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The stage is set for Drake to become one of those lovable March Madness underdogs. This will be the Bulldogs' eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and third straight. This one is different. New coach Ben McCollum arrived a dominating 15-year run at Division II Northwest Missouri State. What makes Drake so intriguing is that four of his starters came with him and led the Bulldogs to the best year in program history. Bennett Stirtz is the face of the program. He swept major Missouri Valley Conference individual awards. He didn't even make first-team all-conference at his last school.
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Drake's Bennett Stirtz (14) looks to pass as Bradley's Christian Davis (5) defends during the first half of the championship game in the Missouri Valley Conference NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 9, 2025, in St. Louis. - AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
