convincingly, 104–84, behind 28 points from Willie McCarter. Drake finished the season 26–5. Drake continued their success under Coach John in the next two seasons as they advanced to the Elite Eight of both the 1970 NCAA tournament and the 1971 NCAA tournament. Drake finished 22–7 in 1969–1970 and 21–8 in 1970–1971. In the 1969–70 season once again captured the Missouri Valley Conference title and made their second straight NCAA tournament. Earning a bye in the first round, Drake defeated Houston, with Coach Guy Lewis and Dwight Davis, 92–87. Drake lost to New Mexico State 87–78 in the 1971 Midwest Regional Final. In 1970–71, the Bulldogs earned their third straight Missouri Valley Conference championship. They made their third straight NCAA trip, qualifying for the 1971 NCAA tournament. There, Drake (21–8) defeated Notre Dame University with Austin Carr 79–72 in OT, then lost to Kansas 73–71 in the Midwest Regional Final. In 1971, after 13 seasons and a Drake record 211 wins, Coach John left Drake for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. John's tenure at ISU was short, as he died of cancer on October 15, 1974 at the age of 55. Bob Ortegel era Drake won their first national tournament title during the 1974–75 season, capturing the National Commissioners Invitational Tournament postseason title under Coach Ortegel. In the tournament, the Bulldogs defeated USC 80–70, Bowling Green 78–65, and Arizona in the championship game 83–76. The Bulldogs also advanced to the National Invitational Tournament during the 1980–81 season, under Coach Ortegel, losing to Minnesota in the first round 90–77 and the 1985–86 season under Coach Gary Garner, falling to Marquette 79–59 in the first round. 1987–2006 From 1987 to 2006, Drake did not have a winning season in men's basketball; the stretch included a 2–26 season in 1996–97 and a 3–24 season in 1997–98. The Bulldogs went through four coaches, none of whom finished with a winning coaching record at Drake. In the 2001–02 season Drake suspended four players at winter semester break due to their not abiding by the school's 2.0 GPA rule (NCAA requires 1.8), but despite having a depleted roster, the Bulldogs nearly eked out a winning season. Drake entered the MVC tournament with a 14–14 record; but fell to Illinois State 63–64 on a buzzer beating shot, ending the season 14–15. The next season (2002–03) Drake would finish 10–20, leading to the dismissal of head coach