SportsLine.com Report
April 5, 2000

In the paint

In a season where the Bulldogs thought they could break through and challenge in the Missouri Valley Conference, it never happened. The disappointing part for coach Kurt Kanaskie is Drake had six seniors, including the team's top three scorers, Matt Woodley, Dontay Harris and Aaron Deeter.

Drake struggled offensively from the start, even in its season-opening victory over NCAA-bound Iowa State (48-44). The Bulldogs were one of the worst offensive teams in the MVC, averaging 60.1 points and shooting 40.1 percent in league games.

When Drake beat Northern Iowa in an MVC Tournament play-in game in St. Louis, it marked only the Bulldogs' second win away from the Knapp Center.

A glance at 2001

Maybe a fresh start won't be the worst thing next season. Starting point guard Lamont Evans (5.3 assists per game) will be the main holdover, while Joey Gaw, Aaron Thomas and Greg Danielson are experienced. Expect a solid jump from Gaw, a talented 6-foot-9 forward, and possibly an immediate impact from recruit Luke McDonald, a 6-5 guard from Wolfforth, Texas.

The bottom line, however, is the Bulldogs still need to learn how to win. Or at least enough to work their way into the middle of the MVC pack.

The coach

Kurt Kanaskie knew it wasn't going to be easy when he took over at Drake, but he also had to wonder if it would take this long. Through four years, he is just 26-85.

The good news is there has been improved win totals every year: 2-26, 3-24, 10-17, 11-18. E.O. Williams (1932-1936) is the only other coach to do that at the school.

Who'll be back

Evans and Thomas are returning starters, while Gaw was there for seven games. The 6-9 Danielson and 6-5 Justin Ohl give the Bulldogs some height.

Freshman guard Andrew Pleick saw his most valuable time at the MVC tournament, playing 27 minutes in two games.

Who's gone

The Bulldogs lose a little identity with Woodley, a hard-nosed competitor. Combined with backup guard Armand LeVasseur, Drake must replace its top two outside threats. Harris and Deeter were decent inside threats who's experience will be missed.