Hear from Darian DeVries after Drake basketball’s win over Belmont
Drake basketball coach Darian DeVries breaks down the Tucker DeVries versus Cade Tyson matchup and securing a first-round bye at Arch Madness.
Drake men’s basketball secured a guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament last week.
On Sunday – a week later – the Bulldogs will find out where they will be sent and which team they will face in the first round during Selection Sunday, which starts at 5 p.m.
After splitting the regular season series against Indiana State, the Bulldogs and Sycamores once again battled in the MVC Championship, and Drake came out on top.
It marked the second-straight title for Drake and its fifth-straight win, allowing the Bulldogs to enter the NCAA Tournament on a winning streak.
Tucker DeVries is the difference for Drake.
The junior small forward averaged 21.8 points per game, the sixth-most among all Division I players. He added 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists, both of which are the highest averages of his career.
So, what will Drake’s seed be and where will the Bulldogs play?
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi predicted Drake as an 11-seed in Omaha in his bracket last updated Saturday, March 16 at 10:30 a.m. In Lunardi’s bracket, the Bulldogs would face 6-seeded Saint Mary’s.
The Gaels earned an automatic bid to March Madness by winning the West Coast Conference championship. Their 26-7 overall record included just one conference loss and a 5-3 record against Quad 1 teams – which puts them at No. 15 in the NET rankings.
Drake enters the tournament with a 28-6 record, and the Bulldogs are ranked No. 47 in the NET with a 4-1 record against Quad 1 opponents.
If Drake and Saint Mary’s do face off, both teams will have one opponent in common: Missouri State. The Gaels lost to MSU, 69-64, on Dec. 23. The Bulldogs split the regular season series against Missouri State – a 74-57 victory in December and an 83-80 loss in triple overtime in January.
CBS’s Jerry Palm and Fox Sports’ Mike Decourcy also have Drake as an 11-seed, and both have the Bulldogs facing Wisconsin in the first round. That was before Wisconsin beat the top team in the Big Ten, Purdue, by one point on Saturday.
In another example of consistency, Andy Katz predicted Drake as an 11-seed but has the Bulldogs facing San Diego State.
The Athletic has Drake in Indianapolis as the 10-seed, playing Florida in the first round.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
