Off to their best start in more than 25 years the Drake basketball team opens the Missouri Valley Conference race on the road Thursday night with a visit to Evansville.
Drake is 9-2 after winning the Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso over the weekend but coach Tom Davis says the Bulldogs realize they have a ways to go if they want to be competitive in a tough league race. Davis says he continues to point out the negatives so the team will keep improving through the season. He says they have work to do to be considered among the top teams in the Valley.
Evansville is also off to a good start. The Purple Aces are 8-4 and Davis says it is a team which features a lot of balance. Davis says they have “inside dimensions” as well as an outside game and seniors that provide experience.
The Bulldogs have been led by senior forward Ajay Calvin who is averaging more than 19 points per game. Davis says he shakes his head at the steadiness that Calvin has shown thus far. Davis says there have been good games and pretty good games as Calvin has stayed steady. He says Calvin still has plenty of upside too.
The Bulldogs are off to their best start since the 1979-80 season and their current eight game winning streak is the longest at the school since 1970.