The Drake Bulldogs are a sleeper team from the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament that could be potentially dangerous in the NCAA Tournament.
The reason is that they have a true baller in guard Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz Takes Home a Box of Awards
Recently, Stirtz was named the MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year and the MVC Newcomer of the Year and named to both the All-MVC First Team and the All-Newcomer Team.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝘿𝙤 𝙄𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙡 🤩
– MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year
– MVC Newcomer of the Year
– All-MVC First Team
– All-Newcomer Team#CultureWins l #DSMHometownTeam l @bennett_stirtz pic.twitter.com/XpvkFOWQDo— Drake Basketball (@DrakeBulldogsMB) March 5, 2025
The transfer guard has not missed any of the team’s 30 games and has played an average of 39.3 minutes in each game.
He is averaging 18.9 points per game, 5.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.
An underrated part of his game is that he is pretty sneaky on the defensive end of the floor (averaging 2.2 steals per game this year).
Simply put, the former Northwest Missouri State star is one of the country’s hottest players that many people don’t know a whole lot about.
Drake’s Ceiling
Drake is set to play its first game in the MVC Tournament on Friday of this week, so it could be primed for a magical run this month.
With a record of 27-3 overall and a 17-3 conference record, the Bulldogs are playing great basketball and looking like a threat.
With wins over major conference teams such as Miami, Vanderbilt, and Kansas State, Drake has gained some valuable experience outside of its conference while putting together a lovely resume for March.
Soon, it will be time for them to be at their best, with the entire season on the line in the NCAA Tournament.
Especially if head coach Ben McCollum’s team is riding the wave of momentum at the right time, opposing teams will not want to face this scrappy squad.
With all of the pressure on higher-seeded teams, the Bulldogs may be able to find a way to deepen their participation in the NCAA Tournament.
KEEP READING: ‘Definition of a Winner’ — Fans React to Ben McCollum Leading Drake to 1st-Place Finish
For now, they aim to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament after finishing first in the regular season. A conference tournament win would guarantee them a spot in the big dance.
Their quest will start when they face the winner of Southern Illinois and Indiana State on Friday at noon in St. Louis.
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