Does Defense Win Championships?

Semifinal Saturday – Drake Versus Belmont

(St. Louis, MO) – Missouri Valley Conference champion Drake’s spectacular season continued Friday with a victory over Southern Illinois. Fourth seeded Belmont’s offensive firepower was on display Friday during its win over Illinois State. So, we’re left with the age old axiom, ‘does defense win championships?’

Top seeded Drake took care of business on the defensive end and closed out the Salukis 70-53. The Bulldogs (28-3) held their thirteenth opponent to under 60 points and earned their 17^th game of 61 or less points.

Fourth seeded Belmont exploded for 41 first half points on the way to a pedestrian 76-60 win over Illinois State. The Bruins (22-10) have won four straight games and seven of their last nine.

Reviewing the Quarterfinals

Drake played their typical suffocating defense and found an offensive and defensive spark in freshman Isaia Howard. The 6’5 freshman came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points and to pilfer a personal best six steals. His double-digit output was just his third of the season.

Valley ‘Player of the Year’ Bennett Stirtz (15) and forward Cam Manyawu (11) reached double figures as the efficient Bulldog offense and smothering defense squeezed out the SIU hopes. SIU made just five of 18 three-point shots and Drake collected eleven steals.

Casey Alexander’s Bruins played a picture-perfect first half heading into intermission with a 41-18 first session dominance. The Bruins endured the second half and earned their way into the championship semifinal.

Carter Whitt was brilliant scoring 12 points, handing out eleven assists and committing just one turnover. Jonathan Pierre added a double-double (11 points & 12 rebounds) of his own. Casey Alexander noted the defensive work of center Brigham Rogers on Illinois State all-conference center Chase Walker as being a key to the victory.

Preview – Does Defense Win Championships?

Drake coach Ben McCollum talks about his team being able to impose their will on other teams. They do it at both ends of the floor. The Bulldogs are the nation’s second stingiest defensive team allowing just 59.2 points per game and they are top fifty nationally in rebound margin and assist/turnover margin.

On the offensive side the Valley champs are top fifty in both effective field goal percentage and field goal percentage overall. They lead the Valley in offensive rebound percentage, grabbing over 36 percent of all available offensive rebounds.

Drake plays long possessions and thus there are fewer possessions in their games. Kenpom.com rates Drake as the slowest team in adjusted offensive tempo and the team that plays the longest offensive possessions.

By contrast, Belmont is twenty-ninth in tempo and thirty-fourth quickest in length of their offensive possessions.

If defense wins championships, Belmont is in trouble. While the Bruins lead the MVC in three-pointers, scoring and assists, they are second worst in scoring defense and in rebound margin.

Some Personnel Notes

These are well decorated teams. While Stirtz earned the most hardware, there is outstanding talent all over these two rosters. Stirtz was named the league MVP and most outstanding newcomer.

Mitch Mascari is a third-team, all-conference, double-digit scoring player. Daniel Abreu was named to the Valley’s all-defensive team and 6’7 Tavion Banks was tabbed as the MVC ‘Sixth Man of the Year’.

Joining Banks on the all-bench team was Belmont’s Brody Peebles. Both Carter Whitt (third-team all-conference) and first-team, all-conference guard Jonathan Pierre landed on the all-newcomer team. Team Captain Isaiah Walker earned a spot on the Valley’s ‘most improved’ team and rookie Sam Orme was tabbed as one of the MVC’s top freshman.

Whitt finished second to Stirtz in assists, but during league contests, his average was actually better than that of Stirtz. Four Bruins averaged double figures in scoring, with Pierre leading the way (14.1 ppg). Whitt (13.1), Tyler Lundblade (12.5) and Walker (10.9) followed suite and Lundblade led the Valley with 100, three-point baskets.

Drake has three that average double figures, but four if you ‘round up’. Stirtz (18.9 ppg) led the conference in scoring, and Abreu (11.0) and Mascari (10.4) are long range snipers. Banks averaged 9.9.

One ominous Belmont note. During the two teams’ only meeting, Drake defeated the Bruins 65-46, which was the Bruins’ worst offensive game this year.

Saturday we’ll see if Casey Alexander’s offensive machine can solve the Ben McCollum defensive straight jacket. If defense wins championships, then Drake will find themselves in Sunday’s Arch Madness championship game.

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