1970–71 Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 1970–71 Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Drake University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season . The team was led by 13th-year head coach Maury John and played their home games at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa . The Bulldogs were 9–5 in Missouri Valley Conference play, finishing in a 3-way tie for the league title.
Drake received a bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Notre Dame in the regional semifinal. The Bulldogs would fall one game short of the Final Four in back-to-back seasons, losing to Kansas in the regional final, 73–71.[ 2]
This season marked the end of a streak – the only time in program history the Bulldogs reached the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons (reaching the Elite Eight all three times) – and the end of an era, as head coach Maury John left to become head coach at Iowa State.
Previous season
The Bulldogs reached the NCAA tournament for the second straight season, advancing to the Elite Eight a season after making the program's only Final Four appearance in 1969. Drake completed the season with a 22–7 record (14–2 Missouri Valley) and were ranked number 9 in the final AP poll.
Roster
1970–71 Drake Bulldogs men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
[ 3]
Schedule and results
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
Site city, state
Non-conference regular season
Dec 1, 1970 *
No. 10
Wisconsin-Platteville
W 107–73
1–0
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Dec 1, 1970 *
No. 10
Cal State Fullerton
W 101–57
2–0
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Dec 8, 1970 *
No. 7
at Iowa State Iowa Big Four
W 87–63
3–0
Iowa State Armory Ames, Iowa
Dec 12, 1970 *
No. 7
Iowa Iowa Big Four
W 72–70
4–0
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Dec 18, 1970 *
No. 9
vs. Texas–Arlington Texas Classic
W 102–83
5–0
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum Fort Worth, Texas
Dec 19, 1970 *
No. 9
at TCU Texas Classic
W 79–78
6–0
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum Fort Worth, Texas
Dec 22, 1970 *
No. 9
Minnesota
W 83–66
7–0
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Dec 26, 1970 *
No. 9
at Canisius Queen City Classic
W 87–74
8–0
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo, New York
Dec 28, 1970 *
No. 7
vs. Niagara Queen City Classic
L 77–87
8–1
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo, New York
Jan 2, 1971 *
No. 7
at Cincinnati
L 59–60
8–2
Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, Ohio
Missouri Valley Conference regular season
Jan 7, 1971
No. 16
at Wichita State
W 78–74
9–2 (1–0)
Levitt Arena Wichita, Kansas
Jan 9, 1971 *
No. 16
Tulsa
L 60–66
9–3 (1–1)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 13, 1971
at Bradley
L 85–88
9–4 (1–2)
Robertson Memorial Field House Peoria, Illinois
Jan 20, 1971 *
UMKC
W 130–73
10–4
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 23, 1971
Louisville
W 81–78
11–4 (2–2)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 28, 1971
North Texas
W 90–66
12–4 (3–2)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 30, 1971 *
Memphis State
W 93–70
13–4 (4–2)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Feb 2, 1971 *
DePaul
W 93–80
14–4
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Feb 4, 1971
at Memphis State
L 72–73
14–5 (4–3)
Mid-South Coliseum Memphis, Tennessee
Feb 11, 1971
Bradley
W 113–78
15–5 (5–3)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Feb 13, 1971
at Saint Louis
L 62–64
15–6 (5–4)
St. Louis Arena St. Louis, Missouri
Feb 17, 1971
at No. 19 Louisville
L 52–94
15–7 (5–5)
Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky
Feb 20, 1971
at Tulsa
W 87–84
16–7 (6–5)
Expo Square Pavilion Tulsa, Oklahoma
Feb 23, 1971
Wichita State
W 83–76
17–7 (7–5)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Feb 27, 1971
Saint Louis
W 89–85
18–7 (8–5)
Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, Iowa
Mar 2, 1971
at North Texas
W 65–60
19–7 (9–5)
North Texas Men's Gym Denton, Texas
NCAA tournament
Mar 18, 1971 *
No. 18
vs. No. 12 Notre Dame Midwest Regional Semifinal
W 79–72 OT
21–7
Levitt Arena Wichita, Kansas
Mar 20, 1971 *
No. 18
vs. No. 4 Kansas Midwest Regional Final
L 71–73
21–8
Levitt Arena Wichita, Kansas
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest.
All times are in
Central Time .
[ 4]
Rankings
[ 5]
NBA draft
[ 6]
References
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA Final Four appearances in italics