Where is Drake from? Location, city, & more to know about Bulldogs basketball team

Brendan OSullivan

Where is Drake from? Location, city, & more to know about Bulldogs basketball team image

Drake has been a staple in March Madness over the past few years, and the Bulldogs will be dancing again in 2024.

They finished 28-6 and won the Missouri Valley Conference title after defeating Indiana State in the championship, leading to a No. 10 seed in the East region.

Drake will face No. 7 Washington State in the Round of 64 on Thursday, March 21, at 10:05 p.m. ET.

Tucker DeVries leads the Bulldogs and is one of the nation's top scorers at 21.8 points per game. The 6-7 junior also averages 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

For many viewers, though, the most pressing question around Drake is: Where is the university located?

Here's everything you need to know about the Bulldogs as they enter the NCAA Tournament.

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Where is Drake located?

Drake University is located in Des Moines, Iowa, which is in the central portion of the state.

The university was founded in March 1881 by George T. Carpenter and Francis Marion Drake.

For reference, Drake University is about 114 miles west of the University of Iowa, which is located in Iowa City.

Drake has about 5,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate classes combined, according to the university's website.

EXPERT PICKS: DeCourcy (UConn) | Bender (UConn) | Iyer (UConn) | Yanchulis (South Carolina women)

What conference is Drake in?

Drake men's basketball plays in the Missouri Valley Conference and has won back-to-back conference championships.

This conference was home to NBA players Larry Bird (Indiana State), Walt Frazier (Southern Illinois), and, most recently, Ja Morant (Murray State).

Here's a list of all the teams in the MVC:

  • Belmont
  • Bradley
  • Drake
  • Evansville
  • Illinois State
  • Indiana State
  • Missouri State
  • Murray State
  • Southern Illinois
  • University of Illinois Chicago
  • University of Northern Iowa
  • Valparaiso

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

Drake NCAA Tournament history

Drake is making its third NCAA appearance in the past four seasons, but the Bulldogs haven't escaped the first round since 1971.

The Bulldogs made the tournament three straight years from 1969-71, peaking in 1969 as the third-place game-winner.

Here's a rundown of Drake's March Madness history:

Tournament Seed Result Final game
1969 Third-place game win 104-84 vs. North Carolina
1970 Elite Eight loss 87-78 vs. New Mexico State
1971 Elite Eight loss 73-71 vs. Kansas
2008 No. 5 Round of 64 loss 101-99 vs. No. 12 Western Kentucky
2021 No. 11 Round of 64 loss 72-56 vs. No. 6 USC
2023 No. 12 Round of 64 loss 63-56 vs. No. 5 Miami (FL)

Not including the First Four, Drake will look to win its first NCAA Tournament game since 1971 against No. 7 Washington State on Thursday night.

Brendan OSullivan

Brendan OSullivan Photo

Brendan O'Sullivan is an editorial intern for Sporting News, joining in 2024. He previously worked at Newsday on Long Island, New York after graduating from Quinnipiac University.