Built to Win

When Des Moines’ first snow of the season hit in late October, the Knapp Center watched snowplows roll by, and an excitement started to build. When the calendar turned to November, and families started planning Thanksgiving menus, the Knapp Center smiled.

Basketball season was nearly here, and the Knapp was preparing to open its arms and welcome in friends old and new. To hear the fight song sung by alumni. To watch Spike give high-fives and cheerleaders lead the crowd. To stand proud for what it knew would be a lot of home court victories.

And after all that waiting and wanting, the Knapp Center wasn’t disappointed.

This season, the men’s and women’s basketball teams continue their legacy of teams that are built to win.

Here are just a few of the incredible numbers that the Drake basketball program has built up in recent years.

• 16 conference Coach of the Year titles in the last six years
• The women’s team has earned appearances in four of the last seven NCAA Tournaments
• 28 combined regular season and Missouri Valley Conference championships since 2018
• One of just two schools in the nation to have their men’s and women’s Basketball teams win the 2023–2024 conference tournament championships
• The men’s team won its third straight MVC Tournament title—joining Southern Illinois as the only schools in the conference to win three straight titles.
• The Drake men reached a school record 30 wins this season and three championship trophies—the Charleston Classic, MVC regular season title, and MVC Tournament.
• The men’s team earned their fourth trip in five years to the NCAA Tournament.

Beyond the wins, there were some wonderful moments. One blue tie that turned into two, then 20, then more. A Drake–Iowa women’s game where leaders who have shaped the history of the game watched the talented women who will shape its future. And, of course, the moment where the (seemingly) entire internet called out Griff II for taking a snooze in the fourth quarter of the MVC men’s final (he was confident, folks). In between them all, memories were being made and momentum was building.

The teams also received multiple honors. Drake’s Bennett Stirtz was named the conference’s Larry Bird Player of the Year, head coach Ben McCollum was named Coach of the Year, and Katie Dinnebier went back-to-back, once again earning the Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year.

Perhaps what’s most impressive is that the leadership and character these teams show on the court is matched off the court. From community service hours to impressive leadership in the classroom to taking an end-of-game timeout solely so the other team can put their seniors in to hear the final buzzer in their university’s jersey.

The Knapp Center will be plenty busy between now and next November. But when the leaves turn golden, and the weather tips from cool to cold next fall, just remember: basketball season always comes. The Knapp Center’s always ready to welcome you.