The No. 5-seeded Drake Bulldogs (28-4) were picked for ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Now they have reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1971 and face No. 12 Western Kentucky on Friday afternoon.

Drake has generally fought for basketball recognition, even in its home city of Des Moines, where the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones are the kingpins. But for the second straight season, neither Iowa nor Iowa State has made the NCAA field.

‘’I think most people in the entire state of Iowa are behind us and want us to do well,’’ Drake senior guard Adam Emmenecker said. ‘’Things are changing. You used to go into a [sporting goods] store in Des Moines and you couldn’t find anything from Drake. It was all Iowa and Iowa State.

‘’Now Drake stuff gets a whole wall display. The word is getting out.’’