ST. LOUIS – For the first time since Adam Emmenecker in 2008, a Drake men's basketball student-athlete took home the honor of Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year with sophomore swingman Tucker DeVries being presented the Larry Bird trophy at the MVC men's basketball awards banquet on Wednesday, March 1.
 
DeVries became the fifth-ever Drake player to earn the honor. He joined Emmenecker, Curt Smith, Lewis Lloyd (twice) and Jeff Halliburton as the only Drake student-athletes to hoist the Larry Bird trophy. DeVries was the MVC Preseason Player of the Year and averaged 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists over the course of 30 games this season.
 
Graduate student guard Roman Penn received votes for the Larry Bird trophy and landed a spot on the All-MVC First Team. Penn played 30.9 minutes per game while putting up 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists a night. Penn was an All-MVC Third Team selection last year.
 
Newton, Iowa native Garrett Sturtz was recognized on the All-MVC Third Team with a stat line of 9.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game this season. Sturtz was a All-MVC Second Team performer during the 2021-22 campaign.
 
Redshirt freshman guard Conor Enright picked up MVC All-Freshman Team honors as a spark off the bench providing 1.7 assists over 19.1 minutes a game.
 
The Bulldogs will open the State Farm MVC Tournament at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Friday, March 3 against the winner of No. 7 Murray State and No. 10 Valparaiso at 6 p.m.