The Drake Relays has long been known as one of America’s premier track and field events. The Relays have gone out of their way in recent years to try to generate interest in track and field, including moving events to high traffic areas, such as downtown parks and office buildings.

Wednesday night, they took it a step further - pole vaulting in a mall. Some of the nations best pole vaulters, (Allison Stokke not included), competed in the middle of Jordan Creek Town Center vaulting almost 20 feet, giving second floor shoppers an up close view.

Drake is expected to announce Arizona State Associate Head Coach Mark Phelps as the new men’s basketball coach today.

Phelps just finished his 12th season coaching on the collegiate level, including stops at ASU and North Carolina State.

This is AD Sandy Hatfield-Clubb’s first major hire and early indications make it sound like a good one.

It is always amazing how wrong the lists of possible candidates for top coaching jobs are - everyone is quick to point out who the top candidates are, but usually forget to take into account the background of the person doing the hiring.

Sandy came from ASU and was very familiar with the staff, so it is easy to see why she went with Phelps.

More later…

P.S. Did anyone in the world besides the Register’s Sean Keeler really think that Barry Hinson was a serious candidate? I mean seriously, he just got fired from Missouri State.

Keno Davis accepted the head coaching position at Providence College. He did the right thing. Whether it truly isn’t for the money, as both he and Sandy Hatfield-Clubb have said, or not, he did the right thing.

There is no way Drake is going to pay and athletic coach $1 million per year. The money is there I am sure, the alumni have deep pockets, but the academic side is not going to go along with a huge athletic contract.

Bob Ryan on Keno’s departure:

Quotes from Keno:

“When I said Providence is interested, he said, ‘You’ve got to go. You’ve got to go and take a look, at least. It’s great basketball. They’re going to know their basketball up there,” said Keno Davis.

“Drake did everything that I could’ve asked of them and more. If it was about money, I’d have probably gone back. Not that they were offering more money but they were doing everything they could,” he said. “It was about what Providence is and that they aren’t. It was about the Big East, and it’s my roots and an opportunity.”

Fan reaction to Keno’s hiring on the Providence Journal:

“GREAT BLOODLINES, NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR. JIM WHO?”

“Davis is a better choice than either Larranaga or Travis Ford. I trust that he’ll build a program and stay around long enough to sustain that program.”

“Mass, guy… local to the area… Travis Ford would have left quickly and Larranaga coaches in a real weak conference and was too old.”

“ONE year coaching? Sure he got to the NCAAs, but blew the game, once they played. No track record. It’s like hiring an assistant coach.”

“I’m not sure really. He has only 1 year of coaching experience and has been a mid-western based coach. I hope he has recuiting contacts on the East Coast. I kind of liked [Karl] Hobbs who is based in DC and from NE.”

“When he finds out how hard (or should I say impossible) it is to win here then he will leave like the others.”

“PC is set to hire ” a young, second-generation coach with limited head-coaching experience, but a winning record during his tenure at a mid-major”….is it 1998 and is his name Tim Welsh?”

“AP coach of the year, not 10 years ago but this year, took his team to the NCAAs for the first time since the 70’s in his first year as coach. Are you kidding me? PC is lucky to have Keno. Great job Bob! Send me my season ticket renewal package I’m ready to sign up.”

“I’m happy, 2008 coach of the year, gives choice some credibility. Are they overpaying him, yes. Will I answer my phone when the PC students soliciting money call again, Not unless he wins.”

Ok, the pressure is officially on Greg McDermott and Ben Jacobsen.

You see, to coach college basketball in the State of Iowa you must have a little Henry Iba Coach of the Year award dangling around your neck.

Ok, maybe not but it certainly seems that way.

Keno was named the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award by the U. S. Basketball Writers Association Tuesday. Davis led the Bulldogs to a MVC regular season and conference tournament championship.

Drake plays Western Kentucky Friday in Tampa. You can watch it live on KCCI at 11:30a.m., or you can watch it on your computer via the NCAA March Madness on Demand.

Drake University quieted all critics this past weekend as they sailed through the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis. Drake capped the three day run with a 79-49 pounding of number 2 seed Illinois State.

Drake’s 72-71 loss to Bradley Tuesday had to sting the entire Bulldog locker room. Drake out played the Braves for 39 minutes, proving to be faster and more physical than the visitors from Peroia.

With 5 minutes left in the game Drake went into a ball control game and failed to score after Jonathan Cox tip in a rebound at the 4:57 mark. Most of the night Drake was able to dictate the tempo and proved to be much quicker than Bradley. But holding an 8 point lead with 4:57 to play the Bulldogs tried to slow the game and take the air out of the ball.What ended up happening is Drake took themselves out of “their” ballgame.
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With Drake wrapping up the Missouri Valley title Saturday, it is never to early to look to St. Louis and gear up for Arch Madness. While only the Bulldogs seed is decided at this point, it is always fun to project where everyone will land.

Be sure to leave a comment below with your thoughts on Arch Madness. Marty will be broadcasting live from St. Louis be sure stop by and say “hi” in St. Louis.

#1 Drake. Wrapped up the #1 seed with the Conference Title.
#2 Illinois State 12-5.
#3 Southern Illinois 11-7.
#4 Bradley 10-8.
#5 Creighton 9-9.
#6 UNI 9-9
#7 Indiana State 8-10.
#8 Missouri State 6-12.
#9 Wichita State 5-13.
#10 Evansville 3-15.With these seedings, here is how I see the tourney playing out.

Round #1
Game 1 - Wichita State over Missouri State.
Game 2 - Indiana State over Evansville.

Round #2
Game #3 - Drake over Wichita State.
Game #4 - Bradley over Creighton.
Game #5 - Illinois State over Indiana State.
Game #6 - Southern Illinois over UNI.

Round 3
Game #7 - Bradley over Drake.
Game #8 - Southern Illinois over Illinois State.

Championship
Southern Illinois over Bradley.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

The Blue Leather has stopped working.

The Bulldogs fell to Southern Illinois 65-62 in Carbondale.

Drake had several chances down the stretch to pull out a win, but for the first time this season the ball did not bounce their way. You can’t win them all and there is no shame losing in Carbondale. The Salukis are 60-1 playing Missouri Valley teams at home during the past 7 years. 60-1.

Now Drake faces a tough bounce back game 1pm Saturday in Cedar Falls.

Drake travels to Carbondale tomorrow night to face the Salukis and it seems coach Lowery wasn’t exactly pleased during his trip to Omaha Sunday.

Come on Chris, you guys get more calls than anyone else in the Valley. Your teams don’t get called for a foul until you actually knock someone to the floor. You hand check the other team like you are looking for a set of keys in the dark.

Good luck Bulldogs!

BTW - There will be a Game Watch at Boston’s Gourmet Pizza, located at 12401 University Avenue in Clive, for all Drake fans wanting to watch a video stream of the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball game against Southern Illinois this Wednesday.

Activities start at 6:30 p.m. with tip off scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Drake Bulldogs bursting onto the national scene with esteemed basketball writer/author John Feinstein weighing in in the Washington Post (registration required) and USA Today with a full page spread today.

The most remarkable story in college basketball this season actually began five years ago, when a son said something he thought his father already knew: “I’ve always wanted to coach with you.”

Their lineup is packed with overachievers. Senior Adam Emmenecker, a scrawny 6-1 point guard, hardly conjures the image of a floor leader for a nationally ranked team. He’s a former walk-on who was finally awarded a basketball scholarship last fall.

Tonight is the latest tight spot for the Amazing Dogs–@ Illinois State and No TV (althought you can watch the game online by going to www.godrakebulldogs.com and signing up for the D-Pack) — and the boys in blue now carry the #15 national AP ranking into Normal, Illinois.

There is nothing ‘Normal’ with Keno’s kids and tonight they find themselves as 2 1/2 point ‘underdogs’….Drake 72 Illinois St. 69 is the pick.

Scheduling note — Drake will travel to #11 Butler in this year’s Bracket Buster on Feb. 23. I wonder if Keno has called Iowa City yet?