Drake basketball's Ben McCollum confidently states 'superpower' after stunning Missouri upset
Today at 08:11 AM
Drake basketball head coach Ben McCollum confidently praised his team in the postgame of the 67-57 win over Missouri. The Bulldogs continued their stellar play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to pull what did not look like an upset against the sixth-seeded Tigers. This was the program’s first victory in The Big Dance since 1971.
While a lot of the nation was shocked by this result, McCollum had no doubts and expressed that right after the final buzzer went off.
“I expected it (to win). That’s what I expected. I expected exactly this. I brought winners with me. That’s what I brought. I guess my superpower is finding winners, finding tough kids, and believing in them.”
Drake basketball looked like a force to be reckoned with on Thursday
The Bulldogs put together a decisive display against a Missouri team that was ranked for most of the year. The Tigers entered this clash as the No. 23 team in the country and were heavily favored over a Drake team that was 30-3 at that point. Ben McCollum’s squad subsequently looked the superior bunch and controlled the pace of the game. Superstar guard Bennett Stirtz led the charge with 21 points on 8/11 shooting from the field.
The Bulldogs were up by as much as 15 points on Thursday until the Tigers grinded back to get the score to within one point with less than five minutes. Drake quickly responded to this adversity like this group has the entire year and went on to win comfortably. The Missouri Valley Conference champions shot over 54% from the field and 50% from three-point range.
While the shooting was stellar, it did not feel like this team was playing over its skis at all. Ben McCollum’s squad made several mistakes throughout, like having 15 turnovers and shooting 12/24 from the free-throw line. This group won comfortably against a very good Missouri team and still has another gear to it. And the Bulldogs will likely need that gear in the next game against three-seeded Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders have been in the top ten for most of this season. Big 12 Player of the Year J.T. Toppin is likely the best player the Bulldogs have seen all year, bringing a physicality that Ben McCollum’s team will have to match. But if Texas Tech lets Drake control the pace of the game on Saturday, it will be hard to imagine a scenario where the Bulldogs lose. This is an elite team that showed it’s good enough to make it to the second weekend and beyond.
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