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Drake “Bearcats” 2024-2025

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  • [QUOTE=NWFanatic
    This poll was taken before the season on drakenation.com. More Drake fans chose top 3 finish in the Valley than chose 7th-12th with the majority picking 4th-6th. I think the serious Drake fans that kept on top of things were closer to my expectations than the more casual fans who only saw D2 coach/4 D2 players/ unknown transfers and too may Missouri players and thought they were screwed.[/QUOTE]



    This is the poll you were talking about NWFanatic. I might disagree with you about the 51 fans who responded to the poll ... I think ALL of them are probably pretty "strong" Drake Bulldog fans ... maybe none of them as "casual" fans. Think the far majority of the people who jump on this Drake Nation Bulldog message board are at least fairly passionate about Drake Bulldog basketball. But, I totally agree with you that when this fan base looks preseason at a NW Coach Ben McCollum as this top-notch DII basketball coach taking over their program at Drake and then bringing along FOUR of his D2 players ... again, D2 players ... well, maybe its ok that some were pretty apprehensive. Heck, maybe I can relate. Pretty sure I might go a little cross-eyed if some AD at NW were to somehow make sense of replacing a departing high-caliber massively successful NW Coach Ben McCollum with a basically unknown NAIA coach who has only won maybe 65% of his games, and then that very same new HC thinking (before he has his bags packed) he can "add" to building to the NW success up there in the 'Ville by bringing along FOUR of his NAIA guys. Huh. If the NW Bearcat message board had then brought up this similar poll at the bottom of this post, I'm pretty sure I might have been right at the 5th - 7th place in the poll for where NW might finish in this 2024-25 season ... but, also only giving NW even that high of a consideration because Coach Mac certainly didn't leave the NW Bearcat cupboard bare. He left plenty of talent behind. Unfortunately, that talent had to relearn a new process (groan). Certainly, to be fair, this NW team also had two very early in the season injuries that would lend toward hurting the Bearcats this season (sigh).
    2024–25 prediction thread Closed Poll

    Top tier of MVC, NCAA or NIT contention 33.33% 17 votes
    3rd–5th of MVC, 20 wins and CBI/3rd-tier bid 47.06% 24 votes
    5th–7th of MVC, .500ish overall, possible CBI or whatever 4th-tier tournament happens 15.69% 8 votes
    7th–9th of MVC, Sub-.500 overall 1.96% 1 vote
    10th–12th MVC, 20ish losses 1.96% 1 vote
    Member Votes: 51, Guest Votes: 0. You don't have permission to vote within this poll.
    Last edited by ZubCat81; 02-12-2025, 12:05 AM.

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    • Speaking as a fan of a D2 program that will be needing a new coach in 10 days, 9 hours, and 48 minutes (but who's counting) I would be absolutely thrilled if my team brought in a highly successful NAIA coach that had won national championships at a lower level. I'd be even more thrilled if he brought in some of his players. Now, 2025 Northern St is a far cry from 2024 Drake and I understand that. However, the line between mid-tier D1 and the top of D2 is not as far as D1 fans would like to believe.

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      • Originally posted by Thunder View Post
        Speaking as a fan of a D2 program that will be needing a new coach in 10 days, 9 hours, and 48 minutes (but who's counting) I would be absolutely thrilled if my team brought in a highly successful NAIA coach that had won national championships at a lower level. I'd be even more thrilled if he brought in some of his players. Now, 2025 Northern St is a far cry from 2024 Drake and I understand that. However, the line between mid-tier D1 and the top of D2 is not as far as D1 fans would like to believe.
        Hahaha… I wish you luck. At least it sounds like you’re looking forward to the change at the top more than we were. 🤣

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        • 23-2(13-2) Drake 84 Illinois St 77 in Normal. Bennett had 25 pts & Mitch had 18 and was 5-10 from 3(inc 1 near the ISU logo)
          Drake has already secured a 1st round bye at Arch Madness with 5 conference game left
          Last edited by NWFanatic; 02-13-2025, 10:30 AM.

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          • Bradley sneaks by Drake 61-59 in a barnburner

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            • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post
              Bradley sneaks by Drake 61-59 in a barnburner
              And likely ends any hope of the valley being any more than a 1 bid league. Ben & Co going to have to win another conference tournament but this time its more than a formality.

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              • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post
                Bradley sneaks by Drake 61-59 in a barnburner
                I watched the end of this one and man did Drake struggle offensively. 23-3 is pretty darn impressive considering the offensive limitations of the team.

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                • Originally posted by Taxman View Post

                  And likely ends any hope of the valley being any more than a 1 bid league. Ben & Co going to have to win another conference tournament but this time it’s more than a formality.
                  It’s sad to think that Drake could close out the regular season without another loss and still miss the tournament if they don’t win the MVC Tourney. What a joke if they’d finish the season with 4 losses and stay at home while P5 teams with 10+ losses will get in.
                  Last edited by NWFanatic; 02-17-2025, 10:29 AM.

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                  • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post

                    It’s sad to think that Drake could close out the regular season without another loss and still miss the tournament if they don’t win the MVC. What a joke if they’d finish the season with 4 losses and stay at home while P5 teams with 10+ losses will get in.
                    It’s been like that for a long time. It’s kind of funny how it never really upset us before. The Miami win turning out to be a Quad 4 game hurts… it seemed big at the time. Indiana State was the team left out last year. It might help the Valley perception that they played in the NIT Championship game last year. Last year, there were 5 teams that stole bids by winning conference tournaments they weren’t supposed to win, As long as that doesn’t happen, I think Drake is still in play for an at large if they win out and don’t bow out early in the conference tournament. Obviously, the only guarantee is to win Arch Madness.

                    It makes every game so important, like it’s a playoff game. It’s like division 1 college football used to be… if you had national championship hopes, 1 loss at any point of the season and the dream was over. It feels like a similar fate for some of these mid majors as far as getting into the March Madness tournament.

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                    • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post
                      Bradley sneaks by Drake 61-59 in a barnburner
                      I watched on the "Deuce" and Drake lost due to poor free throw shooting. IMO that hurt more than just plain stinking the last few minutes on offense

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                      • To be honest til this year I haven’t really followed D1 BB much since the old Big 8 days cheering for Mizzzou. Didn’t realize how hard it was for leagues like the Valley to get more than 1 team in

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                        • Originally posted by Gorilla John 92 View Post

                          I watched on the "Deuce" and Drake lost due to poor free throw shooting. IMO that hurt more than just plain stinking the last few minutes on offense
                          That plus turnovers for sure. We were at the game-it was a sellout…crazy wild vibe-felt more like a playoff game than a regular season game.

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                          • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post
                            To be honest til this year I haven’t really followed D1 BB much since the old Big 8 days cheering for Mizzzou. Didn’t realize how hard it was for leagues like the Valley to get more than 1 team in
                            In it's heyday, the Valley was usually a lock for multiple bids, like it happened every year from 1999 to 2007. But that's been probably 10-plus years with teams like Creighton and Wichita in the league since it was semi-common.

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                            • DU 74 UIC 57…DU improves to 24-3/14-3…Bradley loses to Illinois St to fall to 21-7/12-5
                              Last edited by NWFanatic; 02-19-2025, 09:14 PM.

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                              • Originally posted by NWFanatic View Post
                                DU 74 UIC 57…DU improves to 24-3/14-3…Bradley loses to Illinois St to fall to 21-7/12-5
                                UNI is the team to watch now. Sunday’s game is suddenly huge.

                                Drake has an easier last 2 games than UNI, but I’d just assume stay ahead in the standings so Drake is not counting on someone else to win it outright. I don’t know what the tie-breaker would be for the 1 seed in St. Louis and I’m too lazy right now to look for it.

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