The Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team represents

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, education, Legal education, law, and pharmacy. Drake U ...

, located in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

competition. The program is best known for making the 1969 Final Four. The Bulldogs have appeared eight times in the NCAA tournament, making their most recent appearance in

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

History

The early years (1906–1959)

The first season Drake fielded a men's basketball team was 1906–07. The Bulldogs finished with a 2–1 record as an independent. The next year, during the 1907–08 season, they were charter members of the

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

. 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 North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

49–46, falling to

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

36–19). The Bulldogs participated in the National Intercollegiate Tournament in 1937–38 (losing to Murray State 47–40) and 1938–39 (losing to

Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

28–15). Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Drake's winning streak secured eight winning seasons. There was no

play during the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons because of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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. Drake would not compete in the Missouri Valley Conference again until the 1956–57 season.

1960–1986

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. Drake had fourteen winning seasons during this time.

Maury John era

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. (John was replaced by Cotton Fitzsimmons at Moberly when he came to Drake.) After Coach John, Howard Stacey compiled a 34–44 record coaching Drake from 1971 to 1974, Bob Ortegel compiled a 94–103 record from 1974 to 1981 and Gary Garner was 95-104 from 1981 to 1988. Under Coach John, Drake shared the 1963–64 Missouri Valley Conference title with

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

and received an invitation to the 1964 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). In the NIT, Drake defeated

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

87–82 in the first round and lost to tournament runner-up

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

65–60 in the second round. 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

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 Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

81–63 in the Sweet Sixteen and Colorado State in the Elite Eight 84–77. The Bulldogs would fall to eventual champion

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

with Coach

John Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...

85–82 in the national semifinal before routing

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

under Coach

Dean Smith Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball Coach (basketball), head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North C ...

104–84 in the third-place game. In the 1969 NCAA Final Four, on March 20, 1969 in the National Semi-Final, Drake lost to UCLA with

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

and Coach

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. (UCLA would go on to defeat Purdue (92–72) in the NCAA Championship game, their fourth of seven consecutive NCAA Championships. The

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

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. Shackelford made both of his one-and-one attempts." After the game, Coach John Wooden was asked what had been wrong with UCLA. Wooden replied simply,"Drake." In the 1969 NCAA 3rd-place game, the Bulldogs defeated Coach

's ACC Champion

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

, with Charlie Scott convincingly, 104–84, behind 28 points from Willie McCarter. Drake finished the season 26–5. 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. Drake finished 22–7 in 1969–1970 and 21–8 in 1970–1971. In the 1969–70 season once again captured the

title and made their second straight NCAA tournament. Earning a bye in the first round, Drake defeated

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, with Coach Guy Lewis and Dwight Davis, 92–87. Drake lost to

New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a Public university system, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution ...

87–78 in the 1971 Midwest Regional Final. In 1970–71, the Bulldogs earned their third straight

championship. They made their third straight NCAA trip, qualifying for the 1971 NCAA tournament. There, Drake (21–8) defeated Notre Dame University with Austin Carr 79–72 in OT, then lost to

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

73–71 in the Midwest Regional Final. In 1971, after 13 seasons and a Drake record 211 wins, Coach John left Drake for

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Ames ha ...

. John's tenure at ISU was short, as he died of cancer on October 15, 1974 at the age of 55.

Bob Ortegel era

Drake won their first national tournament title during the 1974–75 season, capturing the

National Commissioners Invitational Tournament The National Commissioners Invitational Tournament was an eight-team postseason men's college basketball tournament run by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It was introduced in 1974 as the Collegiate Commissioners Association T ...

postseason title under Coach Ortegel. In the tournament, the Bulldogs defeated

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

80–70,

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

78–65, and

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

in the championship game 83–76. The Bulldogs also advanced to the

National Invitational Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

during the 1980–81 season, under Coach Ortegel, losing to

in the first round 90–77 and the 1985–86 season under Coach Gary Garner, falling to Marquette 79–59 in the first round.

1987–2006

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. The Bulldogs went through four coaches, none of whom finished with a winning coaching record at Drake. 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. Drake entered the MVC tournament with a 14–14 record; but fell to Illinois State 63–64 on a buzzer beating shot, ending the season 14–15. The next season (2002–03) Drake would finish 10–20, leading to the dismissal of head coach Kurt Kanaskie at season's end.

Tom Davis era

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. Davis’ career included sixteen 20-win seasons, 18 post season appearances, and he was named

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

National Coach of the Year in 1987. 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. Following the season, Davis resigned and was succeeded by his son Keno Davis.

2007–2008 season

Under the guidance of Keno Davis, the 2007–08 season was one of the most storied in Drake history. The Bulldogs won the

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. Drake finished the season with a school best 28–5 record.

2008–2017

After the successful 2007–08 season, Keno Davis accepted the head basketball coach position at Providence. 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 Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

. 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. After failing to finish above .500 for three seasons and a 1–8 start in his fourth year, Giacoletti turned in his resignation to Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Clubb on December 6, 2016, and Interim Head Coach Jeff Rutter took over in his place, leading the team to their ninth play-in game in nine seasons under a coach chosen by Drake AD Sandy Hatfield Clubb. On March 26, 2017, Drake University President "Marty" Martin named former

Furman University Furman University is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, the Liberal arts college, liberal arts university is the oldest private institution of higher l ...

head coach Niko Medved as head men's basketball coach. After a 17–17 season that exceeded low expectations, Medved announced his departure from Drake, accepting an offer from

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...

on March 22, 2018, less than one year after his tenure at Drake began.

2018–2024

On March 29, 2018,

Creighton University Creighton University () is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate ...

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. Devries was named MVC Coach of the Year for his role in returning Drake to the top of The Valley. 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 The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

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. Drake's upset also became the first time in school history a coach had led their team to back-to-back 20 win seasons in their first two seasons at the school. 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 Bulldogs also equaled a school record with 15 Missouri Valley Conference wins. 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 Wichita State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 ...

on March 18 resulted in a 53-52 victory, which was the team's first win in the tournament in 50 years. The Bulldogs bowed out in the next round against the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

two days later, ending their season at 26-5. The Drake Bulldogs gymnasium was featured in the final scene of the 2023 Peacock streaming movie Champions starring Woody Harrelson, Matt Cook & Caitlin Olson. 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. DeVries left just three days after the conclusion of the season to become the head coach at

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

2024-2025 Season

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. McCollum, who previously led Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State to four national championships, was tasked with continuing the program’s recent success at the Division I level. In his first season at Drake, McCollum guided the Bulldogs to a 27–3 overall record and a 17–3 record in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play. The team captured its first outright MVC regular season championship since the 2007–08 season. Drake carried its momentum into the MVC Tournament, earning victories over Southern Illinois, Belmont, and Bradley to secure its third consecutive tournament title. 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. Their season came to an end in the second round after a hard-fought loss to Texas Tech. Junior guard Bennett Stirtz played a key role throughout the season, leading the team in scoring and assists. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player following his performance during the Bulldogs' championship run. On March 24, 2025, McCollum accepted the head coaching position at the University of Iowa. Later that week, Drake announced the hiring of Eric Henderson, former South Dakota State head coach, to lead the program moving forward.

Drake Bulldog head coaches

List of Drake Bulldogs men's basketball head coaches

Record versus conference teams

Below are the records of the Bulldogs versus current members of the

as of the 2024–25 regular season.

MVC All-Centennial Team

In 2006–07, the

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. Two of the 50 men's basketball players named were from Drake's program.

All-Century Team

Retired numbers

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.

Awards

Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Year

National Coaches of the Year

Missouri Valley Conference Coaches of the Year

Men's Basketball Academic All-American of the Year

Arenas

Seasons

*See List of Drake Bulldogs men's basketball seasons

Postseason appearances

Drake has participated in four different postseason tournaments. They have an 12–10 record overall in them.

NCAA Division I tournament history

The Bulldogs have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 7–8.

National Invitational Tournament (NIT) history

The Bulldogs have appeared in three

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

s. Their combined record is 1–3.

College Basketball Invitational (CBI) history

The Bulldogs have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 1-1.

CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) history

The Bulldogs have appeared in four CollegeInsider.com Tournaments. Their combined record is 2–4.

NCIT history

Drake was selected to the second and final

ever held. They won all three games to be named NCIT champions.

Notes and references

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drake Bulldogs Men's Basketball