DeVries Making Immediate Impact for Bulldogs

Reviving a college basketball program that has been struggling for the past three decades is undeniably a tall task.

In his first season, Drake head coach Darian DeVries not only saw success, but had his Bulldogs playing an exciting style. Now, fans in Des Moines, Iowa - and surrounding areas - are hoping the program can continue its newfound success.

The Bulldogs finished 24-10 last season, including 12-6 in MIssouri Valley Conference play. They shared the league crown with Loyola Chicago, snaring their first title in 10 seasons. The wins were the second-most in program history, helping DeVries earn MVC Coach of the Year.

In the MVC Tournament last March, second-seeded Drake cruised past Illinois State, 78-62. But the Bulldogs then lost, 60-58, to sixth-seeded UNI.

Sophomore guard D.J. Wilkins will begin this season as the Bulldogs’ primary threat. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the final regular-season game as Drake limped into Arch Madness well short of having its complete team.

“With the injuries we had, we saw a lot of guys step up into those roles they didn’t have. Guys are coming back with more confidence after playing the Arch Madness tournament with all of that pressure,” Wilkins said.

DeVries replied, with a laugh: ““I’d just prefer you didn’t get hurt.”

Wilkins played 33 minutes per game last season, averaging 11.1 points while drilling 63 shots from 3-point range (39 percent). He was named to the MVC All-Freshman team.

Drake went on to lose in the first round of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament to Southern Utah, 80-73 in overtime.

It was the Bulldogs’ second consecutive postseason appearance in the CIT. But, it wasn’t where the team wanted to end its season as an NCAA Tournament appearance remains elusive.

Drake led the MVC with 75.4 points per game last season. They also went 13-2 at Knapp Center, their home floor.

DeVries certainly has the blueprint on how to build and sustain a reputable Midwestern hoops program. He served as an assistant coach at Creighton for 17 years before landing in Des Moines. DeVries played collegiately at Northern Iowa.

He was mellow and relaxed at the recent MVC Media Day, even while addressing a recent, unfortunate incident.

Senior forward Tremell Murphy was charged in September with false reports to law enforcement and discharging a firearm within city limits. It involved an off-campus shooting, and appears to have been accidental. The gun was lawfully possessed.

“Tremell is still in school, attending class and we’re waiting for the university review before we  move further,” said DeVries. “After the incident, we removed him from all team activities.”

Murphy averaged 10.4 points and 6.2 rebounds while starting 32 games last season. He was Drake’s leading scorer in its two MVC tournament games

The Bulldogs lost their top three scorers, including first-team All-MVC forward Nick McGlynn. He was also the MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
 

Senior 6-5 guard Anthony Murphy, Tremell’s twin brother, averaged 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in just 21 minutes per game.

“He’s a kid that comes to practice every day with a smile on his face. Obviously, this (incident) has an impact on him but he’s doing a great job taking care of his responsibilities,” said DeVries.

Tremell and Anthony are from Griffith, Ind., in Northwest Indiana, near the hometown of D.J. Wilkins (Gary, Indiana). They were all teammates at Florida SouthWestern State prior to landing in Des Moines.

“It’s crazy how we all ended up here. We knew each other growing up, in middle school, playing each other. The bond is close, being comfortable with guys you know from home,” Wilkins said.

Other Indiana high school players have landed at Drake, including sophomore transfer guard Roman Penn. DeVries said he’s “a stat-sheet stuffer. He could give us some major minutes.”

Another newcomer to watch is junior guard Jonah Jackson, Wilkins’ high school teammate. “I think he can win us a couple of games just with his ability to hit two, three, four shots in a row,” DeVries said.

“I’ve enjoyed their bond, and it’s part of what has made us unique, having so many guys from such a tight area.”

Junior guard Noah Thomas also returns, and had a team-best 89 assists and played all 33 games last season.