Missouri Valley Conference play started on Wednesday night and Creighton and Drake both walked away with wins to sit atop the league early. However, the two teams just down the road from each other already meet each other Saturday evening and one of the teams will walk away with a loss.
For Drake, they had some troubles during the non-conference season. They have been up and down all season with struggles at the Great Alaskan Shootout and being schooled by Dartmouth. They have also had some problems hanging onto the basketball. However, they are currently on a two game winning streak and the top recruiting classes in the Valley the past two seasons might be coming together for the Bulldogs.
If you haven’t been paying attention to Drake so far this season Mark Emmert, from the Des Moines Register, took some time to help us out. The beat writer for the Bulldogs gives us a little insight before Saturday night’s game at the Phone Booth.
White & Blue Review: Drake had an up and down non-conference season. What have been the biggest questions that head coach Mark Phelps has tried to get answered through that part of the season?
Mark Emmert: Drake put in a man-to-man defense this season, with mixed results. In fact, the Bulldogs are now playing zone again at times, switching things up. Phelps also has tried to identify who is best options are at point guard and power forward. Jordan Clarke was the original starter at PF, but hurt his elbow in the second game and is still working his way back (he may play Saturday). Aaron Hawley and Reece Uhlenhopp also got starts at the 4 before Kraidon Woods emerged in the past two games as the best option there.
As for point guard, that’s still a work in progress and Drake’s most obvious weakness. Frank Wiseler started for most of the year, but has been replaced by Kurt Alexander the past two games (for health reasons, we’re told). David Smith has barely played. Alexander has shown that he can score at times, but I don’t think they’re sold on his ability to distribute yet. Wiseler has just looked tentative for most of the season, although he did have seven points in 15 minutes against Southern Illinois. Drake’s point guards combined for five assists and eight turnovers against the Salukis. It will be interesting to see who starts Saturday.
WBR: What is fan reaction to the past few seasons since going to the NCAA Tournament? What kind of patience do they have for where the program is headed?
ME: I think fans are growing restless with the product on the court not living up to the hype of the past two recruiting classes. Another lower-division finish in the Valley will not sit well.
WBR: Drake has had the top recruiting class the past couple of seasons. Are those classes coming to fruition in Des Moines? Who has made the biggest impact so far?
ME: It’s been a mixed bag. Drake does have some nice depth (eight players scored against Southern Illinois). But the only two consistent contributors from those recruiting classes have been sophomore center Seth VanDeest and freshman wing player Rayvonte Rice. Both start. Off the bench, Aaron Hawley and Ben Simons have proved capable of making significant contributions, but also just as capable of being shut down. Freshmen Karl Madison and Jeremy Jeffers are injured.
WBR: Who is someone that might surprise Creighton fans on Saturday night? Who else do they need to look out for?
ME: Kraidon Woods might surprise in Omaha if he’s able to play with Lawson and Echenique defensively and on the boards. He’s very active and athletic, though not much of a scorer. And certainly you’ll want to keep an eye on Rice. He’s reached double-figure scoring in each of the past 10 games, but also is a strong rebounder, passes well and can make some terrific defensive plays. He’s a handful.
WBR: Drake has struggled with the press early in the season. What kind of improvement has been seen over time? Creighton hasn’t normally done any full court press this season, but do you think they would employ it for this game?
ME: Drake had 19 turnovers again Wednesday against Southern Illinois, which applied only mild pressure. I’m not sure there has been a great deal of improvement in that area, so I would think Creighton might press more to try to rattle the Bulldogs.
WBR: The Bulldogs have started off on the right foot in conference play by beating Southern Illinois this past Wednesday night. What were the keys to their win?
ME: Drake got outstanding perimeter play, hitting 9-of-18 3-pointers, rebounded well (especially when Woods was in the game), and made a concerted effort to get to the free-throw line, where they made 22-of-27. Southern Illinois, missing Gene Teague, did not shoot well (32.2 percent), but it’s unclear how much of that was due to Drake’s defense and how much was just rushed shots.
WBR: Frank Wiseler suffered sort of a freak injury in the offseason that affected his Achilles. What were the details surrounding the injury and how well has he come back from that injury?
ME: Frank had his Achilles sliced by a brick that he dislodged while stepping down from a curb outside the Knapp Center. Fortunately, teammate Aaron Hawley was with him and got him to the hospital. He had surgery in Des Moines, then flew home to Luxembourg to rehab. He was a surprise opening-day starter, but hasn’t seemed to play with the same confidence and fluidity. He’s averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 assists, but sat out the final nonconference game against Chicago State to rest the Achilles and played just 15 minutes against Southern Illinois after picking up a nasty flu bug during the holiday break.
WBR: The Sports Information Director, Mike Mahon, retired midway through the school year. What was the situation behind that? It seems kind of odd to have the SID leave the athletic department in the middle of the school year.
ME: Mike said he came to the realization one weekend that he was putting in too many hours, neglecting his own health and preventing him from caring properly for his ailing mother, with whom he lives. He was at the Southern Illinois game and appeared to be in good spirits. I’m sure he’ll get back into the sports information business in some capacity down the road, and I wish him well.
WBR: Drake and Creighton are so close to each other and you would expect more of a rivalry, but it doesn’t appear to be that way. Is there really any bad blood between the two schools? Will Drake fans make the trip to Omaha similar to what Creighton fans do for the game in Des Moines?
ME: Drake doesn’t really have a heated rivalry with anybody, but Creighton and Northern Iowa are the closest thing. I expect a couple hundred Drake fans to trek over Saturday, but nowhere near the number of Bluejay fans who return the favor.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will Drake need to do to walk away with a win?
ME: I don’t have a prediction, but obviously a Drake win would be an upset. I think Woods and VanDeest need to at least hold their own inside, and Drake needs to get terrific shooting nights out of Ryan Wedel, Rayvonte Rice and probably someone like Simons or Hawley off the bench. I’m also very curious to see how the Bulldogs react to the crowd. This will be the first real road test for them since they got blitzed at Iowa State in the second game of the season. They really froze up in that game; showing poise and confidence Saturday would be a big step forward, regardless of the final score.