Drake's basketball team thrives with Division II transfers

Drake University has made a strong impression in the NCAA Tournament, making appearances in four of the last five years. This year’s team is quite different from past squads. After losing coach Darian DeVries and most players, including leading scorer Tucker DeVries, the Bulldogs decided to recruit players from Division II schools. They also hired Ben McCollum, a successful coach with four national championships. McCollum brought several players with him from Northwest Missouri State. Instead of a rebuilding year, Drake quickly found success, losing only three games this season. They enter the tournament with an impressive record of 30-3, relying heavily on players who were not part of Division I last year. The Bulldogs have benefited from the health of their players. They have used the same starting five in 32 out of 33 games this season. Four of those starters—Bennett Stirtz, Daniel Abreu, Mitch Mascari, and Isaiah Jackson—played for McCollum at Northwest Missouri State. The only new starter is Cam Manyawu, who previously played at Wyoming. Stirtz has stood out this season, named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year with an average of 19.1 points per game. Last season at Northwest Missouri State, the team lost more games than Drake has this year, going 29-5 and reaching the Sweet 16. Overall, six of the ten players who have played for Drake this season came from non-Division I programs. McCollum has effectively built a competitive team through strategic recruiting and coaching. Ben McCollum, 43, is the head coach of the Bulldogs. He achieved great success in his 15 seasons at Northwest Missouri State, winning nearly 400 games. He continues to stand out with his traditional coaching style, wearing a dress shirt and tie during games. Drake fans have embraced his unique appearance by wearing similar blue ties to support their team.