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Only five teams nationwide enter the NCAA Tournament with 30 or more wins.
Duke leads the nation with 31 victories, and Houston, St. John’s and UC San Diego each picked up 30 – but those latter three teams each have four losses.
And then there is Drake, sitting on a 30-3 overall record as the Bulldogs head to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in as many years.
But after two straight years of winning the conference championship, earning an automatic bid to March Madness and then losing in the first round, Drake basketball looks ready to do more than just make an appearance.
Drake, an 11 seed, will open against 6-seed Missouri at 6:35 p.m. Thursday. Here are some reasons the Bulldogs can make it further than the first round this year.
Stirtz is among the most prolific guards in Division I basketball this season, going by the statistics.
He leads all NCAA Division I players in minutes per game, averaging 39.2 and playing 40-or-more minutes in 22 of 33 games this season. He’s played no fewer than 22 minutes in any matchup, with the least time spent on the court against St. Ambrose – a game in which Stirtz recorded 10 points, seven assists and four steals.
As for his on-court production, the 6-foot-4 guard led the Missouri Valley Conference in points (631), assists (188) and steals (71). His averages – 19.1 points, 5.7 assists and 2.15 steals per game – are all top 40 in Division I.
The is no denying Stirtz’s impact on this team.
Drake’s resume includes two wins against Quad 1 teams: Vanderbilt and Kansas State. Stirtz didn’t leave the court in either matchup, even with overtime needed against the Wildcats. He scored 16 points against Vanderbilt and 22 against Kansas State.
Against Vanderbilt, Stirtz set up his teammates, finishing with 11 assists. Against Kansas State, with 3.4 seconds left in overtime and the score tied, Stirtz unleashed the game-winning 3-pointer.
The statistics speak for themselves and Stirtz’s impact cannot be understated. His ability to stay calm, cool and collected in the biggest moments sets him apart.
People can say what they want about the Missouri Valley Conference, but getting to 30 wins in a single season is hard. Any team that can do that could emerge as a threat in March Madness.
So here are the Bulldogs with 30 wins and three losses. Drake beat Miami, Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt to claim the Charleston Classic championship. The Bulldogs took on Kansas State – in Kansas City – and won in overtime. And each loss – against UIC, Murray State and Bradley – was by seven or fewer points.
If common opponents mean anything, Drake and Missouri both played Vanderbilt – with the Tigers facing the Commodores twice. The Bulldogs defeated Vanderbilt, 81-70, in November. Missouri split the series, most recently losing to Vanderbilt, 97-93, in overtime.
The Bulldogs play at the slowest pace in the country. Drake averages 61.3 possessions per game, 15 fewer than Alabama, the leader with 76.6 possessions per game.
Drake leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score just 58.4 points per game.
Missouri, meanwhile, is the polar opposite. The Tigers rank ninth in the nation in scoring offense at 84.5 points per game. They average about 70 possessions per game.
Drake's ability to slow down the game and limit Missouri's opportunities will make things difficult for the Tigers.
The Tigers tied for sixth in the rugged Southeastern Conference with a 10-8 record (they are 22-11 overall). Coach Dennis Gates engineered an outstanding turnaround from last season's disaster (8-24 overall, 0-18 SEC).
The Tigers played against and beat tough teams this season. They notched quality wins over Kansas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Drake hasn't seen competition to that level, but the Bulldogs do possess a roster loaded with players who won't be rattled on the big stage.
If Drake can get past Missouri in the opening round, the Bulldogs likely will face 3-seed Texas Tech in the round-of-32.
The Bulldogs are capable of beating the Tigers and Red Raiders and making it to the Sweet 16. Coach Ben McCollum took his teams to four Division II national championships, after all. Sure, this is a different level of basketball, and the Bulldogs will see bigger dogs in the Field of 68. But McCollum and a handful of his players understand what it’s like to play in and win in high-stakes environments.
It’s time to see how that translates to Division I.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake NCAA bracket predictions: Bulldogs can reach Sweet 16
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Duke leads the nation with 31 victories, and Houston, St. John’s and UC San Diego each picked up 30 – but those latter three teams each have four losses.
And then there is Drake, sitting on a 30-3 overall record as the Bulldogs head to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in as many years.
But after two straight years of winning the conference championship, earning an automatic bid to March Madness and then losing in the first round, Drake basketball looks ready to do more than just make an appearance.
Drake, an 11 seed, will open against 6-seed Missouri at 6:35 p.m. Thursday. Here are some reasons the Bulldogs can make it further than the first round this year.
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Bennett Stirtz is the ultimate x-factor for Drake basketball
Stirtz is among the most prolific guards in Division I basketball this season, going by the statistics.
He leads all NCAA Division I players in minutes per game, averaging 39.2 and playing 40-or-more minutes in 22 of 33 games this season. He’s played no fewer than 22 minutes in any matchup, with the least time spent on the court against St. Ambrose – a game in which Stirtz recorded 10 points, seven assists and four steals.
As for his on-court production, the 6-foot-4 guard led the Missouri Valley Conference in points (631), assists (188) and steals (71). His averages – 19.1 points, 5.7 assists and 2.15 steals per game – are all top 40 in Division I.
The is no denying Stirtz’s impact on this team.
Drake’s resume includes two wins against Quad 1 teams: Vanderbilt and Kansas State. Stirtz didn’t leave the court in either matchup, even with overtime needed against the Wildcats. He scored 16 points against Vanderbilt and 22 against Kansas State.
Against Vanderbilt, Stirtz set up his teammates, finishing with 11 assists. Against Kansas State, with 3.4 seconds left in overtime and the score tied, Stirtz unleashed the game-winning 3-pointer.
The statistics speak for themselves and Stirtz’s impact cannot be understated. His ability to stay calm, cool and collected in the biggest moments sets him apart.
Drake basketball has piled up the wins and defeated good teams
People can say what they want about the Missouri Valley Conference, but getting to 30 wins in a single season is hard. Any team that can do that could emerge as a threat in March Madness.
So here are the Bulldogs with 30 wins and three losses. Drake beat Miami, Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt to claim the Charleston Classic championship. The Bulldogs took on Kansas State – in Kansas City – and won in overtime. And each loss – against UIC, Murray State and Bradley – was by seven or fewer points.
If common opponents mean anything, Drake and Missouri both played Vanderbilt – with the Tigers facing the Commodores twice. The Bulldogs defeated Vanderbilt, 81-70, in November. Missouri split the series, most recently losing to Vanderbilt, 97-93, in overtime.
Drake's slow tempo, defense could be problems for Missouri
The Bulldogs play at the slowest pace in the country. Drake averages 61.3 possessions per game, 15 fewer than Alabama, the leader with 76.6 possessions per game.
Drake leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score just 58.4 points per game.
Missouri, meanwhile, is the polar opposite. The Tigers rank ninth in the nation in scoring offense at 84.5 points per game. They average about 70 possessions per game.
Drake's ability to slow down the game and limit Missouri's opportunities will make things difficult for the Tigers.
Missouri has faced tough competition; Drake counters with winning experience
The Tigers tied for sixth in the rugged Southeastern Conference with a 10-8 record (they are 22-11 overall). Coach Dennis Gates engineered an outstanding turnaround from last season's disaster (8-24 overall, 0-18 SEC).
The Tigers played against and beat tough teams this season. They notched quality wins over Kansas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Drake hasn't seen competition to that level, but the Bulldogs do possess a roster loaded with players who won't be rattled on the big stage.
The Bulldogs can make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament
If Drake can get past Missouri in the opening round, the Bulldogs likely will face 3-seed Texas Tech in the round-of-32.
The Bulldogs are capable of beating the Tigers and Red Raiders and making it to the Sweet 16. Coach Ben McCollum took his teams to four Division II national championships, after all. Sure, this is a different level of basketball, and the Bulldogs will see bigger dogs in the Field of 68. But McCollum and a handful of his players understand what it’s like to play in and win in high-stakes environments.
It’s time to see how that translates to Division I.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake NCAA bracket predictions: Bulldogs can reach Sweet 16
Continue reading...
