March Madness 2024: 5 Cinderella candidates already fit for the glass slipper

Drake Bulldogs

The great mid-major bubble debate of 2024 was triggered by the Missouri Valley Championship Game when Drake won an 84-80 thriller against top-seeded Indiana State to earn their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. While the Sycamores have drawn headlines for their snub from/inclusion in the field, many have forgotten how good Drake is.

The Bulldogs were already a bubble team before Arch Madness thanks to a strong NCAA Tournament resume that included a neutral-site win over Nevada and a regular season split with the Sycamores. This bid is the third in the past four years for the Bulldogs, who won a First Four game in 2021 and played hard against a Miami team that went to the Final Four last season in a seven-point first-round loss.

Drake also has a game wrecker in junior guard Tucker DeVries, who is sixth in the country with 21.8 points per game. DeVries, the son of head coach Darien DeVries, put up 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the Bulldogs' victory over Indiana State a week ago to secure their spot in March Madness.

All of the chaos from the bid thieves played up to the favor of the Bulldogs as they drew a 10-seed, setting up a first-round matchup against Washington State that could play to their strengths of experience against a Cougars team in the dance for the first time since 2009. Drawing Iowa State in the Round of 32 isn't easy but if anyone is up for the challenge of dealing with a top defensive team it's Drake.