Drake concluded a stunning turnaround from college basketball also-ran to conference champion.

The Bulldogs' 79-49 rout of Illinois State on Sunday gave Drake its first postseason title in the 32-year-old Missouri Valley tournament — and kept the season going, too.

"We've never come close to the NCAA tournament, or the NIT for that matter," conference tournament MVP Adam Emmenecker said. "This is the big deal."

Sure is. And the No. 20 Bulldogs are one of five schools with automatic bids to the NCAAs, joining Austin Peay (Ohio Valley Conference), Belmont (Atlantic Sun), Cornell (Ivy League), and Winthrop (Big South).

It's Drake's first trip to NCAAs since 1971 and first postseason bid of any kind since making the NIT in 1986.

Emmenecker, also the regular-season Valley MVP and a former walk-on, had 16 points.

"We thought that maybe by his senior year he could start for us," coach Keno Davis said. "He's exceeded all of our expectations."

Jonathan Cox had 20 points and Klayton Korver added 10 for Drake (28-4), which shot 55.6 percent and became the first school to sweep the regular-season and tournament titles since Creighton in 2002.

Elsewhere Sunday among ranked teams, it was No. 4 Tennessee over South Carolina 89-56; No. 9 Texas 62, Oklahoma State 57; No. 13 Connecticut 96, Cincinnati 51; No. 15 Purdue 72, Michigan 58; Ohio State 63, No. 17 Michigan State 54; Penn State 68, No. 18 Indiana 64 in overtime; No. 22 Gonzaga 52, Santa Clara 48; No. 24 Clemson 70, Virginia Tech 69; and No. 25 Davidson 82, UNC Greensboro 52.

No. 13 Connecticut 96, Cincinnati 51Stanley Robinson scored 18 points and had eight rebounds in a game postponed a day because of a Midwest snowstorm. Hasheem Thabeet had eight blocks and 15 points.

Penn State 68, No. 18 Indiana 64, OTDavid Jackson tied the game in regulation with a 3-point play and hit a decisive shot in overtime to help Penn State overcome Eric Gordon's 26 points.Stanley Pringle hit one of two foul shots to put Penn State up 67-64 with 15 seconds left in overtime. Armon Bassett missed a 3 from the wing, and Pringle lunged out of bounds to try to save the ball but ended up throwing it to Gordon.The Indiana freshman, known for his 3-point shooting, missed a 3 to tie.