Drake’s Ben McCollum continues to rack up wins with toughness over talent
When star guard Bennett Stirtz checked out of the game with 27 seconds to play in Sunday’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament title game, Drake coach Ben McCollum removed his tie and finally cracked a smile as he embraced Stirtz. McCollum, who was still intently directing his players in the final minutes as Drake’s lead over Bradley ballooned to 18 points, relaxed just a bit as his team recorded its 30th win and locked up an NCAA Tournament berth.