The mid-major dream usually dies in one of two ways. Sometimes it's a blowout where the glass slipper shatters before the first TV timeout. Other times, it's a slow, agonizing realization that the bigger school simply has more "dudes."
When we look back at Drake basketball vs Texas Tech in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, it was definitely the latter.
People expected a shootout. They got a physical grind. By the time the horn sounded at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, the scoreboard read 77-64 in favor of the Red Raiders. But that score doesn't actually tell you how close—and yet how far away—the Bulldogs really were.
Drake was coming off an emotional high. They had just dispatched Missouri. They had 31 wins. Ben McCollum, in his first year, was treating the Big 12 like his old D2 stomping grounds at Northwest Missouri State. Honestly, for about ten minutes, it looked like the Bulldogs might actually pull it off. They jumped out to a 16-12 lead. The ball movement was crisp. Daniel Abreu, who had been struggling from deep, suddenly couldn't miss.
Then, Grant McCasland made an adjustment. He stopped trying to out-finesse the Bulldogs and decided to just beat them up.
The Physicality Gap in Drake Basketball vs Texas Tech
The biggest misconception about this matchup was that Drake’s "unique" system would confuse the Red Raiders. It didn't. You've got to remember that these teams actually played a secret scrimmage back in October. Texas Tech won that one by nine. They knew exactly what was coming.
Texas Tech leaned on two specific players: JT Toppin and Darrion Williams.
These guys are absolute monsters. Combined, they dropped 33 of Tech’s 37 first-half points. They weren't hitting complicated step-backs or flashy circus shots. They were just living in the paint. Drake’s interior defense, which had been a top-10 unit in the Missouri Valley, looked small for the first time all year.
Why the Bulldogs' Offense Stalled
- The Bennett Stirtz Factor: The MVC Player of the Year finished with 21 points, but it took him 19 shots to get there. Texas Tech’s Elijah Hawkins made him work for every single inch of hardwood.
- The Perimeter Freeze: Mitch Mascari is a knockdown shooter. He’s the guy who usually breaks games open for Drake. Against Tech? Zero points. Not a single bucket.
- The Turnover Paradox: Usually, Drake wins by taking care of the ball. They only had 5 turnovers in this game. That’s elite. But Texas Tech also only had 5 turnovers. When you don't get those "cheap" points off mistakes, you have to win on raw talent.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Matchup
A lot of fans point to the free throw line as the reason Drake lost. Sure, Texas Tech hit 19 of 22 from the stripe, but the game was won on the boards. The Red Raiders outrebounded Drake 33 to 25.
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In a game with a slow pace—only 5 turnovers per team—every missed rebound is basically a death sentence. Drake fell to 6-2 on the season when losing the battle of the boards.
It’s also worth noting the bench disparity. Drake actually outscored Texas Tech's reserves 24 to 3. Think about that. Drake’s bench was fantastic. Kael Combs and Daniel Abreu gave them a massive lift. But Texas Tech's starters were so dominant that it didn't even matter.
McCollum mentioned after the game that they had to "pick their poison." They chose to let Tech try to beat them with "tough twos" instead of open threes. The problem? For Toppin and Williams, those twos weren't actually that tough.
The Future of the Rivalry
Is this a "rivalry" now? Probably not in the traditional sense. But the connections are there. McCasland and McCollum are actually close friends. They share similar defensive philosophies. They both value high-IQ players who don't turn the ball over.
But there is a lingering "what if" for Drake fans.
What if the game wasn't in Wichita? Drake had a school-record 31-4 mark, but they struggled in that specific arena, going 2-2 there. It’s a neutral site that felt a lot like a home game for the Big 12 fans who traveled up from Lubbock.
Actionable Insights for the Next Matchup
If these two programs meet again in the 2025-26 season or another tournament, keep an eye on these specific metrics:
- Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%): In their last meeting, Tech shot a blistering 53.8% from the floor. Drake has to keep that under 48% to have a chance.
- The "Second Unit" Minutes: If Drake's bench continues to produce like it did in Wichita, they can survive foul trouble, but only if their starters can stay within 5 points in the paint.
- The Secret Scrimmage Factor: Always check if these teams have met behind closed doors. Coaches like McCasland use those tapes to install specific defensive "kills" that mid-majors rarely see during the regular season.
Drake’s season ended with a 77-64 loss, but they proved they belong on the same court as the Big 12's best. They just couldn't bridge the gap between "really good" and "Power 5 elite" on that specific Saturday night.