Drake tries to weather a tough stretch

The Drake Bulldogs will bid for an upset when they host 16th ranked Creighton in Missouri Valley action. After opening the season with high hopes, the Bulldogs have struggled to a 2-6 Valley record and stand 7-12 overall.Drake coach Kurt Kanaskie says they’re disappointed, but looking back he says they’ve lost some games to teams that were better than them. Kanaskie says their problems have not been due to a lack of effort, as he says he believes this is the greatest bunch of guys in college basketball when it comes to working hard. Creighton is 18-2 overall and the Blue Jays are being compared to the Larry Bird Indiana State teams of the late 70’s and the Bradley teams of the mid-80’s. Creighton coach Dana Altman says they have a difficult schedule remaining and the next five or six weeks will tell how good the team is. The Blue Jays went through a spell where they did not play well but blasted Indiana State on Wednesday night. Altman says experience will help carry them through the rough spots, as this isn’t the first time the seniors and juniors have been through this.