Drew Stover spent more than 40 hours—nearly two full days—on the court wearing Millersville’s black and gold throughout his career. For the past four years, he has been a cornerstone of the men’s basketball program. In that time, Stover accumulated 1,265 points while shooting 65.8% from the field, the best career field goal percentage in school history. His impact on the program will be remembered around Millersville University for years to come.
And yet, he almost didn’t play basketball.
Like many kids, basketball was just one of the many sports Stover played, and it wasn’t his favorite growing up. So when his freshman year of high school came around, he decided to pass on the opportunity to play for his high school team.
“I didn’t love basketball up until 10th grade,” Stover said. “I didn’t play my freshman year in high school because I didn’t really like the sport.”
But when Stover gave the game a second chance his sophomore year, everything began to click. He noticed he had a knack for the game he once shrugged off. Around the same time, he shot up to 6’8” and joined an elite AAU team the following summer, the Jersey Shore Warriors.
“That was really when I fell in love with basketball—the summer going into 11th grade,” said Stover. “Ever since that AAU season, I really started to enjoy the game.”
From there, he never looked back, dominating during his final two years at Upper Dublin High School. It was during that stretch that Millersville saw Stover play in person, prompting them to offer him on the spot.
However, Drew isn’t the first member of his family to end up at Millersville University. Born and raised in Oreland, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, it may seem unusual for someone to have ties to a small school in Lancaster. But the Stover name has been linked to Millersville since 1984. Brett Stover, Drew’s father, was a quarterback for the Marauders from 1984 to 1988 and led the team to an NCAA Division II Playoff appearance in 1988.
“He didn’t influence my decision to come here, but when I did commit, he was so thrilled because he knew I made the right decision,” Drew said.
When Drew arrived on campus, he spent the first two years coming off the bench, contributing key minutes while learning from players like Jordan Faulkner and Matt Dade.
“Those two guys [Faulkner and Dade] were seasoned veterans who had been in the league for a while,” said Stover. “They were two of the top dogs, and I think that really opened up my game.”
When it came time for him to start his junior year, he seized the opportunity. Stover and Dade formed a dominant frontcourt duo for the Marauders, combining for 31.6 of the team’s points per game. The pair guided Millersville to a 24-win season and an appearance in the Division II NCAA Tournament.
But it was during his senior season that Stover truly etched his name into Millersville history. With Matt Dade graduating, Stover stepped into the spotlight and became the Marauders’ go-to scorer, averaging 17.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting an astonishing 65.8% from the field—a mark that ranked eighth in all of Division II. He led the team in all three categories, powered Millersville to a 19-win season, and helped them reach the PSAC Semifinals, where they narrowly fell to Gannon in overtime.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Stover was named the 2024-25 PSAC East Athlete of the Year, earned First Team All-PSAC East and All-Atlantic Region honors, and was selected to play in the NABC Division II All-Star Game. Throughout the season, he collected four PSAC East Athlete of the Week honors and added two Defensive Athlete of the Week nods to his résumé. He also rewrote the program’s record books, setting new school records for both single-season (.715 in 2023-24) and career (.658) field goal percentage.
However, when Stover looks back on his time at Millersville, he says the biggest lessons didn’t come from the stat sheet – but from the setbacks.
“Knowing you’re going to fail—that’s been the biggest takeaway from my time with the Marauders,” Stover said. “I’ve failed in high school, in college, in the classroom, on the court, in relationships—endless things. But how you respond to that failure is what defines who you really are. My coach, Casey Stitzel, his favorite word is ‘adversity.’ It’s easy to hold yourself up when everything’s going right, but what really matters is what you do when things don’t go the way you planned.”
Goin’ where the ball takes him
Entering this season, Stover wasn’t sure if he would entertain the idea of playing professionally. He was nearing the end of his student teaching at Hempfield and was considering going directly into teaching following graduation.
But this lingering idea kept popping up in his head.
“I wonder what I could do if this is my literal job,” said Stover. “Wake up and only have to worry about basketball. I think I can take my game and body to the next level.”
And so, his playing days aren’t over.
Stover is currently talking with agents who will then attempt to sell his basketball services to different teams around the world. But after the season he just had at Millersville, agents talking to Stover are confident he will have opportunities available.
“I have the opportunity in front of me to give it a shot, and if it works out, I’ll stick with it as long as I can,” said Stover.
Although the team, the league, and even the country he will play in are still uncertain, that uncertainty has become part of the excitement for Stover. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a few places he’s hopeful to end up.
“I absolutely love history, so I’d love to go to Germany, Croatia, Serbia, or Portugal,” said Stover.
Stover will be the second professional basketball player from Millersville in as many years, following the likes of his former roommate Matt Dade, who now plays professionally for Club Lanus in Argentina.
And sure, it’s unlikely, but there is always a possibility that two former Marauders could team up once again overseas, carrying on the legacy they built at Pucillo Gymnasium.
“Life is all about experiences and what you learn from those experiences,” said Stover. “And this is one that I think I’d be dumb to turn down.”
