3 things to watch ahead of Drake basketball vs Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament
WICHITA, Kan. — Survive and advance, that’s the routine of the NCAA Tournament.
That’s what Drake basketball did, beating 6-seed Missouri on Thursday and advancing to Saturday's second-round game against 3-seed Texas Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. CT.
The 11-seeded Bulldogs’ win over the Tigers marked the first time since 1971 that Drake pulled out a victory in the first round of March Madness. Now, Drake is looking ahead and hoping for more.
“I thought our kids executed the game plan at a high level,” said head coach Ben McCollum on Friday. “We battled, and it was a tough game. …The next team we play is obviously really well coached, very talented, can really shoot it from an offensive perspective.
“They’re as good of a team we’ve played all season. We need to make sure that we’re at our best and ready to compete.”
Here are three things to watch in Drake’s matchup against Texas Tech.
Can Drake's defense hold off another top 3-point shooting team?
Defense could, once again, be the answer for the Bulldogs.
On Thursday, Drake shut down one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country, allowing Missouri to make just four buckets from beyond the arc while shooting 25% from 3-point range.
And on Saturday, the Bulldogs will take on another sharp-shooting team in Texas Tech. The Red Raiders shoot 37.42% from deep, making 351 shots from beyond the arc across 34 games this season.
“I think we worked on it a lot last week in practice,” said Bennett Stirtz on Friday. “Mizzou plays faster-paced. Texas Tech kind of plays fast but they both shoot a lot of 3s.”
Mitch Mascari added to his teammate’s response, “I think our defense is built to guard the 3-point line, as long as you stay in our defense. You can’t get stretched out. Our hand pressure helps a lot as well. When a shooter doesn’t get a clean look at the basket and a clean pass, it makes it more difficult to make the shot.”
Learning lessons from a preseason scrimmage between Drake and Texas Tech
This will not be the first time these two teams meet this season.
Drake and Texas Tech played a preseason scrimmage in Lubbock in the fall, one that the Red Raiders won, according to social media posts. But don’t base opinions solely on one preseason game, especially because both of these teams look a lot different than they did a few months ago.
McCollum shared that his team is more confident and has grown in their understanding of this level of basketball. He also shared that Texas Tech seemed to find its identity – offensively and defensively – after that matchup.
“We’re both different, so you won’t pull much for it,” McCollum said. “Just have to find a way to compete with them. We’ll do more throughout the season scouting on that one.”
Kevin Overton is a familiar face on Texas Tech’s roster
Drake fans are all too familiar with the Red Raiders’ sophomore guard, who started 32 games in a Bulldogs jersey as a freshman. He played nearly 30 minutes per game, contributing 10.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. In the Knapp Center, Overton provided a spark to a lineup full of experience.
He didn’t emerge as a starter this season – transferring to Texas Tech after Darian DeVries’ departure. But he played in every game this season, contributing eight points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
For Drake fans accustomed to seeing Overton as a starter, they’ll see him take on a different role with a new school. And he’s excited for the opportunity to take on his former team – even if Drake looks a lot different.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Overton shared. “Just the way that it lined up for us to play again. New team, and (I) got recruited by them. So yeah, it’s personal but it’s going to be fun for sure.
“Going from a starter to playing the role I play now, it’s just finding other ways to win, putting myself in situations where I can still impact the team, whether that’s offensively or defensively.”
Drake vs Texas Tech NCAA Tournament prediction
Drake is playing some of its best basketball right now, and having just three total losses on the season shows that the Bulldogs are difficult to beat. Drake proved that against Missouri, disrupting the Tigers' usual game plan and fending off a late comeback attempt.
Expecting Texas Tech to make some adjustments after things didn’t go according to plan in their first-round matchup against UNC Wilmington. This Red Raiders squad will not just roll over and let Cinderella advance to the Sweet 16.
But if Drake leans on its defense – the thing that’s worked wonders all season – and can spread around the scoring once again, let’s say the Bulldogs win this one, too.
Drake over Texas Tech
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake basketball vs Texas Tech: 3 things to watch in NCAA Tournament
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