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TUCKER DE VRIES GETS THE HEADLINES AS TWO TIME CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. BUT EVERY TEAM NEEDS A TOUGH GUY. AND FOR DRAKE, THAT’S BIG MAN DARNELL BRODY. HE’S ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND BELOVED GUYS ON THE TEAM. HIS JOURNEY TO DRAKE IS ONE THAT STARTED ON THE LITTLE LEAGUE BALL FIELDS IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, WHERE THE BIG KID WAS THE PITCHER AND MAN, COULD HE BRING THE HEAT. I WAS A PITCHER, AND THEN, LIKE I THREW THE BALL SO HARD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO SWITCH TO MY CATCHER. SOMETIMES I WOULD, LIKE, MAKE HIS HAND RED BECAUSE I WAS THROWING TOO HARD. BRODY ENJOYED LITTLE LEAGUE, BUT JUST KEPT GROWING AND GROWING. AS MY DAD EXPLAINS IT, HE SAYS THAT ONE DAY I WOKE UP AND HE WAS DOWNSTAIRS AND I WAS LOOKING UP AND HE WAS LOOKING AT MY CHEST. SO BRODY NEVER CONSIDERED MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN HIS FUTURE. I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY A HOBBY AT THE TIME. AND THEN MY DAD WAS LIKE, YEAH, IT’S TIME FOR A CAREER CHANGE. AND I STARTED PLAYING BASKETBALL AND I STARTED TO LOVE IT. DESPITE NOT PLAYING BASKETBALL UNTIL HE WAS AN EIGHTH GRADER, THE BIG MAN BLOSSOMED. I GOT MY FIRST OFFER MY JUNIOR YEAR, I BELIEVE, AND THEN I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I CAN DO THIS. AND THEN I JUST KEPT GOING. HE STAYED AT HOME AND WENT TO SETON HALL AS A FRESHMAN, ULTIMATELY TRANSFERRING SOON TO DRAKE. TWO SEASONS AGO, HE AVERAGED SIX POINTS, FOUR AND A HALF BOARDS A GAME. PRIOR TO LAST SEASON, HE SHED 20 POUNDS, BECAME A FULL TIME STARTER AND AVERAGED 9.7.3 BOARDS AND BLOCKED 35 SHOTS. HE TOOK A GRAD TRANSFER YEAR THIS YEAR IN. BOY IS DRAKE GLAD HE DID. BRODY, STANDING AT 610 AND A BUILT 2.75, IS NOW AVERAGING CAREER HIGHS WITH 11.3 POINTS, 7.9 REBOUNDS AND TWO SPARKLING ASSISTS PER GAME. WHAT HE’S MOST HAPPY WITH IS HOW DRAKE HAS CHANGED HIS LIFE. JUST THE FEELING LIKE FAMILY, YOU KNOW, I’M JUST FEELING HOME. I’M FAR AWAY FROM HOME. EVERY TIME I STEP IN THIS BUILDING. JUST BEING IN IOWA, I JUST FEEL LIKE I’M AT HOME AND I LOVE THESE. THIS COMMUNITY. I LOVE THE