In mid-February, Drake appeared to be headed in the right direction after winning five of seven games. By early March, it's hard to tell in what direction this program is moving.

The Bulldogs lost their final two games of the season, both to last-place Bradley, and they weren't competitive in either. Bradley hammered the Bulldogs 90-64 on Feb. 26 in the final game of the regular season. The teams met again in the MVC Tournament. Bradley led by 10 or more points for the final eight minutes on its way to a63-48 win.

"Guys who have been making shots all year long just came up short," Drake coach Mark Phelps said. "It was another tough offensive night for us, which we don't have a lot of answers for."

Perhaps Drake's fold is a matter of a young team -- one senior on the roster -- wearing down. Perhaps it's deeper than that. Drake's big men did not contribute much in either game against Bradley -- and the Braves don't overwhelm with their size. Center Seth VanDeest, who has battled an ankle injury since January, totaled eight points in the two games. Forward Jordan Clarke totaled seven. Forward Ben Simons made 5 of 19 shots. Those are the big men Drake will depend on next season.

Drake's scoring strength comes from guards Ryan Wedel and Rayvonte Rice. Wedel, a senior, unselfishly played point guard when his best role is off the ball. Rice, one of the MVC's top freshmen, is a future star if he can improve his shot selection.

The Bulldogs, in their third season under Phelps, blew a chance to finish strong and prove they are on the right track. After going 14-19 in 2010 and 13-18 in 2011, it isn't clear if the program is improving. The players who return must improve physically. The Bulldogs are often over-matched with size and strength, as their poor rebounding numbers prove.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.