Conference Roundup: Drake Wins over Indiana St. in MVC Final

Drake back to NCAAs after topping Indiana State 84-80 in MVC

Drake back to NCAAs after topping Indiana State 84-80 in MVC | Image: KCCI/YouTube

Tucker DeVries scored an impressive 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists to drive second-seeded Drake to an 84-80 victory over top-seeded Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference final held in St. Louis on Sunday.

With this win, Drake (28-6) clinched the conference title for the second consecutive year, securing their place in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons. Despite finishing at 28-6, Indiana State, at one point ranked in the AP Top 25 this season, may still have a chance at an at-large bid, but will have to await Selection Sunday for confirmation.

Drake dominated the first half, leading 45-32 at halftime and building a 67-49 advantage with only 10 minutes remaining, but faced a fierce comeback from the Sycamores. Indiana State’s Isaiah Swope individually scored 10 consecutive points for his team, eventually executing a crucial four-point play at the 4:08 mark to push his team in front at 73-72.

The lead exchanged hands until key plays from DeVries, Conor Enright, and Darnell Brodie allowed the Bulldogs to secure a 81-76 lead with just 1:17 left on the clock.

Contributions from Brodie and Atin Wright, both with 17 points each, further boosted Drake’s victory. Indiana State had all five of their starters reach double figures, led by Jayson Kent with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Swope added 19 points to the team’s effort.

Stetson 94, Austin Peay 91

Jalen Blackmon put up a remarkable 43 points to lead the home team, Hatters, to a narrow 94-91 triumph over the Governors in the ASUN championship match held in DeLand, Fla.

Stetson as the No. 2 seed (22-12) will be making their maiden appearance at the Division I level of the NCAA Tournament. After trailing by three points at halftime against the fourth-seeded Governors, the Hatters staged a strong second half, outscoring their opponents 58-52.

Blackmon’s impressive performance included shooting 12-for-22 from the field, 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, and 14-of-17 from the free-throw line.

Despite Sai Witt‘s impressive 28 points and 10 rebounds for Austin Peay (19-15), they fell short. Dezi Jones chipped in with 17 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds for the Governors.

Longwood 85, UNC Asheville 59

Michael Christmas led the charge with 18 points, Walyn Napper recorded 10 points along with 11 assists, and the Lancers, seeded fifth, secured a dominant 85-59 victory over the Bulldogs, who were the second seed in the Big South final held in High Point, N.C.

Christmas was the top scorer among five players in double figures for Longwood (21-13), outshooting UNC Asheville significantly with a shooting percentage of 59.6% compared to the Bulldogs’ 38.2% from the field. This win marks Longwood’s second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in three years.

Drew Pember contributed 14 points and six rebounds for UNC Asheville (22-12), who struggled after falling behind 42-24 at halftime and were unable to mount a recovery. 

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

    Continue Reading
  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

    Continue Reading
  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

    Continue Reading