The History of Drake University Men's Basketball

The Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The program is best known for making the 1969 Final Four.

Early Years and Conference Dominance

The first season Drake fielded a men's basketball team was 1906-07. The Bulldogs finished with a 2-1 record as an independent. Drake went on to dominate the 1930s, winning three conference titles in the decade (1934-35, 1935-36, and 1938-39). The Bulldogs did not qualify for a postseason tournament by winning the conference title, though, as no post-season tournaments were held during the 1934-35 season. The following 1935-36 season Drake was invited to the District Olympic Tournament post-season tournament (defeating North Dakota 49-46, falling to Minnesota 36-19).

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Drake's winning streak secured eight winning seasons. There was no Missouri Valley Conference play during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons because of World War II. This was in part because most MVC schools did not play basketball during those seasons. In 1951 Drake withdrew from the MVC, along with Bradley, in protest of the MVC's failure to discipline Oklahoma A&M in the Johnny Bright Incident.

The Maury John Era (1958-1971)

During the 1960s through mid-1980s, the Bulldogs were in the national rankings on a regular basis and the MVC was one of the premier conferences in men's basketball. Coach Maury John had a Drake record 211 wins (211-131) coaching the Bulldogs from 1958 to 1971. John came to Drake after he had compiled a 285-58 record (.831) at Moberly Junior College (1946-1958) and led Moberly to back-to-back NJCAA National Championships in 1954 and 1955.

Under Coach John, Drake shared the 1963-64 Missouri Valley Conference title with Louisville and received an invitation to the 1964 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Read also: Early Days of Drake's Singing

The Historic 1968-69 Season

The 1968-69 Drake Bulldog season was by far the most accomplished in program history, as the Bulldogs advanced to the 1969 NCAA Final Four. The Bulldogs, under Coach John, won the Missouri Valley Conference outright and advanced to the 1969 NCAA Tournament Final Four, finishing third. During the tournament, Drake received a bye in the first round, defeated Texas A&M 81-63 in the Sweet Sixteen and Colorado State in the Elite Eight 84-77.

In the 1969 NCAA Final Four, on March 20, 1969 in the National Semi-Final, Drake lost to UCLA with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Coach John Wooden 85-82. Drake, with 24 points from Willie McCarter, 13 points with 16 rebounds from Willie Wise, and defense from Rick Wanamaker and Dolph Pulliam, almost pulled off a historic upset. UCLA led 83-74 with one minute and 12 seconds remaining before Drake scored eight straight points to make the score 83-82 with just seconds remaining.

The Los Angeles Times described the closing moments of the UCLA game: "Late in the game, UCLA led by three, but Drake had the ball and the momentum. Guard Willie McCarter put up a jumper from the left corner that ricocheted around the rim before falling into the hands of Drake forward Dolph Pulliam, who went straight back up with it. On the way up, Pulliam was hammered by Alcindor and Curtis Rowe, but the ball somehow made it through the hoop. The basket counted, but no foul was called against the Bruins. Eight seconds remained, and Drake trailed by one. UCLA escaped the Bulldogs' full-court press and got a pass through to Lynn Shackelford. In desperation, Drake's Ron Gwin fouled him. After the game, Coach John Wooden was asked what had been wrong with UCLA.

In the 1969 NCAA 3rd-place game, the Bulldogs defeated Coach Dean Smith's ACC Champion North Carolina Tar Heels, with Charlie Scott convincingly, 104-84, behind 28 points from Willie McCarter.

Continued Success and John's Departure

Drake continued their success under Coach John in the next two seasons as they advanced to the Elite Eight of both the 1970 NCAA tournament and the 1971 NCAA tournament. In the 1969-70 season once again captured the Missouri Valley Conference title and made their second straight NCAA tournament. Earning a bye in the first round, Drake defeated Houston, with Coach Guy Lewis and Dwight Davis, 92-87.

Read also: Opportunities at Drake University

In 1970-71, the Bulldogs earned their third straight Missouri Valley Conference championship. They made their third straight NCAA trip, qualifying for the 1971 NCAA tournament. In 1971, after 13 seasons and a Drake record 211 wins, Coach John left Drake for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

The Post-John Era and Struggles

Drake won their first national tournament title during the 1974-75 season, capturing the National Commissioners Invitational Tournament postseason title under Coach Ortegel.

From 1987 to 2006, Drake did not have a winning season in men's basketball; the stretch included a 2-26 season in 1996-97 and a 3-24 season in 1997-98. In the 2001-02 season Drake suspended four players at winter semester break due to their not abiding by the school's 2.0 GPA rule (NCAA requires 1.8), but despite having a depleted roster, the Bulldogs nearly eked out a winning season.

The Tom Davis and Keno Davis Years

On April 22, 2003, Drake announced the hiring of former Iowa head coach Dr. Tom Davis as its new men's basketball coach. The hiring drew national attention and brought instant credibility to the struggling program. During the 2003-04 season, Davis began a massive rebuilding project of Bulldog basketball. After going 37-51 in his first three seasons, the team finished 17-15 in the 2006-2007 season for its first winning record in 21 years.

Under the guidance of Keno Davis, the 2007-08 season was one of the most storied in Drake history. The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles, advancing the NCAA tournament. Drake earned a five seed in the NCAA tournament and they were ranked nationally throughout the year. While playing Western Kentucky, though, Ty Rodgers hit a last-second 26-foot three-point shot, giving Western Kentucky a 101-99 overtime victory in the first round. After the successful 2007-08 season, Keno Davis accepted the head basketball coach position at Providence.

The Mark Phelps and Ray Giacoletti Eras

As a result, Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Clubb hired former Arizona State assistant coach Mark Phelps. In 2008-09, Phelps' first season, the Bulldogs finished with a 17-16 record, falling in the College Insider Tournament to Idaho. Despite his ability to recruit, Phelps' on the court coaching led to finishes of 7th and below in the MVC and dwindling fan attendance and support.

Phelps's contract was not renewed following the 2012-13 season, and Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Clubb replaced him with her new choice Ray Giacoletti.

The Darian DeVries Era (2018-2024)

On March 29, 2018, Creighton University assistant coach Darian DeVries was named the new head coach of the team. Devries led the Bulldogs to a regular season record of 23-8 and won the MVC Championship in his first year as head coach.

In 2020, Drake hosted Northern Iowa in a nationally televised game which was also the first Knapp Center sell out since the 2007-08 season. Drake lost in humiliating fashion to their instate conference rival scoring a season low 43 points in route to a 70-43 loss. Six days later at Arch Madness Drake scored a revenge upset against Northern Iowa, becoming the first team in tournament history to upset a 1-seed in the quarterfinal round 77-56. Drake would lose in the semifinal round to eventual tournament champion Bradley. Although the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before brackets could be announced, the loss sent their instate rivals to the tournament bubble and many bracketologists expected the loss to cost Northern Iowa their chance at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

For the 2020-21 season, Drake had an undefeated non-conference season and started the season with an 18-0 record, the best start in school history. The Bulldogs finished regular season with 24 wins to mark their third-straight 20-win season, a feat which had only previously happened once. The 2020-21 team made the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years. Their First Four appearance against former MVC foe Wichita State on March 18 resulted in a 53-52 victory, which was the team's first win in the tournament in 50 years.

In the 2022-23 season the team won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and returned to the NCAA Tournament as the number 12 seed in the Midwest Region, losing in the first round to #5 seed Miami 56-63. The Bulldogs finished the season 27 and 8.

The 2023-24 season was Drake's sixth straight season, all under Devries, with 20 or more wins and saw Drake go undefeated at home throughout the entire season. Drake received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and was selected as the No. 10 seed in the East Region, but lost to the #7 seed Washington State in the first round 61 to 66.

The Ben McCollum Era and Beyond

The 2024-25 season marked a new era for the Drake Bulldogs men's basketball program. Following the departure of head coach Darian DeVries to West Virginia after the 2023-24 season, Drake hired Ben McCollum as the program’s new head coach in April 2024. In his first and only season at Drake, McCollum guided the Bulldogs to a 27-3 overall record and a 17-3 record in MVC play. The team captured its first outright MVC regular season championship since the 2007-08 season. Drake received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and was selected as the No. 11 seed in the West Region. In the first round, the Bulldogs defeated No. 6 seed Missouri 67-57, earning their first Round of 64 NCAA Tournament win since 1971. Junior guard Bennett Stirtz played a key role throughout the season, leading the team in scoring and assists. Hours after their defeat in the Round of 32, McCollum accepted the head coaching position at the University of Iowa.

Centennial Celebration and Retired Jerseys

In 2006-07, the Missouri Valley Conference celebrated its centennial as the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I conference. As part of the celebration, The Valley named All-Centennial teams for each of the sponsored sports. The Bulldogs have retired five jersey numbers, with the latest being a trio of numbers retired to honor the 1969 team, who went all the way to the Final Four.

Postseason Tournament Appearances

Drake has participated in four different postseason tournaments. The Bulldogs have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. The Bulldogs have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments. The Bulldogs have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The Bulldogs have appeared in four CollegeInsider.com Tournaments. Drake was selected to the second and final National Commissioners Invitational Tournament ever held.

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