Drake basketball coach Ben McCollum made his NCAA tournament debut in style.
“I'd be lying if I said I didn’t expect this ... I expected exactly this,” McCollum told reporters afterward.
“I expected [my players] to compete. I brought winners with me. That’s what I brought. I guess my superpower is finding winners, finding tough kids, and believing in them. So I kind of expected this,” he said.
“I know I try to be humble, in other words. But man, I believe in these kids.”
McCollum coached NWMSU from 2009 to 2024 and won titles in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022. He coached the Bearcats to a 395–91 mark in his tenure, which included an NCAA Division II tournament appearance every year except for three seasons.
An Iowa native, McCollum took the Drake job in April 2024 after Darain DeVries left for West Virginia. DeVries then took the coaching job at Indiana this year, and McCollum could be another coach on the move—at least among media pundits who speculate on potential coaching moves. Iowa notably has an opening since the Hawkeyes parted ways with former head coach Fan McCaffery.
“Some of those rumors have been around for six, seven, eight years,” McCollum told reporters on Wednesday before the tournament.
“It’s just the nature of having a level of success. It’s kind of a gift and a curse, I guess. I’ve tried—and over the years, you’ve learned—how to not have a divided heart and to focus everything on the team that you have. That’s what I'll continue to do—is focus all my attention on this team,” he said.
“That’s what I did for seven, eight years at Northwest Missouri State and then eventually we made the move to Drake,” McCollum added.
“That’s what I'll continue to do here. I haven’t taken six jobs at this point. According to social media, I probably have, though. This [NCAA Tournament appearance] is a great accomplishment, and this is a great team. I just refuse to have a divided heart in regards to that.”
McCollum is all-in on Drake, which he rebuilt last year after arrival. He led the Bulldogs to notable wins during the season over Power Four conference teams such as Miami, Kansas State, and Vanderbilt. Drake now has a 4—0 record against Power Four teams after Thursday’s win over the Tigers.
The Bulldogs shut down Missouri in the first half with 23 points allowed. Only two Tigers finished the game in double figures as the team shot 33.3 percent overall, and Drake had a 31-26 edge on rebounding.
“For our guys, I think we just fought,” McCollum said. “That’s kind of what we have to do is just continue to fight and continue to grind and continue to compete. We’ve got guys that want to do that, that want it hard. They were able to do it.”
Drake junior guard Bennett Stirtz led the way with 21 points and four assists. The Bulldogs also got a spark from junior guard Tavion Banks, who scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, tallied three steals, and dished three assists.
“He’s been in a lot of big games,” McCollum said about Stirtz. “Obviously, just from a personality perspective, that’s probably why we match so well. I’m a little more intense ... Some people would call it crazy. He’s very calm,” he said.
“We just kind of fit each other when he’s on the floor. He can evaluate exactly what I’m saying so we can get it corrected.”
McCollum’s crew will take on No. 3 seed Texas Tech (28—8) on Saturday in the second round.
