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Bennett Stirtz on the NCAA Tournament, Drake basketball vs. Missouri
Bennett Stirtz breaks down his initial reaction to Drake’s selection against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, playing in March Madness and more.
One week since winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Drake basketball knows who its opponent will be in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 11-seeded Bulldogs will face 6-seed Missouri in Wichita on Thursday.
Behind first-year head coach Ben McCollum, Larry Bird Trophy winner Bennett Stirtz – and three other Division II transfers – Drake enters the tournament on a seven-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs set a program record with 30 wins and won its third-straight conference championship. Could Drake’s eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament be the charm?
Here is a breakdown of the Bulldogs’ matchup against Missouri.
Drake basketball enjoys its best season in decades
The Bulldogs are one of five programs nationwide with 30-or-more wins this season and only one of two – alongside Duke – with just three losses. That record includes wins against Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State.
Drake’s success can be attributed to a lot of things, but the four players that McCollum brought with him from Northwest Missouri State played a huge role in keeping the Bulldogs at the top, despite the departure of Darian DeVries and most of last season’s roster.
Stirtz 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. 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.
