Fifth-seeded Miami will face 12th-seeded Drake in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Here's a rundown of what you need to know about Miami's opponent.

Drake (27-7, 15-5)

Location: Des Moines, IA

Mascot: Bulldogs

How they got in: Tournament champions of the Missouri Valley Conference

Notable Alumni: Jeremy Piven (actor), Zach Johnson (golfer), Syleena Johnson (Singer)

Drake makes its sixth NCAA tournament appearance with the last coming in 2021. The Bulldogs defeated Wichita State in the play-in round and advanced as an 11-seed to play 6th-seeded USC. The tournament win was the school's first in 50 years. Drake would fall to the Trojans 72-56.

Drake's season

Drake finished second in the MVC to Bradley in the regular season. The Bulldogs have won nine of its last ten games with its last loss were to the hands of Bradley 73-61, clinching the regular season title. Drake shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from three that night. Bradley shot 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.

Drake would get its revenge in the MVC tournament. It would be a complete flip of shooting percentage as Drake shot 56 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the three-point range. Bradley shot 34.5 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Personnel

Head coach Darian Devries is in his fifth season as the Bulldogs' head coach. Before taking over as the head man Devries was an assistant coach at Creighton for 17 years.

Drake, the preseason favorite to win the conference, is in the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years. Devries son Tucker DeVries was named Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year while Roman Penn (All-MVC First Team), Garrett Sturtz (All-MVC Third Team), Conor Enright (MVC All-Freshman Team), Darnell Brodie (MVC Most Improved Team) and Sardaar Calhoun (All-MVC Bench Team) were all recognized with conference postseason awards.

Drake vs. ACC

This will be Drake's first test against an Atlantic Coast Conference team since falling to Clemson, 90-80, in overtime at Holiday Hoopsgiving on Dec. 11, 2021, in Atlanta, Ga. Drake defeated Wake Forest, 77-74, in the opening round of the Paradise Jam, on Nov. 17, 2017.

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Miami Hurricanes and the Drake Bulldogs.

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