3 reasons why Drake can win a game in NCAA Tournament

Every year, there is a team from a mid-major conference that looks like a team that will get an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament even if they don’t secure the conference's automatic bid. That was the case in the Missouri Valley Conference this year when the Drake Bulldogs dominated outside of the conference, picked up some huge wins, and ended up winning enough games to be in the at-large pool. All bubble teams can breathe a sigh of relief, though, because the fifth automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament goes to the Drake Bulldogs out of the Missouri Valley.

Drake and first-year head coach Ben McCollum head to the NCAA tournament with very impressive numbers. The Bulldogs are currently 30-3 and finished 17-3 in the Missouri Valley. The non-conference was impressive for Drake as they beat Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic, Miami, and Kansas State. Sure, Miami and Kansas State were not very good this season, but the win against Miami was before everyone knew they were going to be bad, and Kansas State still had some huge wins. Drake started the year at 12-0 before they finally lost and were one of the last undefeated teams in the country.

There is no likely scenarios where Drake has not caught the attention of the rest of the coaches in the country. Capturing their attention is one thing, but can teams beat Drake?  That is another question entirely and one that we will get the answer to shortly. The most likely seed for the Bulldogs is in the 10-11 range, which means they are going to get a team they are going to match up with well and a team they can absolutely beat. Drake doesn’t have a chance to win just one game but has a chance to make a run deep into March. Here are the reasons why.

Defense

There are things we could talk about as reasons why Drake is great, and they all revolve around their ability to make the other team uncomfortable and never waver from what makes them successful. A lot of that is due to coach McCollum filling his roster with his former players at Northwest Missouri State; they are guys he trusts to play his style. The style is slow and grind-it-out basketball, which is never more evident on the defensive side of the ball. Drake forces teams to use the entire shot clock and they are only allowing less than 50 shots per game.

The Bulldogs rarely allow rebounds, cut off almost all passing lines, and run teams off the three-point line. Drake wants to force teams to go one-on-one and take tough contested twos, and the drives to the basket usually result in the Bulldogs getting a steal. Drake is currently averaging nine steals per game. Drake will force you to slow down and play at their pace no matter how fast you normally run your offense.

Tempo

Teams that play extremely fast, like Alabama and Florida, make teams uncomfortable by speeding them up and forcing them to run. Drake does the opposite it slows teams way down and forces them to play slow. It isn’t just on the defensive side of the ball; a lot of teams do that and then will speed it up on offense. Drake plays the slowest pace of any team in the country.

It sometimes looks as if they can lull their opponent to sleep because the sense of urgency isn’t there, but they are setting up their offense for the best possible shot at the end of the shot clock. That strategy has allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 48% from the floor, 56% from two, and 36% from deep.  Teams that play as slow as Drake make teams uncomfortable because no one plays like that, and it requires teams to be paying attention and playing defense for the entire shot clock. Drake is different than every other team in the NCAA tournament with their pace of play.

Bennett Stirtz

The Bulldogs have had an embarrassment of riches over the last four years when it comes to star players. Even though former star Tucker DeVries left for West Virginia, Drake was still able to have the Missouri Valley Player of the Year in Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz came with coach Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State and all he has done is dominate. Win or Lose, Stirtz is going to be a factor for Drake. He led the Missouri Valley in scoring and is one of the best scorers in the country.

Scoring isn’t his biggest contribution to the Bulldogs, though. He anchors the defense, leads the Missouri Valley in steals, and ranks in the top 25 in the country with 2.2 per game.  If that wasn’t enough, he is averaging five rebounds and six assists per game and never comes off the floor. Stirtz will lead Drake to a win or two in the NCAA Tournament, just like he has in 30 other games this season.

Drake is one of the best teams in this tournament and are probably going to be under seeded. That isn’t going to be good for the team they play. The Bulldogs are going to be a trendy upset pick and they might get it done this year. Trust the Bulldogs accordingly when filling out your brackets.