2022 Record: 27-8 (15-5)
Head Coach: Darian DeVries (Career Record 122-48)
Projected Rotation:
PG: Kyron Gibson (UT Arlington 11.2 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 3.9 Ast)
SG: Atin Wright (CSUN 16.7 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 1.7 Ast)
SF: Ethan Roberts (Army 12.4 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 1.2 Ast)
PF: Tucker DeVries (18.6 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 1.8 Ast)
C: Darnell Brodie (9.1 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 1.1 Ast)
6: PG Conor Enright (4.1 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 1.6 Ast)
7: C Nate Ferguson (3.5 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 0.4 Ast)
8: SF Carlos Rosario (Washington State 2.2 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.3 Ast)
9: SG Kevin Overton
10: C Eric Northweather (2.3 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 0.7 Ast)
11: PG Chico Johnson
12: PF Elijah Price
13: SG Colby Garland
14: PF Patrick Bath (PWO)
The biggest win of the offseason for the Bulldogs was getting leading scorer and Coach DeVries son Tucker DeVries to return to the team instead of going pro. DeVries has NBA level potential. He should be the frontrunner for preseason conference player of the year and depending on performance this season, he has a chance to be selected in next years NBA Draft. He can score in a variety and ways and thrives at sinking the contested jumpshot. He should average over 20PPG next season. Drake also has big man Darnell Brodie returning. Brodie was granted a waiver and will be going into his 6th season of college basketball. He previously played for Seton Hall as well. He could average double digits next season and be an extreme force on the interior. Drake also has big men Eric Northweather and Nate Ferguson returning that adds depth to the team. Ferguson excels at scoring around the rim as he shot nearly 70% from the field.
Drake got commitments in the transfer portal from guards Atin Wright of CSUN and Kyron Gibson of UT Arlington. Gibson is a true PG that started all games for the Mavericks last season and also played at the JUCO level. He shoots well from 3 around 36% and also gets his teammates involved averaging 4 APG. Atin Wright is a pure scorer and is going to be a weapon for the Bulldogs next season. He averaged 17PPG last season and can score from nearly everywhere on the court. Drake also has guard Conor Enright returning to the team and it’s expected that he’s heavily involved in the rotation as well. Enright will see a rise in his playtime this upcoming season.
Drake also got commitments from transfer forwards Ethan Roberts from Army and Carlos Rosario from Washington State. Rosario is a former 3 star recruit that was at Washington State the past 3 seasons. Rosario played about 10 minutes per game last season and did fairly well when on the court. He’s an athletic player and has good length at 6-7 180. Ethan Roberts is the best pickup the Bulldogs made the offseason. As a freshman at Army last season, Roberts averaged over 12PPG and shot nearly 50% from the floor. He could be a portal steal that many look at in the offseason as a player that fell through the cracks for high major teams.
Drake also got commitments from 4 freshman that figure to develop over the course of their careers and wait their turn to become impact players. The most notable commitment that Drake got this offseason was from 3 star guard out of Sunrise Christian Kevin Overton. He was getting looks at the high major level. Chico Johnson is another player that could develop fast and might even crack the regular rotation this season. He had a bit of high major interest and was being recruited mainly by MAC schools. PF Elijah Price and SG Colby Garland are additional scholarship players the Bulldogs added this offseason. PF Patrick Bath will join the team as a PWO. He was being recruited by many teams at the mid major level.
Drake is going to be the MVC favorite going into next season. The expectation for them would be to win both the regular season and conference tournament and returning to the big dance. They will be challenged by teams such as Bradley, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Missouri State, and Southern Illinois. If Drake hits their ceiling and plays to their potential they will find themselves making the tournament and possibly advancing a game or two this time.