In the days leading up to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, just about everybody's bracket circled one potential upset in particular: 11-seed Drake out of the Missouri Valley Conference over 6-seed Missouri.
No disrespect to the Tigers, who enjoyed a resurgent season under Dennis Gates, but it wasn't hard to see why. 11-seeds have a rich history in March Madness to begin with, and Drake was no ordinary 11-seed, having rolled through the MVC and closing the season with 17 wins in its last 18 games. Heck, this wouldn't even be the first time they beat a tournament team from the SEC this season, after knocking off Vanderbilt in non-conference play.
And sure enough, Cinderella delivered. The Bulldogs controlled the pace of this game throughout, forcing Missouri to play at their methodical tempo, and 21 points from star guard Bennett Stirtz was enough to seal a 67-57 win and punch the program's first ticket to the second round since 1971.
But why stop there? Sure, an upset is nice, but there's no reason to think that Drake can't keep this run going for a while longer.
Drake is no ordinary Cinderella
The Missouri Valley isn't the toughest conference in America, but it's also not a low-major either. And Drake ran fully roughshod over it, dropping just three games in league play and only one after Jan. 5.
That, plus a perfect run through non-conference play that featured wins over Power 6 foes in Vandy and Kansas State, has the advanced stats believing: Drake entered Thursday ranked No. 50 per KenPom, physical on both ends of the floor with one of the best offensive rebounding and turnover rates in the entire country.
The one remaining question was how the Bulldogs would hold up against the sort of athleticism they don't face very often in the MVC, but they passed that test with flying colors, having no problems bottling up the Tigers' transition attack and more than holding their own on the boards. And with Stirtz at the tip of the spear, Drake has someone to trust come closing time.
Who is Bennett Stirtz?
Stirtz isn't just one of those feel-good stories destined to become a forgotten college folk hero. The guy is just a baller: He's not much to look at, standing 6-foot-5 and without a ton of explosiveness to his game, but what he lacks in dynamism he more than makes up for in feel and skill. Case in point: This bonkers one-legged running 3 he hit against
A straightaway three off one leg. Bennett Stirtz remains PERFECT from deep @DrakeBulldogsMB pic.twitter.com/2BS7V4VLgo
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2025
Across 33 games prior to the tourney, Stirtz had averaged an MVC-high 19.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game with an impressive 60.5 percent true shooting. He hits nearly 40% of his 3s, and Drake's offensive rating with Stirtz on the floor (131.1) leads the conference.
He is, in short, not just a certified bucket-getter but someone who can manipulate a defense to his whims and make the right decisions when it collapses on to him. Drake has proven they're physically up for the challenge, and we know Stirtz can win a game on his own. These Bulldogs aren't particularly deep, and teams with a formidable big man to dump the ball down to could give them problems. But you're going to have to really, really earn it.