Usually it was Stirtz — one of the Northwest Missouri State quartet who followed McCollum to Drake — who was knocking down a 3 or driving to the rim. The Missouri Valley ... 12:40 to go.

Usually it was Stirtz — one of the Northwest Missouri State quartet who followed McCollum to Drake — who was knocking down a 3 or driving to the rim. The Missouri Valley ... 12:40 to go.

That unlikely group adopted McCollum's patient, slow-tempo style and then stormed to a 30-3 record, earning an NCAA tournament berth as champion of the Missouri Valley ... a lot of big games ...

introducing himself to the nation in the Big Dance. The announcers on the TruTV telecast spent much of the first half praising his game. Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year ...