Drake has been the Missouri Valley Conference’s best team all season. Bradley has been a close second and when the two meet Sunday in Des Moines, it represents the Braves final chance to pull closer to the top spot.
Drake (23-2, 13-2) is putting together an at-large bid worthy season as they own the Valley’s best NET ranking (56) and are sixtieth at KenPom.com. Drake’s power conference victories over Vanderbilt, Kansas State and Miami are their standout nonconference accomplishments.
Bradley is no slouch. The Braves (20-6, 11-4) are 84th in the NET and 94th at Kenpom.com.
Each team has national statistic superlatives that make you sit up and take notice. While Drake is second nationally in scoring defense (59.2 ppg), the Braves lead the country in three-point percentage and are seventh in effective field goal percentage.
These two can ball.
Drake’s Bennett Stirtz leads the nation is minutes played and leads the MVC in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (6.2) and steals (2.3). The 6’4 junior directs the Bulldog offense like a symphony conductor. Drake is sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.496) because Stirtz refuses to let his team get into bad offensive situations.
Marksman Mitch Mascari (11.2 ppg) is lethal from long range. ‘Mass-Curry’ buries over 45% of his long distance shots and converts over three per game. Forward Daniel Abreu (11.0) and reserve Tavion Banks (9.5) give coach Ben McCollum four reliable scorers and Stirtz, Mascari and Abreu never come off the floor. Coach Ben McCollum employs each of these three for over 34 minutes per game.
Four Braves average double figures, so there is no definitive statistical leader, but Bradley’s unquestioned offensive spark is the Valley’s pre-season, player-of-the-year. Duke Deen leads the squad in scoring (13.7 ppg), three-pointers (78), assists (4.0) and in high-fives, chest slaps and very big smiles.
Zek Montgomery (12.8) has an ‘old school’ mid-range game. Darius Hannah (11.8) is the Valley’s best dunker and Christian Davis (10.0) is the team’s best defender and is second on the team in assists, steals and rebounds.
All four of those players convert at least 37 percent of their long distance attempts. Bradley is a dangerous offensive team, and they lead the Valley in DEFENSIVE field goal percentage.
Bradley vs. Drake Series History
These two teams have faced each other more than any two other MVC teams. Bradley leads the all-time series 93-74, but Drake has won the last five, including earlier this season in Peoria, Illinois.
How to Watch Bradley vs. Drake
- Date: February 16
- Venue: Knapp Center
- How to Watch (TV): ESPNU
- Streaming: ESPN+
- Bradley Record: 20-6, 11-4
- Drake Record: 23-2, 13-2
There are no injuries to report.
This is Bradley’s last stand in its attempt to win the regular season title. A win on Sunday gives them a chance to catch the Bulldogs. Drake’s next two games are against an Illinois Chicago team that gave them one of their two conference losses and co-second place team Northern Iowa.
Stirtz was held to four points and Deen scored only three during the teams’ first meeting. Bradley cruised to an early 17-8 lead, but Drake’s bench players erupted for 44 points and the Bulldogs came up with 15 steals on the way to a 64-57 road victory.
While Bradley is a stellar road team (6-1 in league play) winning in Des Moines is like breaking into Fort Knox. Over the last three seasons, the Bulldogs own a Knapp Center record of 42-2.
Drake should win this game in front of their home fans, but it would be no surprise to see coach Brian Wardle’s team steal one. This is the Valley’s longest and most often played rivalry game.