The Basics
The Drake (13-5, 4-3) men's basketball team returns home to the Knapp Center for its Suit Up Against Pediatric Cancer Game presented by Blank Children's Hospital against Bradley at 7 p.m.
Families of children at Blank Children's Hospital have been invited to the game to enjoy pregame activities and much more.
Broadcast Information
Saturday's game against Bradley will be televised nationally on ESPNU with play-by-play broadcaster Clay Matvick and analyst Kevin Lehman.
102.1/1350 ESPN Des Moines is the radio home of Drake men's basketball with Michael Admire back to describe the play-by-play with Paul
Doerrfeld providing analysis.
Scouting Bradley
The Braves (12-6, 5-2) have won back-to-back games including a 91-46 shellacking of
Evansville on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Bradley's two MVC losses occurred against two Valley newcomers (at Belmont, 63-60 on Dec. 28 and at Murray State, 67-58 on Jan. 4).
Six Braves scored in double figures during Wednesday's win over the Purple Aces led by sophomore Connor Hickman with 15 points and three assists.
Junior forward Rienk Mast missed six games due to injury this season, but has averaged 13.0 points per game and 8.1 points per game over 12 contests since he's returned to action. Fellow Netherlands forward, Malevy Lyons averages 11.1 points a night and 5.8 points per game while swat- ting away a total of 30 shots.
Bradley is 10-0 at home and 2-3 on the road. The Braves were picked to finish second in the 2022-23 MVC Preseason Poll with one first place vote.
Brian Wardle carries a .500 record of 122-122 while at Bradley in his eighth season on the side- lines in Peoria. The former Marquette star spent the previous five seasons before Bradley as the head coach at Green Bay.
Series vs. Bradley
Bradley leads the all-time series, 92-68.
Bradley swept Drake last season and takes a three-game win streak against the Bulldogs into the weekend.
The Braves have won six of the last 10 matchups versus Drake.
Darian DeVries is 4-5 as a head coach against the Braves.
Clutch
Tucker DeVries scored seven points in the span of less than a minute in overtime to help Drake outlast UIC 76-71 for its first road win of the season on Tuesday (Jan. 10).
Home Success
Drake is riding a 11-game home winning streak at the Knapp Center dating back to last year. The Bulldogs are 8-0 at home this season and have gone 76-9 at home since the 2017-18 season.
2021-22: 14-3
2020-21: 14-1
2019-20: 14-2
2018-19: 13-2
2017-18: 14-1
Up Next
Drake will be back in the Knapp Center for a midweek tilt against Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
