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 |
---|---|---|---|
11/8 | Lipscomb | 150 | W85-70 |
11/19 | (N)Oakland | 137 | W85-77 |
11/20 | (N)SF Austin | 165 | L92-68 |
11/21 | (N)Akron | 110 | W79-59 |
11/25 | TX Southern | 275 | W77-71 |
11/29 | @Valparaiso | 285 | W83-65 |
12/2 | Missouri St | 134 | W74-57 |
12/6 | St Louis | 190 | W75-69 |
12/9 | (N)Nevada | 24 | W72-53 |
12/14 | Grambling | 235 | W68-56 |
12/19 | Alcorn St | 289 | W92-55 |
12/22 | @UAB | 92 | L79-78 |
1/2 | Illinois St | 179 | W88-71 |
1/7 | @Belmont | 113 | L87-65 |
1/10 | Indiana St | 32 | W89-78 |
1/13 | @S Illinois | 118 | W76-58 |
1/17 | @Illinois St | 179 | W77-56 |
1/20 | Evansville | 184 | W97-48 |
1/24 | @Missouri St | 134 | L83-80 |
1/27 | Northern Iowa | 101 | W77-63 |
1/31 | Valparaiso | 285 | W81-70 |
2/3 | @Indiana St | 32 | L75-67 |
2/7 | S Illinois | 118 | W92-88 |
2/10 | @Bradley | 69 | W74-67 |
2/13 | @Evansville | 184 | W78-75 |
2/18 | Murray St | 158 | W95-72 |
2/21 | Belmont | 113 | W84-69 |
2/24 | @Northern Iowa | 101 | L91-77 |
2/28 | @IL Chicago | 193 | W107-105 |
3/3 | Bradley | 69 | W74-66 |
3/8 | (N)Evansville | 184 | W79-58 |
3/9 | (N)Bradley | 69 | W72-67 |
3/10 | (N)Indiana St | 32 | W84-80 |