"An incredible experience": Drake HC Darian DeVries shares a heartwarming moment with son Tucker as Bulldogs clinch 2024 NCAA tournament berth

The Missouri Valley Tournament saw a genuine classic play out in the Finals, which saw the Drake Bulldogs defeat the Indiana State Sycamores 84-80 to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament. With both teams finishing with the same overall record (Indiana State had the better Conference record), the game was a reflection of their similar standing.

However, the man of the moment was Tucker DeVries, who under the coaching of his father Darian DeVries was able to deliver a standout performance in the Finals, finishing with a game-leading 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

After the game, an emotional Darian delivered a heartfelt speech to his son on the court and said:

"As a parent, everybody can appreciate how proud you are of your kids. Especially when you see them work so hard for something that they love and to see them rewarded for it in this way is an incredible experience."

Both father and son were instrumental in leading Drake to its second-ever Missouri Valley Tournament Championship. Under Darian DeVries' expert coaching, the team finished with a 16-0 home record and was able to hold onto a slipping lead in the Finals as well.

The son, Tucker DeVries, put a bow on a strong junior year, where he averaged 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while adding over 1.5 steals a game, showing improvement in every facet of the game from the previous year's averages of 18.6, 5.7, and 1.8.

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Tucker DeVries praises his father for team's success

Following Coach, an emotional Tucker too relayed a heartwarming message at center court, encapsulating the incredible year the Bulldogs have had.

"It's been a long year. There's been a lot of hard times throughout this year and just the resilience from this group. It's been a lot of fan. There's no better way to do it."

With 10 new guys coming in, the outlook for Drake was vastly different from last year. Speaking about the connection between himself and his father, Tucker would reveal their thought process going in.

"He just told me, 'For us to be successful, you're gonna have to work really hard, to improve, and help bring these guys along."

For two straight games, Drake has seen two leads swing in opposite directions. In the semi-finals, the team came back from down 14 to find a victory against Bradley. This time out, it was their 18-point lead that disappeared quickly.

Darian DeVries, head coach of the Drake Bulldogs

However, the team's resilience that Tucker kept pointing to shone through in the closing moments, as they persevered to an 84-80 victory.

The next stop for Drake is the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the First Round last time around. Do you think this team can force a different result? Let us know in the comments below.