Bryce Drew

Bryce Drew
Sport(s)	Basketball
Current position
Title	Head Coach
Team	Valparaiso
Biographical details
Born	September 21, 1974 (1974-09-21) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Playing career
1994–98	Valparaiso
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2005–2006 2006–2011 2011–	Valparaiso (assistant) Valparaiso (assoc. HC) Valparaiso

Bryce Homer Drew (born September 21, 1974 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is the head coach, and a former member, of the Valparaiso University Crusader men's basketball team. His father, Homer Drew, had served as the head coach of the men's basketball team, and his brother Scott Drew is the head coach of Baylor University's men's basketball team after having served 9 years as assistant coach at Valparaiso and one year as head coach. Bryce Drew is best known for his buzzer-beating shot in the first round of Valparaiso's improbable run in the 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He also played six seasons in the NBA, as a backup point guard for the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets.

High school career

After having been exposed to basketball for years through his father's head coaching position, Bryce played basketball as the point guard for Valparaiso High School in Valparaiso, Indiana. As he progressed through high school though, Drew developed a rapid heartbeat, which required three surgeries to repair. Despite this difficulty, he led his team to the state final game, and was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball of 1994. He was also named the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year for Indiana his senior season in high school after guiding his team to a 28–1 season with the only loss coming in the state finals in overtime.

College career

Though recruited by dozens of schools, Drew eventually decided to attend Valparaiso University, then a member of the Mid-Continent Conference, for men's basketball. In his four years playing, Drew collected dozens of honors and records, including being ranked in the top 15 nationally in 3-point field goal and free throw percentage and leading the team to three consecutive conference regular season and tournament championships. He also collected three conference tournament MVP awards, two conference MVP awards, and is Valparaiso's all-time scoring, 3-point field goal, and assist leader.

"The Shot"

For more details on this topic, see The Shot (Valparaiso University).

All of this paled in comparison to the March Madness that ensued during his senior year in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. In the Midwest Region, 13-seed Valparaiso was facing 4-seed Ole Miss in the first round. Valparaiso was down 67–69 with 4.1 seconds remaining in the game and Mississippi's Ansu Sesay at the free throw line. After Sesay missed both shots, the Crusaders came up with possession – 94 feet (29 m) from their basket, and with only 2.5 seconds remaining in the game. On the inbound, the Crusaders used a play known as the Pacer. Jamie Sykes inbounded to Bill Jenkins (basketball), who passed the ball to Bryce Drew. Then, as time expired, Drew released a 23-foot 3-point shot, giving him his 22nd point of the night, and clinching the Crusaders' 70–69 upset and advancing them in the tournament. "The Shot" is seen each year on CBS during "March Madness" and is considered one of the top moments in NCAA history. Drew proceeded to lead the defeat of 12-seeded Florida State University 83–77 in overtime, with a 22-point game. Drew and the Crusaders fell to 8-seeded University of Rhode Island by a score of 74–68, with Drew scoring only 18 points. Sports Illustrated would rank it the No. 5 sports moment of 1998, and Drew secured his place as a Valparaiso, Indiana celebrity along with popcorn guru Orville Redenbacher.

Professional career

Bryce Drew

Point guard
Personal information
Born	September 21, 1974 (1974-09-21)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
College	Valparaiso
NBA Draft	1998 / 16th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Pro career	1998–2004
Career history
Houston Rockets (1998–2000) Chicago Bulls (2000–2001) Charlotte Hornets(2001–2002) New Orleans Hornets (2002–2004) Pamesa Valencia (2004)

Medal record
Men’s Basketball
Competitor for USA
Summer Universiade
Gold	1997 Trapani	Team competition

Following his rise to fame in the tournament, Drew was selected as Valpo's first ever first round pick as the 16th selection of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. After playing with the Rockets for two years, Drew spent one season with the Chicago Bulls, and signed as a free agent for three seasons with the New Orleans Hornets (Charlotte Hornets during his first season with the team). Drew was then waived by the Hornets, and played professionally for the Valencia BC for a year.

Return to Valpo

In the summer of 2005, Drew was selected as the new assistant coach of the Valparaiso University men's basketball team. In 2006, Bryce was elevated to the position of associate coach, furthering speculation that he would eventually inherit the head coaching position upon his father's retirement. When Homer Drew retired in May 2011, Bryce Drew was hired as the head coach. Drew was also honored as one of Valparaiso University's 150 Most Influential Persons in the University's history.

Personal

Drew is the brother-in-law of former University of Toledo and Philadelphia 76ers basketball player, Casey Shaw. Drew's sister Dana is Shaw's wife.

Drew's wife, formerly Tara Thibodeaux, was a professional cheerleader of the Atlanta Hawks. Tara is the daughter of former TV star Keith Thibodeaux who is better known as "Little Ricky" on the TV series I Love Lucy.

His brother, Scott Drew, is the basketball coach at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Head coaching record

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Valparaiso (Horizon League) (2011–present)
2011–12	Valparaiso	21–10	14–4	1st
Valparaiso:		21–10	14–4
Total:		21–10
National champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference tournament champion       Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference division champion

External links

• Stats at Basketball-Reference
• NBA.com player bio
• Coach profile at Valparaiso University

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Maurice Fuller	Indiana Mr. Basketball award 1994	Succeeded by Damon Frierson