Following the release of the official 2025 bracket, the Mizzou Tigers landed as a 6-seed in the West Region, where they will face the Drake Bulldogs in the Round of 64 this Thursday.
All season long, the Drake Bulldogs have been dominant, rolling into the NCAA Tournament on a 7-game winning streak.
Sitting at 30-3, the Bulldogs have had a dream season. First-year head coach Ben McCollum has had a nearly perfect debut season as a Division-I head coach.
As a Division-II head coach, McCollum won 4 national championships since 2017 at Northwest Missouri State.
To begin the year, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 12-0 start to the season. Some notable programs they beat include Miami (FL), FAU, Vanderbilt, and Kansas State.
In all 4 of those wins, the Bulldogs outscored those teams by an average of 9.3 points.
Coming off the 12-0 start, the Bulldogs lost their next 2 games to UIC and Murray State. However, they went on to win 18 of their next 19 games and are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the entire nation at this point in the season.
All season long, Bennett Stirtz has been the top scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging 19.1 PPG. His numbers have been even better since the start of February, averaging 21.4 PPG, including a 24-point performance in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
The Bulldogs have found ways to win all year, as evidenced by their impressive 30-3 record. However, it's worth noting that they have lost their last 3 tournament games in the opening round.
Given the massive changes the program has seen since last year, it’s worth noting that the Drake Bulldogs have a very small roster. No player stands above 6'8", which could allow Mark Mitchell to be a major factor in Thursday's game.
The Tigers, on the other hand, are back in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in just three seasons under Dennis Gates' leadership in Columbia.
In 2023, the Tigers were a 7-seed in the tournament and defeated Utah State in the opening round. However, they were then knocked out by 15-seed Princeton in the second round.
In 2025, the Tigers will rely heavily on Anthony Robinson II from a defensive standpoint. Robinson was recently recognized on the SEC’s All-Defense Team and will face a tough challenge in trying to stop Stirtz from another heroic performance with his team's season on the line.
The Tigers will tip off at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday on TruTV.