The Drake Bulldogs take their 21-game win streak on the road tonight to face Southern Illinois. The Salukis are 59-1 in their last 60 games at home, but Drake coach Keno Davis says his team comes in with confidence.
Davis says it’s arguably one of the toughest places in the country to play, but he says his team has played well there in the past, just not well enough to win. He says they’ll need their veteran leadership to stay close and have a chance to win. Drake is 13-0 in the conference as part of the winning streak, and Davis say they have to keep the same attitude they’ve had all along.
Davis says he feels there’s less pressure on them every game as they’ve exceeded expectations so far and every win just adds to it. The Bulldogs have had just one major injury to fight through so far in this season, although Davis says they have the normal wear and tear of a long season. He says it feels like an old YMCA or city team on the day after the game, with lots of bumps and bruises, but the only serious injury has been to Josh Young.
Davis says they are as healthy as they have been all season, which he says is important heading into the conference tournament in St. Louis. Drake can sew up the conference title with a win tonight and the top seed in the tourney. They have already locked up the number two seed, and it’s the highest seed for the Bulldogs since the third seed in 1986. Southern Illinois comes into the game at 7-6 in the conference, and 12-12 overall.