Twin Players of the Year
(St. Louis, MO) – Waukee, Iowa is the unrivaled ‘Basketball Capitol of the Missouri Valley Conference’. When Drake’s Katie Dinnebier was awarded the Jackie Stiles – Player of the Year award, her home town became the most important high school in the Valley.
Why? Because her high school classmate Tucker DeVries is the two-time Larry Bird – Player of the Year award. For the third time in MVC history, the same university has produced simultaneous players of the year.
Not only does Drake have the top players in both men’s and women’s basketball, but Dinnebier and DeVries went to the same Waukee, Iowa high school.
Their bios are practically identical.
Dinnebier was the 2021 ‘Miss Iowa Basketball’ and the Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball, Player of the Year. DeVries was the 2021 ‘Mr. Iowa Basketball and the Gatorade Iowa Boys Basketball, Player of the Year. Each won a state title during their senior seasons.
Drake – Basketball Capitol of the Valley
During DeVries’ three-year career he was named the Freshman of the Year and a two time Player of the Year. The Bulldogs have won 80 games and two Arch Madness titles. While Dinnebier, who was on the ‘all-Freshman Team’, has toiled in Des Moines, Drake racked up 68 victories.
Dinnebier’s Bulldogs have gone 42-16 in Valley play and DeVries’ squad is 44-14.
DeVries’ team is heading to the NCAA Tournament and Dinnebier’s won this season’s regular season title and are playing in the Valley’s ‘Hoops in the Heartland’ conference tournament. Each team played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
This is at least the third time in Valley history that those awards have both gone to the same university. Creighton’s Kyle Korver and Christy Neneman did it twice (2002 & 2003).
Waukee High School alums seem to be repeating their high school success in the Missouri Valley Conference. Each has won the player of the year title (again!) and each has won a conference championship. Hopefully they will have great post season exploits to share.
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Editor: Cover photo courtesy of godrakebulldogs.com.
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As we near the closing of the portal window, we've reached 1900. Some of them never to play college basketball again, earn a college degree and some to play at a much lower level than they did last season.
I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
