Secret Scrimmage & National Stage

(St. Louis, MO) – Drake and Texas Tech began the season with a ‘secret scrimmage’ and will now play the second of two bookend meetings. Coaches Ben McCollum and Grant McCasland are old friends so they brought their teams together for a preseason scrimmage.

Texas Tech won the game 75-66, but it was that ‘secret scrimmage’ that actually catapulted Drake to its great success. During McCollum’s and most of his players’ first season at the Division 1 level, the Bulldogs (31-3) have been wildly successful. But it was that scrimmage that helped McCollum’s collection of Division 2 players believe they could compete at college basketball’s highest level.

One source close to the team told me, ‘it was that scrimmage that let our guys know they could play against the best. It might have been the key to the season.’

Secret Scrimmage & National Stage

McCollum and McCasland are great friends. Each coach bragged about the other during Friday’s press conferences. Their relationship spans years at the lower levels and they are in constant communication throughout the season.

So, the secret scrimmage just made sense. Now the two teams play on the national stage against one another. What was secret, just because we didn’t know, is that McCasland and McCollum are tremendously close.

While McCasland respects McCollum as a coach, he brags about who the Drake coach is as a person even more.

“You know, I could talk about Ben as a basketball coach, but a lot of people talk about basketball with him,” said McCasland. “But we just don’t talk about basketball that often. I just love his family. What I’ll say about Ben, he’s an awesome husband, and he’s a great father. So, to me in this profession a lot of people are trying to figure out what the next step is, and he’s one of those guys that has a ton of opportunities, but what I respect about him the most is just that he loves his family and that he cares deeply about who he is with more than he cares about what’s next. That’s rare I think in this day. Those are the things we talk about more than anything, and that’s what I respect about him the most.”

McCollum began a relationship with Texas Tech assistant Jeff Linder and it has grown into a relationship with the entire Red Raider staff. There is great great mutual respect and friendship between them.

“I know that Grant and Jeff were really close,” said McCollum. “One summer I went to an event in Dallas and spent a lot of time with Grant. Then became really close with him. All the people on that staff are pretty close friends. So, it’s a good relationship. You know, he helps me a lot. Jeff, obviously, helps me a lot. I feel like I help them quite a bit as well.”

What about playing one another on the national stage?

“You know, a couple of weeks ago we said what if we both make the NCAA Tournament and have to play each other?” thought McCollum. “Then that bracket came up, and it was, like, you got to be kidding me. I think for guys like myself and Jeff and Grant and all those guys, competition isn’t a personal.”

The Matchup

Third seeded Texas Tech (26-8) defeated UNC Wilmington 82-72, but has been playing without third leading scorer Chance McMillian since the middle of March. The Red Raiders are 5-1 this month and McCasland says he hopes to get McMillian back, for today’s game, but his availability will be a game time decision.

Drake defeated Missouri 67-57 and Bennett Stirtz says the Bulldogs have great respect for the Red Raiders.

“(We’re) Just trying to stay level-headed, I think that helps a lot,” said Stirtz. “Just respect our opponent. We know they’re a great team coming in. We’re going to have to trust our coaching staff and trust them with the spots that they’ll get us in.Texas Tech kind of plays fast. I think it’s the threat of the shooting three that hurts the most, so our defense can’t get spread out. We’ll have to stay shrunk and just not let the threat of the shot affect our defense. Just trust our spots out there. Yeah, just stay intact.”

Texas Tech is another power conference team (Big Twelve) that averages 80 points per game. Once again, Drake’s challenge will be to slow down a high-powered offense and run its efficient offense. It is the same script and just a different opponent.

Drake’s secret scrimmage with Texas Tech propelled the Bulldogs to success and now a game amongst friends, on the national stage will send one of these teams to the Sweet Sixteen.

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