Drake basketball heads to Arch Madness with a solid at-large resume, but hoping to get another chance to cut down some nets.

The Bulldogs have been one of the biggest surprises of this college basketball season. How'd they do it? By hiring a Division II coach and bringing on a slew of his players to face the big boys of D-I.

Here are three things to watch with Drake basketball at Arch Madness, the Missouri Valley Conference's tournament, this week.

Drake coach Ben McCollum just wins. Google him. He could be a smart fit for Indiana men's basketball job, especially if the 'big fish' aren't biting.

Drake's magical men's basketball season is earning recognition from its conference. The Missouri Valley Conference announced its end-of-season honors Wednesday morning. To no surprise, the 17-3 league-champion Bulldogs had multiple honorees.

Valparaiso, Indiana; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Drake plays Valparaiso after Katie Dinnebier scored 36 points in Drake's 80-79 victory over the Northern Iowa Panthers. The Beacons have gone 7-5 at home.

The Bulldogs (27-3, 17-3) rallied late at the Knapp Center, defeating the Bears, 68-60, in the final regular-season game of the season. Drake will be the No. 1 seed in this week's conference tournament in St. Louis.

Ben McCollum’s first season as head coach of the Drake Bulldogs has been exceptional. It has grabbed the attention of college basketball fans nationwide and sparked discussions among Indiana Hoosiers supporters about potential future leadership.

The Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament tips off Thursday. with 12 teams fighting for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Drake and Northern Iowa went head-to-head Sunday at the McLeod Center with the top spot in the conference on the line. A Bulldogs win would guarantee a share of the Valley’s regular-season title; a Panthers win would mean a two-way tie for first place.