Drake’s three-point percentage will be the first thing that pops off the page for most Indiana fans. He shot 39.6 percent from three-point range this past season and 42 percent while at the junior college level. Throughout his three collegiate seasons, Drake has been selective as a three-point shooter but has made a high rate of low-volume threes.
Drake was excellent for Drexel on unguarded, catch-and-shoot threes. He shot about 45 percent from three in those situations. With time and space, he is a competent three-point shooter. That does not make him an elite shooter like Tucker DeVries or Lamar Wilkerson, but it benefits any team. Drake will add even more spacing to the Indiana lineup.
Drake’s assist numbers are strong. He has the capability of finding open shooters on the opposite side of the court or a diving front-court player for a dunk. Drake was the primary ball-handler for Drexel this past season, leading to 3.1 assists per game.
As the primary ball-handler, the ball often stuck in Drake’s possession too much. Especially in the Big Ten, Drake needs to make quicker decisions and more efficient dribble moves. Big Ten defenses are too good to score consistently after dribbling the ball for three or four seconds before creating a shot.
Drake is the first player DeVries signed to Indiana who took many of his shots from the mid-range. According to BartTorvik.com, he shot 120 two-pointers that were not at the rim, and he only took 306 total shots on the season. Drake had a similar shot profile on a much smaller scale in his season at Cleveland State.
Drake will not be the tallest or quickest guard in the Big Ten after being an average to below-average finisher around the basket in the CAA. Finishing near the hoop will be even more difficult in the Big Ten. He will need to rely on the offensive system to get him open layups rather than breaking down defenders himself.
Defense was not Drake’s strong point at Drexel. Without the elite quickness of other Big Ten guards, Drake’s awareness and effort will need to improve a few steps to be a competent Big Ten defender. In a projected smaller role, that improvement is possible.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
