3 takeaways from Drake basketball’s win over Central College
SPORTS
It’s a new season for Drake men’s basketball, and the Bulldogs kicked off the year with a statement.
The Bulldogs (1-0) took down Division III Central College, 101-48, in their season opener on Wednesday, Nov 4. Jon Carroll led the Bulldogs with 20 points, and five other players finished in the double digits.
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“We wanted to make a great first impression for our fans,” coach Eric Henderson said postgame. “We have had a terrific summer, an exciting fall and our guys…they compete at a really high level, and I wanted to make sure that our fans could feel that.”
Here are three takeaways from Drake’s win over Central on Nov. 4.
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) drives to the basket late in the first half against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) drives to the basket late in the first half against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Bryson Bahl (20) shoots a three-pointer against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake men’s basketball opens its season against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake men’s basketball warms up for its season opener against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake LJ Rush (11) looks to keep possession as he is surrounded by Central defenders on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
The Drake men’s basketball team returns to the floor after a timeout on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Players look to grab a rebound after a Drake free throw on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) looks to score during the Bulldog’s season opener against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) looks to score inside the paint against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) passes to a teammate on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake LJ Rush (11) high fives fans after a win over Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake men’s basketball opens its season against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Eli Shetlar (10) high fives fans after a win over Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dothan Ijadimbola (0) high fives fans after a win over Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) looks to shoot over Central’s Sage Sunken on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Justin Burns (6) high fives fans after a win over Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake men’s basketball opens its season against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Fans leap to their feet for a free tee shirt on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Justin Burns (6) drives down the floor on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) shoots a free throw on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Justin Burns (6) slams the ball through the hoop during Drake’s season opener on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake forward Griffen Goodbary (2) pulls in a rebound against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) high fives fans after a win over Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake men’s basketball opens its season against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake cheerleaders throw free tee shirts into the crowd on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Justin Burns (6) warms up for Drake’s season opener on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) looks to score with his back to the basket against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake LJ Rush (11) drives inside the three-point-line against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) is helped to his feat by Drake guard Owen Larson (1) and Central’s Gilbert Flagel on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) dunks the ball during the first half against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Bryson Bahl (20) celebrates a three-pointer on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) shoots a three during Drake’s season opener on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) takes the ball into the paint against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake LJ Rush (11) takes the ball down the court against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) looks to score on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Eli Shetlar (10) passes to a teammate on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dothan Ijadimbola (0) drives to the basket on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dothan Ijadimbola (0) begins to drive towards the basket on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
\on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) stands at the free throw line on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Jon Carroll (4) drives to the basket on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake forward Griffen Goodbary (2) scores a layup against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Owen Larson (1) drives to the basket on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dothan Ijadimbola (0) drives to the basket on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Eli Shetlar (10) takes a shot from beyond the arc against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dothan Ijadimbola (0) looks to keep possession of the ball early in the first half against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake guard Dre Kindell (3) takes the ball down the court against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake Justin Burns (6) swats away a shot attempt by Central’s Kyle Cason on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson watches his team from the sideline during a game against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
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See photos from Drake men’s basketball season opener versus Central
Drake head coach Eric Henderson looks on before Drake’s season opener against Central on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
(Cody Scanlan/The Register)
What did Henderson want to see from his team in the season opener?
The Bulldogs ended last season with two wins in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament before falling in the semifinal, and then the roster went through an overhaul. Henderson added eight new players to his team, including four transfers.
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That left a lot of questions coming into the season opener.
Drake shot 54.2% from the field, and 34.6% from 3-point range on Wednesday. Henderson managed to put most of his bench on the floor, and all but one player who made it into the game scored at least one point.
But a dominant performance doesn’t mean there aren’t things for Henderson to fix.
“One thing that stood out in the first half, (Central) had eight offensive rebounds, and I was not real pleased about that,” Henderson said. “And they only had one in the second half. That was nice to see us say, ‘Hey, coach talked about this at halftime, let’s take a look at that, let’s make sure we’re intentional and improve.'”
Drake Justin Burns (6) drives down the floor on Nov. 4, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
Justin Burns stands out in Drake’s win
The junior forward played just 17 minutes in the season opener, but he made a statement.
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He finished as the team’s second-leading scorer, with 14 points – and he didn’t miss a field goal, going 7-for-7 overall. Burns’ contributions weren’t limited to the point total, and he put up eight rebounds – seven defensive – three steals and one block.
“He’s an electric athlete,” Henderson said. “He’s starting to slow down some in the post and finish better. Obviously, he was great tonight…he’s very electric, and that was something that was very intentional that we wanted to improve from last year’s team to this year’s team.”
It’s good to have Owen Larson back for Drake basketball
Larson appeared in 25 games last season, but he missed the first month while recovering from a knee injury – and even after making his return to the court, it took some time for the South Dakota State transfer to settle into his game.
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In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game. On Wednesday, Larson finished with 11 points, five assists, two rebounds and one steal in just over 21 minutes of play.
“You guys see the difference, right?” Henderson said. “He’s playing with so much more confidence and swag and he’s been terrific. I’m so proud of him, how he’s responded after some tough moments…and I’m really looking forward for him to have a great year.”
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
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