker DeVries was named MVC Freshman of the Year. The MVC began selecting a Freshman of the Year award in 1986, and he's the third Bulldog to win the honor, joining Bart Friedrick (1986) and Luke McDonald (2001). DeVries also earned spots on the All-MVC Second Team, All-Freshman Team and All-Newcomer Team.
 
The son of head coach Darian DeVries, Tucker leads the team in scoring (13.6) and three-point field goals (65). He added 23 blocks, 60 assists, 30 steals and 4.5 rebounds per game. He enters this week as one of only five first-year freshman nationally to have reached 400 points (423) and 65 three-pointers made.
 
Garrett Sturtz, a 2-time MVC All-Bench selection was named to the All-MVC Second Team. Sturtz averages 11.0 points per game while leading Drake with 7.5 rebounds per game and 43 steals.
 
Roman Penn missed seven games in the early part of the season and returned to facilitate the offense with a team-best 92 assists while averaging 10.6 points per game to find a place on the All-MVC Third Team.
 
A lockdown defender, D.J. Wilkins consistently was matched with the opponent's top scorer to limit their scoring output. Wilkins poked loose 27 steals and filled in at point guard for the seven games that Penn was sidelined.

Drake men's basketball as the No. 3 seed will take on No. 6 seed Southern Illinois in an MVC Tournament semi-final at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Friday (March 4) at 8:30 p.m.