Sports Analysis
On March 6 at 12 p.m., tip-off will rattle through the streets of St. Louis for the biggest tournament in the Missouri Valley Conference all year. Arch Madness will take the Valley by storm March 6 through 9, with a conference face-off that will crown the champion of the 2024-25 season, along with awarding the winner a one-way golden ticket to March Madness.
No. 8 seed Southern Illinois Salukis and No. 9 seed Indiana State Sycamores will kick off the tournament on March 6 at 12 p.m. Central for a chance to play the No. 1 seed Bulldogs in the second round the following day. Neither team has beat Drake this season, so the game could heavily favor the Bulldogs. Right after that game, No. 5 Illinois State and No. 12 Missouri State will take to the court for a chance to take on the Belmont Bruins in the second round following the Bulldogs’ March 7 game.
One of the other first-round games is between No. 7 Murray State and No. 10 Evansville for a chance to take on the Bradley Braves. Knowing that Murray State has taken down the Bulldogs and Bradley so far this season, this game will be key in determining the Bulldogs’ fate, as a matchup against either team could prove to be a challenge.
The last first-round game will be between the No. 6 University of Illinois Chicago Flames and the No. 11 seed Valparaiso Beacons to play the No. 4 seed UNI Panthers. These games could also lead to a challenge for Drake, as the Flames have also previously beat the Bulldogs this season and could be an issue in the case that they push past the Panthers.
The second round will be on March 7 between the winning teams streamed on a radio broadcast and will see live updates online. Semi-final games will be on March 8 starting at 2:30 p.m. before the championship game at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday all streamed on CBS.
If Drake were to win the tournament, the March Madness ticket would be an automatic qualifier for the Bulldogs, who are led by Joe B. Hall Award finalist head coach Ben McCollum.
McCollum is also the second coach ever in Drake history to reach 27 wins in their first year of coaching at the University, following in the footsteps of Keno Davis, who went 28-5 during his first season back in 2007. Davis’s coaching is so notable that his 421-94 career coaching record ranks him at number five in all-time collegiate coaching winning percentage, clocking in at .818. This Drake leadership will benefit the Bulldogs in the Arch Madness and possible March Madness run with critical thinking against some of the conference and nation’s toughest opponents.
If the Bulldogs lose in the finals, though, ESPN gives Drake a 50% chance of still making it to the tournament based on quad wins and record. Due to the odds being mixed, the Bulldogs will need to make it to the finals for a chance at the big dance for what could be the third year in a row. The Bulldogs currently sit on the Bubble watch highly with a possible No. 12 or 11 seed entry.
The tournament will sum up the season for the Bulldogs unless March Madness is earned, so Drake fans far and wide will be rooting for the Bulldogs in what could be the biggest season run yet before the big seeding day on March 16.
