Drake basketball: 3 takeaways from Bulldogs' win over Missouri in March Madness
WICHITA, Kan. — Missouri had a size advantage, a deeper bench and played in a tougher conference.
All reasons why Drake basketball should’ve lost to Missouri – or so some people thought – and yet, the Bulldogs pulled out a win, defeating the 6-seed Tigers, 67-57, on Thursday.
It marked the first time since 1971 that the Bulldogs advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
But more than anything, the victory made a statement: Drake is here to compete, despite being an undersized 11-seed from the Missouri Valley Conference.
“This stage allows you to pass a message, which is tough kids, connected kids, kids that love each other and serve each other still can win,” Drake coach Ben McCollum said after his team improved to 31-3. “Kids that maintain a level of loyalty, kids that are just awesome to be around can still win.”
Here are three takeaways from the Bulldogs’ first-round win over Missouri:
Bennett Stirtz shines under the brightest lights of his career
No surprise here: Bennett Stirtz took control of this game.
He led the Bulldogs with 21 points and four assists. He missed just three shots in the entire game, netting all three of his 3-point attempts.
Stirtz showed the nation that he's a difference-maker, and it’s next to impossible to completely shut him down. Early in the game, Missouri continually rotated different defenders on him and the Tigers still couldn’t slow him down (14 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first half).
The Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, in his first year of Division I basketball, drew heavy praise from the Turner Sports broadcasting team.
“He’s obviously a really good player,” McCollum said. “Outside of that, he works with a level of humility, and his teammates allow him to be great. That’s the big part of it; his teammates allow him to be exactly what he’s supposed to be.”
No shortage of confidence for true freshman Isaia Howard
During the regular season, McCollum spoke candidly about easing freshman Isaia Howard into the rotation. The coach’s philosophy is simple: Don’t put freshmen in until they’re ready, or you risk damaging their confidence.
McCollum allowed Howard to grow into his game, and it paid off.
The true freshman guard from Plattsburg, Mo., netted a 3-pointer midway through the first half, and he slammed two dunks under the brightest lights. He finished with seven points – making three of his four shots – in 17 minutes off the bench.
In 28 games, Howard is averaging 15.6 minutes, 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
“Those dunks, he gets the crowd hyped,” McCollum said. “He’s just awesome. He’s getting better and better every single day. For a freshman to come in and play in this kind of environment, it’s really tough to do.”
Drake can take Tavion to the Banks
When Tavion Banks plays well, Drake wins.
That’s not an opinion but a fact. The Bulldogs are undefeated – a perfect 18-0 – in games when Banks scores in double figures. The streak continued on Thursday, when Banks scored 15 points in 25 minutes of playing time and helped Drake to the first-round win.
Banks came up big in several games during the regular season, but his second-half performance against Missouri might be his best yet. Thirteen of his 15 points came after halftime; he scored six points in the final 1:16 of the game.
“He’s a dog, man,” McCollum laughed. “He’s tough.”
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: 3 takeaways from Bulldogs' win in March Madness
| 1d 7:03 AM ET ago |
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