The No. 7-seeded Washington State Cougars take on the East Region’s No. 10 seed, the Drake Bulldogs, Thursday at (checks watch — yep that’s right) 10:05 p.m. ET in Omaha, Neb. The game will be broadcast on TruTV.
Washington State Cougars (24-9, 14-6 Pac-12)
Wazzu is a balanced group that finished the conference season top 50 in offensive and defensive efficiency, nationally. With the ball, Washington State attacks teams around the rim. More than half of its points come inside the arc. Though long-distance jacks aren’t the centerpiece of the offense, the Cougars are quite effective at making threes. Jaylen Wells, Myles Rice and Andrej Jakimovski can tear up defenses. On the opposite end, the Cougars bare their teeth, ranking among the top 40 teams in effective field-goal percentage defense.
Wazzu’s most obvious shortcoming, though, is at the charity stripe. It has made just 70.1 percent of its attempts. Close games will be a sweat. The Cougars only play bench players around 27.1 percent of the time. Depth is a problem. Their unchallenging non-conference schedule (No. 318 non-con SOS) also raises doubts.
Still, if you wagered on Washington State to make the dance preseason, congrats on the newly acquired island in the Bahamas. Widely picked to finish in the Pac-12’s bottom half, the Cougars greatly exceeded expectations. Kyle Smith can coach his tail off. Given the Cougars’ slow grind (near the bottom of the country in adjusted tempo) and sharpness on both ends, they’re a Sweet 16 dark horse if they can get past Drake. Their road win at Arizona was no aberration. — Brad Evans, The Gaming Juice
Drake Bulldogs (28-6, 16-4 Missouri Valley)
Drake is pugnacious scoring the basketball. The Bulldogs ranked in the top 30 nationally in effective field-goal percentage offense and made a spectacular 36.5 percent from three. They commit few turnovers, deliver smooth extra passes and pile up points. Fifteen times this season the Bulldogs have scored more than 80 points in a game. Tucker DeVries’ stunning versatility, Darnell Brodie’s mammoth size and Atin Wright’s scoring prowess make Drake tough to contain.
On the defensive end, Drake is at times tofu tasteless. The Bulldogs ranked No. 208 in effective field-goal percentage defense. Zeroing in, they allowed an abhorrent 52 percent inside the arc. Brodie encounters are a challenge, but if the whistles mount? The Bulldogs lack meaningful depth. Bottom line, they’ll need to shoot well versus teams with size.
Still, Drake defeated MVC heartthrob Indiana State twice and logged a non-conference victory over a stellar Nevada team. It is a school not to underestimate. DeVries is a sensational ball handler and scorer who, at 6-foot-7, is a matchup nightmare. As long as Des Moines’ finest can adequately defend and avoid foul trouble against the Cougars, these Bulldogs are entirely capable of donning Cinderella’s glass slipper. Love the Drake. — Brad Evans, The Gaming Juice
What: East Region, First Round
Tipoff time: 10:05 p.m. ET Thursday
TV: TruTV
Location: Omaha, Neb.
No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake odds
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Expert picks
Model projection: Drake by 1, total 136
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Players to watch
Washington State
- Myles Rice, redshirt freshman guard, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Pac 12
- Isaac Jones, graduate forward, first-team All-Pac 12
Drake
- Tucker DeVries, junior guard/forward, MVC Player of the Year, first-team All-MVC
- Darnell Brodie, graduate forward, first-team All-MVC
Library of Madness
(Photo credit: David Becker / Getty Images, Keith Gillett / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)