NCAA Tournament March Madness

#35 Drake

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Projected seed: 8 (automatic qualifier)

In evaluating Drake's positioning heading into the Big Dance, what stands out is their decisive victory over a highly competitive Nevada team, which serves as a marquee win that bolsters their resume. The Bulldogs also claimed success in a revenge match against an Indiana State squad that defeated them earlier in the season—showing they can learn and adjust, a critical attribute for tourney runs. However, a couple of puzzling losses, like the one against UAB and the stunner to Belmont, exhibit some inconsistency that may cause some hesitation in projecting them higher. They've shown resilience and the ability to handle business within their conference, which is commendable, but those out-of-conference setbacks can't be disregarded. Coupled with an offense that seems to find ways to win, but a defense that ranks lower, Drake has components that can make some noise, though their overall body of work suggests they might be more prone to an earlier exit if they can't tighten up on the defensive end when facing stiffer competition.

Date Opponent Ranking Outcome
11/8Lipscomb150W85-70
11/19(N)Oakland137W85-77
11/20(N)SF Austin165L92-68
11/21(N)Akron110W79-59
11/25TX Southern275W77-71
11/29@Valparaiso285W83-65
12/2Missouri St134W74-57
12/6St Louis190W75-69
12/9(N)Nevada24W72-53
12/14Grambling235W68-56
12/19Alcorn St289W92-55
12/22@UAB92L79-78
1/2Illinois St179W88-71
1/7@Belmont113L87-65
1/10Indiana St32W89-78
1/13@S Illinois118W76-58
1/17@Illinois St179W77-56
1/20Evansville184W97-48
1/24@Missouri St134L83-80
1/27Northern Iowa101W77-63
1/31Valparaiso285W81-70
2/3@Indiana St32L75-67
2/7S Illinois118W92-88
2/10@Bradley69W74-67
2/13@Evansville184W78-75
2/18Murray St158W95-72
2/21Belmont113W84-69
2/24@Northern Iowa101L91-77
2/28@IL Chicago193W107-105
3/3Bradley69W74-66
3/8(N)Evansville184W79-58
3/9(N)Bradley69W72-67
3/10(N)Indiana St32W84-80