When Drake's dream season ended at the hands of Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs knew they would recover from the heartbreak and look back fondly on all they had accomplished.

They didn't know they'd be doing it without Keno Davis, national coach of the year, peeking from afar.

Drake plucked Arizona State assistant Mark Phelps from Herb Sendek's staff to step in for Davis.

Davis replaced his father, Tom Davis, and the 36-year old guided Drake to heights last seen decades ago. The younger Davis agreed on April 15 to become the new boss at Providence College. The Davis family is no stranger to the area, about an hour south of Boston. Tom Davis was once the head coach at Boston College.

"If we want to be able to sustain the kind of success that we have had so far, we have to be a place where those really talented up-and-comers seek us out. That is happening today," said athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb in the Des Moines Register.

Davis and his Bulldogs became the story in the MVC and one of the biggest in college basketball. They resurrected basketball at a school where many thought winning was impossible. By earning the school's first NCAA Tournament spot since 1971, the Bulldogs rejuvenated their fans and proved big things can happen at the small school in Iowa.

Drake's ride to this spot was full of fun. Now things get harder. In addition to Davis, Drake must replace seniors Klayton Korver, Leonard Houston and Adam Emmenecker. Emmenecker, the MVC's Player of the Year, will be impossible to replace. His smarts and poise carried the Bulldogs. Korver and Houston are also tough to duplicate, for their talent and experience. Korver gave the Bulldogs a long-range shooter. Houston, overshadowed by Emmenecker, was Drake's best athlete, best defender and best bet to break down the defense with his quickness and leading ability.

Expectations are raised. Drake will be a big game on every team's schedule next season. Without Davis, the task is to recreate the chemistry and unselfish spirit that carried this team.

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