Drake Nation / Specific Sports Topic Forums / Bulldog Men's Basketball

Jamie Pollard

dudistance — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:21:14 GMT

I was in the car with a friend today and he was listening to KXNO (I know it is a sin for a Drake fan).

They actually had a story I found interesting. Apparently, Jamie Pollard told a fan that his opinion did not count due to the fact he was not a season ticket holder or a booster. According to Pollard, he was not a true fan since he did not donate money. The fan had previously wrote him a letter stating his discontent with the Iowa State basketball program and Pollard responded saying his opinion did not matter.

On the radio, they said the full story was on the KXNO website. I tried to look it up, but could not find it.

Summer League?

CharlesW — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:33:25 GMT

There's no question that summer league is fun to watch and probably helps players both develop and stay in shape, but......
Is it a good thing for the teams these players are a part of?
It seems that team basketball is almost non-existent in the early part of the season.
Some of the most interesting and fun to watch "stars" of summer league didn't seem to contribute all that much to their teams once some semblance of organization and team play was put in to place.

Just a thought.

I wanna win more than the next guy ....

Mc Bulldog — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:37:09 GMT

Okay, as DUBulldog can attest too ... I can't stand singling players out in a negative light. That said, things we talk about here on the board have nothing to do with a young man as a person ... as a human being now or in the future. We are talking about basketball skills and abilities. We need help in two positions with only one schollie open ... that we as fans know of. If there is a recruit on the team that even comes close to a "Keno recruit", it is (I can't do this) (yeah I can) .... Sean Jones. What if he got an academic schollie and all the other schollies available? GEEZEEEZZZ ... we need 2 schollies bad. I'm not saying he can't stay on team as a walk on but these scholarships are honk'n precious. I'm sorry and I'll probably go to hel-l for starting this thread but in the LOVE OF GOD !!!! We need that schollie ... and now. This is the time of year when all the hold outs have waited. Phelps needs to strike while the iron is hot.

Not saying there are any issues at all but now is also the time for any additions or changes in staff.

If Sean Jones stays ... I hope he makes Bucky's story look like a short coming. By all accounts of everyone I know who knows him ... they love him to death. Sucks but .... that's just the way it is. (I'm going directly hel-l, right?)

Bitch session

stadx — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:33:55 GMT

I haven't said much about this team and coaching. Been hoping that the improvement would continue. Hasn't.. The things I would bitch about are I'm so sick of a zone defense that makes any decent 3 point shooter look like a 1st team all american. where's the freaking press if you can't match up in talant and experience you need to use other tactics. We Don't.. When someone is 0 for a game and a half you let him sit and think about it. At half time sometimes you adjust the linepu to who is playing well for the game. Yesterday that was Hawley who he didn't reenter until later in the second half. Was Reece hurt? It's a physical game and you don't play one of your stronger players. Where's the offensive rebounds we turn and run to do what? set up a piss poor zone? Ther's more but that's enough. I know this won't help but maybe I'll feel better. Don't get me wrong I want our team and Phelps to succeed but It's hard to see how that is going to happen.

Keno Davis salary

CharlesW — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:09:31 GMT

The DM Register had a paragraph saying the Drake tax return for 2007-2008 shows they paid Keno $188,295 for that season
Providence supposedly offered him 1 million per year for 7 years.
That would cause a lot of people to make the move.
The article also says they added a year to his contract after last season.

Of course, they might try to take it back after this season.

Where should the radio show be next year?

puttheDbackinDrake — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:43:31 GMT

Ok I finally made it to a radio show last night. Haven't been all year because they moved it downtown and that is the last thing I want to do after a day at work.

It was horrible. The show is actually outside the bar. You can't hear unless you stand in the hallway.

I'd like to offer a recommendation for next year to the staff (not sure they would listen).

I'd go to the show more often, but not if it remains downtown at a place you can't even hear the show.

Thoughts???

Iowa State Issues

Keita44 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:36:08 GMT

Some interesting talk on 1460 today...here is the corresponding thread on CycloneFanatic.

http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/mens-basketball/84239-must-read.html

Basically, a fan is upset with their AD's decision to keep McDermott. Pollard responds with basically calling out the fan. While Pollard needed to defend himself, I feel like he shouldn't have attacked the fan in the manner that he did.

While it doesn't really apply to Drake Basketball, is at least an interesting read.

Farwell to Freedom Hall

dudistance — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:48:04 GMT

I meant to post this last Friday, but forgot.

Freedom Hall farewell | Memories, magic were made herel

2010-11

Howard the Drake — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:50:20 GMT

Let's see your lineup.

G Wiseler
G Wedel
G Rice (?)
F Clarke/Uhlenhopp
C VanDeest

Radio show

DUBulldog — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:18:48 GMT

I had a chance to listen to the first 10-15 minutes of the radio show last night.

Nothing too exciting. Coach Phelps said that we need to get stronger, tougher, more physical on defense, and better on the defensive glass. Interesting that when discussing rebounding, he only mentioned a need to improve on the defensive boards. We definitely weren't a great defensive rebounding team, but it was offensive rebounding that we were very, very poor at.

UNI v. Drake freshman

stadx — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:12:12 GMT

I hate to say this but UNI's Freshmen appear to have passed Drake's. Not a good sign for the future.

Hard to believe it has been two years

dudistance — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:39:28 GMT

Two years since we were king of the Valley. Hard to believe it has only been two years...it feels like much longer.

2008 Drake Highlight Video

2008 MVC Championship Highlights

2008 MVC Championship Celebration

Students in attendance in St. Louis

bms26 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:52:59 GMT

I thought it was terrible how we had like 3 or 4 students in our student section for both games. Come on.... you go to Drake, you can afford to drive 6 hours to see your team play! Does Sandy promote the game for students to come? You think they could bring a bus or something. Of course our cheerleaders are no better. They just sit there the whole game acting bored. Lets show a little school spirt! And my last rant... Every other team at the tournament had their drill team there and performed at half, where was Drake's? Even Evansville was there (enrollment 2,000) We need to create more of a "home court" advantage.

Time to cheer for WSU?

puttheDbackinDrake — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:40:53 GMT

I'm not sure I can, but I'm going to try and cheer for WSU tomorrow. Not because I enjoy watching them at all, but because we need to get 2 MVC teams in the dance this year.

If UNI comes out and plays like they did today against Bradley, I'm not sure WSU can win.

Hopefully a good game on CBS tomorrow. Hopefully DU will join me in a Let's Go Drake chant sometime during the game.

Sycamore Sam Profanity-shame on you

puttheDbackinDrake — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:10:14 GMT

Wow what a game to end the night.

First we were able to witness a skin show at halftime thanks to the Redbird Train Express or whatever they are.

But the night ended with a couple of firsts:

1. A talking mascot
2. A talking mascot swearing at a fan. I believe it went something like this, "Wichita State is going to kick your @#($# @ss tomorrow."

What a sad day in basketball. What is this world coming to?

MVC Postseason projections

dudistance — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:45:45 GMT

After looking at the standings & RPI's, I think it will be the following...

NCAA = UNI
NIT = Wichita State, Illinois State
CBI = Creighton, Missouri State
CIT = Bradley, Indiana State

The CBI and CIT were hard to project...they could go either way. Also, I believe Southern Illinois is technically eligible as they have a .500 record.

Congratulations Josh

Drake72 — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:41:55 GMT

Congratulations Josh on becoming the all time leading scorer in Drake basketball history! The Drake community has been honored and privileged to have such a wonderful representative of our university both on and off the court. You will no doubt be as successful in life as you have been at Drake. Thanks for making us proud.

Time for a change in venue

puttheDbackinDrake — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:43:58 GMT

I'm ready to find a new home for the tourney. After 20 years in St. Louis the best the conference can do is page 4 of the Sunday Post Dispatch.

Maybe it says something about the state of the conference, but you should still get a front page article in the host city.

I'm not sure how much longer we are stuck here, but I'm ready to start the March to Royalty. Let's move this gig to Kansas City. It would be a better trip for CU, NIU, DU, WSU, and SMS (maybe). And I think the likes of SIU and ILL should have to drive like we do to see our team play in the tourney.

Or at a minimum we can rotate every two or three years between the two.

Thank you, Josh, Craig, Adam and Bill

Big Bull — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:45:46 GMT

Just want to say thank you to all the seniors for giving your all and leaving it on the floor. I know we are all gratefull that each of you chose the Drake family and are now life long members.

Lot's of great memories of each of you and I wish everyone success in your future endeavors.

Again thank you for the memories.

Other MVC tournament action

4Bulldogs — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:25:04 GMT

SMS 52
E 46

Friday
C vs. B, 2:35
WSU vs. SMS, 6:05
ILL vs. IND, 8:35

Did I get those right, Darth??

DU vs. UNI, MVC Quaterfinal

Mecha_Bulldog — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:05:52 GMT

#8 DU vs. #1 UNI. Friday 3/5 @ 12:05, TV on FoxSports

DU's reward for a stirring comeback against SIU is to play #1 seed UNI on short rest. DU will need to play a lot better to knock off UNI.

Records of Drake Coaches Since the Tournament Moved to St. Louis

dudistance — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:09:25 GMT

Rudy Washington = 2-7 (.222)
Kurt Kanaskie = 2-7 (.222)
Tom Davis = 2-4 (.333)
Keno Davis = 3-0 (1.000)
Mark Phelps = 1-2 (.333)

Total = 10-20 (.333)

Emmenecker on MC22

dn411 — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:35:29 GMT

Ok, so they are replaying the Drake v. Creighton game on Mediacom and I just came into the last beautiful minutes of the game. Emmenecker is helping with the play-by-play. Is this normal? Has he done it before? He's doing a good job. He's very fluid and relaxed.

Average Attendance

dudistance — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:15:25 GMT

I came across this yesterday. According to the website in which I was looking, our average attendance it the lowest since Kurt Kanaskie's last season in 2002-03.

2002-03 = 3,969 (Kanaskie's last year)
2003-04 = 5,757 (Tom Davis first season)
2004-05 = 4,810
2005-06 = 4,867
2006-07 = 5,458 (first winning season since 1985-86)
2007-08 = 6,038 (Keno Davis first season, NCAA)
2008-09 = 5,101 (Mark Phelp's first season, CIT)
2009-10 = 4,316

On average of 16 game home schedule at $20 a ticket gate revenue would look like...

2002-03 = $1,182,720
2003-04 = $1,842,240
2004-05 = $1,539,200
2005-06 = $1,557,440
2006-07 = $1,746,560
2007-08 = $1,932,160
2008-09 = $1,632,320
2009-10 = $1,381,120

DU vs. SIU in MVC Tourney

rawdawg — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:21:12 GMT

So, what's the new strategy DN........

JY....1st team all-conference

DUBulldog — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:51:11 GMT

Congrats JY! AT was named honorable mention.

RW was on the all-newcomer team, and SVD on the all-freshmen team.

link

examiner.com's MVC Tournament Preview

electricmayhem — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:20:16 GMT

http://www.examiner.com/x-7020-Bradley-Braves-Examiner~y2010m3d4-Missouri-Valley-Tournament-Preview

If DU's perimeter players catch fire, anything can happen!

Who's going to STL for MVC tourney?

Darth Vader — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:34:51 GMT

I plan on making an appearance, as I almost always do. What section etc will folks be in? I'm getting my tix there. Hopefully there will be game on friday to attend too (and beyond)...

Gordon .. are you drunk?

Mc Bulldog — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:52:36 GMT

What the heck?

Drake Nation gets shoutout in my article for class

vickDAWG — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:16:20 GMT

MVC tournament requires team effort
By Scott Vicker
The Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament takes place live in St. Louis each year. The tournament, nicknamed Arch Madness, is a showcase of teamwork and star players from teams from one of the top mid-major conferences in the country. This year, the tournament will be held March 4-7 at the Scottrade Center.
Josh Young, a senior guard for the Drake Bulldogs (Des Moines, Iowa), summed up the tournament as the biggest part of the season for teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.
“The MVC tournament is one of the greatest parts of the season. It gives teams a chance to redeem their whole season. Nothing really matters up until that point if you can win the whole thing. It’s pretty sweet,” said the 6-foot-1-inch Young, known for his silky smooth jump shot that has earned him the nickname “Velvet” among Drake Nation message board fans.
However, it’s not just the basketball teams that use teamwork to get to the MVC tournament – the Missouri Valley Conference organizers also work together as a team to get the tournament set up.
“We start pretty much in the summer and early fall just to begin planning the event,” Associate Commissioner and Tournament Director Joe Mitch said. “Then we have various committees overseeing different areas that meet at different times. Those committees deal with areas such as hotels and operations, transportation and working with the facilities. All of those committees meet on a regular basis all the way up to the conference tournament in March.”
The size of the team that it takes to put on the Missouri Valley Conference tournament is impressive.
“We have a staff of 15 in the office and then we have volunteers. There are probably about 100 volunteers who are involved in various aspects of the tournament from game operations, who have a lot of volunteers, to those who work with the teams and those in the media,” said Mitch, who is in his 25th year with the conference. “It requires a lot of personnel to handle those two areas, especially providing services for the media.”
Larger yet, though, than the team that puts on the tournament is the crowd that will arrive in St. Louis to watch the tournament.
“We have had as high as 85,000 people for the entire week of the tournament,” Mitch said. “When we started out 20 years ago we had 25,000. So it has grown considerably since then. Our goal each year is to top the total from the year before or the record, which was set in 2007.”
Mitch noted that the biggest difficulty for the planning committees each year is ticket sales.
“Well, the biggest unknown each year is how many tickets we are going to sell. That pretty much is a factor of marketing and strength of teams. Strength of teams and success of teams is not something we have control over. Years in which we are very good, we have sellouts,” Mitch said.
Young said it is easy to see why the Missouri Valley Conference tournament attracts so many fans.
“The Missouri Valley is a basketball conference. Basketball is the premier sport in this league. I think that is why people are so attracted to it, as well as the winning tradition of the league and its great venues,” Young said with his signature charming smile.
Young, who earlier this season became Drake’s all-time leading scorer by surpassing the old mark of 1,657 points posted by Red Murrell from 1955-58, certainly knows what it is like to be successful at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament after helping the Bulldogs to the MVC tournament title in the 2007-08 season.
Young is also a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, which is presented to the senior athlete who best exemplifies the personal qualities of classroom, character, community and competition.
This year, however, marks the 20th anniversary of the tournament being held in St. Louis. Based on last year’s television numbers, the tournament looks to be a broadcast success.
“In St. Louis it is on KMOV and also the CBS national telecast. Last year, the rating in St. Louis was a 5 and nationally was a 2, which is pretty good for college basketball. Fox Sports Network carries the quarterfinals and semifinals which did a 1.2 rating, which for cable was pretty good, too,” Mitch said.
Part of the reason the Missouri Valley Conference tournament has continued to be held in St. Louis for the past 20 years is the revenue that hosting the event brings to the city of St. Louis.
“It has a huge economic impact on St. Louis. We’ve been told it has an impact of about $15 million annually. A vast majority of fans are coming in from out of town. A lot of money is spent on lodging and restaurants, transportation in and out of St. Louis,” Mitch said. “It is an annual event where nothing else is going on that weekend. We pretty much have a captivated audience. The hotels here, restaurants and bars really welcome our event here. They know it is going to have a big impact on their business.”
Businesses in St. Louis can begin looking forward to the added customers as the tournament tips off Thursday March 4 when the Drake Bulldogs take on the Southern Illinois Salukis at 6:05 p.m. followed by the Missouri State Bears squaring off against the Evansville Aces at 8:30 p.m. The tournament will commence with the championship game on Sunday March 7 at 1 p.m. All games are played at the Scottrade Center.
As Young’s Bulldogs prepare for their opening round game this year, there is one thing in particular that he looks forward to about being in St. Louis.
“The greatest part about being in St. Louis is just being with the team knowing that everything is on the line,” Young said. “It forces everyone to really come together as a unity.”

Drake-Evansville....senior night

DUBulldog — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:36:32 GMT

Let's finish strong. Can't take the Purple Aces lightly.

Would be great to send the seniors out with a victory in front of a full house.

Perspective

Really Big Bulldog — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:27:36 GMT

Something that strikes me...and speaks in part to how our expectations have changed:

With a win on Saturday...we end up 8-10.

Going back to 2002, and including all of the Davis era, that would be our SECOND BEST conference record in the last 8 years (and maybe third best in a much longer stretch...)

I'm not suggesting that 8 wins is "good enough." I'm not suggesting that 8th place is where I want to be.

I DO think that this season is indicative of forward progress. Both over the long run...and over the course of this season. A mere 14 games ago...there's not a one of us on this board that would have forecasted FOUR conference wins...let alone EIGHT.

It's GOOD that we expect more. I fully expect we'll get there. Personally, I don't think this year was, nor will next year by itself be, the measuring stick. We have SERIOUS talent up and coming (including returning). I was a big Dr. Tom fan...but I think we are giant steps ahead of those re-building seasons of 5, 6, and 7 conference wins that a lot of people were more positive about than this season...which pales simply because it follows the tremendous success we had two seasons ago.

We will be back on top...and it won't be a 40-year cycle this time.

Sad Day

Dawg_tired — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:29:35 GMT

The West End is closing on the 27th. Sad, sad day.

UNI arrest?

DUBulldog — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:02:20 GMT

This has not been confirmed, but it is being reported on Valleytalk, Hawkeyenation, and hinted at on Panthernation (where they are limiting speculation until anything is definite)....but rumor is that Eglseder was picked up for DUI last night.

P'gone

urbyballinjt — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:44:14 GMT

http://www.gocreighton.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1000&ATCLID=204874817 Woot!

DU-SIU

DUBulldog — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:01:15 GMT

Gotta win this one. It would be nice to see the Bulldogs come out on fire.

DU-CSUN

Gordon Gottschalk — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:51:36 GMT

I want to get this up before some Iowa native posts it as Northridge State. The bracket buster seems to be a bit of a letdown this year, but the SoCal fans get to see the dogs and a win could build some much-needed momentum for Drake at MSU on Wednesday.

Time for Saturday's game

bms26 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:19:35 GMT

Has the time for Saturday's game been released yet? My tics say TBA....

SVD is newcomer of the week....again

DUBulldog — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:35:16 GMT

link.

Evansville beats UNI

bulldogbrass — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:42:53 GMT

Evansville just beat UNI 55-54 for the Aces 2nd win in the conference. wow. Hope our senior night goes better than that game did for UNI!