<p>ST. LOUIS — Drake’s Darian DeVries has been named Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball coach of the year for the second time in his three seasons at the school.</p>
<p>The Valley announced Thursday that DeVries earned 32 of 50 first-place votes and edged Porter Moser of regular-season champion Loyola-Chicago.</p>
<p>DeVries guided the Bulldogs to 24 wins to tie for the third most in program history along with his 2018-19 team. DeVries also was coach of the year that season.</p>
<p>Drake has posted three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in 50 years. The Bulldogs finished second in the Valley, tying the school record for league wins with 15 while navigating late-season injuries and playing a condensed schedule in which they played 14 games in 32 days. </p>
<p>Drake got out to an 18-0 start and was among three unbeaten teams in the nation before the first of its three losses.</p>
<p>The Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed in the Valley tournament and play Friday against Illinois State or Northern Iowa.</p>
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