Wildcats go dancing for third straight year, 65-49

For anyone (including myself) who thought that this game would not be as emotional tonight because of all the circumstances which made it different from the first two championships, we were wrong.

The Wildcats marched into the NCAA Tournament with power in the paint, timely shooting from the perimeter and relentless defense, beating Elon 65-49.

Elon ran their gameplan nearly to perfection as they limited Davidson's open looks from the perimeter and played the shot clock down to the wire to keep the Wildcats from getting up and down the court. TJ Douglas was huge for the Phoenix as he hit six big threes from the perimeter.

But the Wildcats maintained their lead once again through defense and rebounding.

"Their defense is extremely underrated and their rebounding is phenomenal," said Elon coach Ernie Nestor. The Wildcats set new SoCon Tournament records for fewest points and field goals allowed.

"I know it's cliche but defense still wins championships," said Jason Richards. "It certainly won it this year."

Thomas Sander was named the Tournament Second Team while Jason Richards and Stephen Curry made first team. Curry was unanimously selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Sander finished off the Southern Conference with an impressive 11-point, 6-rebound performance. The senior forward overcame foul trouble to step up big for the second straight game in the tournament.

Curry pulled down five rebounds of his own and hit four threes en route to yet another 20-point performance. His play was relentless on both ends of the floor as he forced loose balls, directed his teammates with endless instruction and hit the big shots when the Phoenix pulled it close over and over again.

The Wildcats won their 22nd straight game in a row and 46th out of their last 47 conference games. Davidson did what teams like VCU, South Alabama and Gonzaga could not.

"As a coach, this is the most challenging, taxing, trying yet exhilirating experience you can have," said Coach Bob McKillop.

When CBS starts making their Wildcat features and writing their scripts, Richards and Curry will get their deserved ten-fold. But the story of this Southern Conference tournament was actually told in the minutes and play of Steven Rossiter, Bryant Barr, Andrew Lovedale, Thomas Sander, Boris Meno, Max Paulhus Gosselin, Will Archambault, Brendan McKillop, Can Civi, Dan Nelms and Mike Schmitt.

This entire team achieved perfection. That thing so fleeting and often unattainable to even the most talented and hard-working. These Wildcats did it.

Small Campus is Big on Basketball

The following was published in Thursday's Charlotte Observer, written by Davidson beat writer Kevin Cary.

The Davidson men's basketball team will play for a chance at the NCAA tournament starting Saturday, and the Wildcats expect some of their extended "family" to be there.

That family is the rest of the Davidson student body, which has embraced the nationally ranked Wildcats and given the team a boost throughout this season.

More than 70 percent of the student body bought tickets for games against Duke and North Carolina at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, and Davidson has had two of its five biggest crowds ever at Belk Arena this season.

It's a continuing trend over the past two seasons. Two years ago, Davidson averaged 3,000 fans a game to home games. This season, that number has jumped to almost 6,300. Take away the two home games at Bobcats Arena, and the Wildcats still average almost 4,300 fans.

Student interest has also soared. Fans camped out overnight for tickets to some games, and sections such as the "D-Block" -- a group of students who sit and cheer together at every game -- are constants.

"What you've seen is a love affair between our fans and our players," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "It has really grown over the last few years too. With our students, they don't sign up for a permanent seat license to show how they feel. They sign up with their heart."

Students are known for singing the song "Sweet Caroline" late in Davidson victories. But senior Will Bryan, the former sports editor of the Davidsonian student newspaper, said his classmates don't come just for winning basketball.

"Some of the students are fanatics who just love the game," Bryan said. "But that's just in the front. All of those rows behind them aren't like that. They are here because they have a class with (Davidson star Stephen Curry) and want to support him. It's not just about basketball."

Davidson students aren't in class this week, but many are expected to attend the tournament. Sophomore Wes Calton didn't miss a home game this semester (he was overseas in the fall), and he'll be at the tournament even if the Wildcats reach the championship game at 9 p.m. Monday.

He's not alone. Dozens of students from the small college -- Davidson has only 1,700 students -- have booked hotel rooms in preparation for the three-day tournament.

Calton and classmate Ahad Khan come to every Davidson game dressed as boxers, replete with gloves and a robe.

But they said the players don't walk around like they have championship belts.

"They are just like everybody else here," Kahn said. "The place you see them, just like the rest of us, is in the library studying."

But that doesn't mean players can't be involved in other things. Curry and fellow guard Bryant Barr are among more than 100 students playing the campus game "Assassins," where students are eliminated when they are sprayed by a water gun by a designated person. Point guard Jason Richards and forward Thomas Sander are among several players who have attended other sports events on campus.

"You just get to know a lot of people on campus," Richards said. "You see the same people walking around everyday; it's not like a bigger school. It's really nice. It makes this so much fun."

That fun will continue starting Saturday, when Davidson will be a huge favorite to win its third straight conference tournament championship. The Wildcats have the nation's longest winning streak (19 games) and have won 44 of their last 45 games against conference opponents.

Calton will return to Davidson for class Monday and then drive back to Charleston for the Monday night championship.

"I'm not missing that game," said Calton, who listened to Davidson games online from Peru in the fall. "We have something special here."

2008 SoCon Awards

The Southern Conference office announced the 2008 SCSMA All-Conference teams yesterday, with Davidson's Stephen Curry, Bob McKillop and The Citadel's Cameron Wells taking home top honors. On a day before the coaches ballots will be released, I thought I would provide you with my SCSMA ballot and several other awards that I think should be included next year. (Note that I do not include an All-Freshman team, but rather put them into the mix with everyone else).

Player of the Year: Stephen Curry
Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop
Freshman of the Year: Cameron Wells, The Citadel

1st Team
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Jason Richards, Davidson
Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro
Donte Minter, Appalachian State
Nicchaeus Doaks, UTC

2nd Team
Louis Graham, Georgia Southern
Brandon Giles, Western Carolina
Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Stephen McDowell, UTC

3rd Team
Drew Gibson, Wofford
Jermaine Johnson, College of Charleston
Ola Atoyebi, Elon
Donald Sims, Appalachian State
Thomas Sander, Davidson

All Defensive Team
Max Paulhus Gosselin, Davidson
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro
Jason Richards, Davidson
Nicchaeus Doaks, UTC

All-Choke Team ("We're playing Davidson?!? Twice?!?")
Louis Graham, GSU - 7 points, 9 TO's, 9 fouls
Tony White, Jr., College of Charleston - 6-16 FG, 8 TO's
Jeremy Clayton, ASU - 4 points, 7 TO's
Stephen McDowell, UTC - 4-19 3PT FGs
Eric Wilson, WCU - 8 fouls, 7 points, 8 TO's

The "Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home" Team
Nick Aldridge, WCU
Tyler Whatley, Wofford
Michael Porrini, WCU
Josh Jackson, College of Charleston
Bobby Cremins, College of Charleston (just wait, it's coming)

The "Man I Wish He Was Wearing A Davidson Uniform" Team (for good performance against Davidson, combined with admirable skill sets and character)
Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro
T.J. Douglas, Elon/Montell Watson, Elon
Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Shane Nichols, Wofford

2008 Dontaye Draper Award (for excellence in a four-year career that was not enough to carry his team to a championship)
Kyle Hines, UNC-Greensboro

Top Moments of 2008 Conference Season
10. When GSU cheerleaders threw megaphones on court after Davidson run
9. Max Paulhus Gosselin recording career-high 7 steals, including several in-bounds stops, on national television at Belk Arena
8. Wildcats winning big in front of packed crowd on 100th anniversary weekend
7. Every time that Davidson made it to 15 points before the other team scored
6. Every time that Stephen Curry outscored the other team in one half
5. Stephen Curry giving Boris Meno a hug on the bench before every tip-off in 2008
4. Stephen Curry for two...assist from Kyle Hines' back
3. Stephen Curry's mid-air switch to go in front of Elon in final minute
2. Max Paulhus Gosselin steal and Jason Richards' three-point play with cut eyebrow to cap 20-point comeback win at Greensboro
1. Going 20-0 in conference play for the first time ever

Furman post-game thoughts and quotes

***Photo by Brian Westerholt***

-The main story from today's game was Will Archambault. Finishing with a career-high 28 points, Archambault paced all Davidson scorers, including Stephen Curry who finished with 26. Both players scored more than half of Furman's overall point total of 51. Archambault's performance came on the heels of a solid seven points and four offensive rebounds against Greensboro.

"Will is a mirror of what our team is," McKillop said. "He is getting better. Throughout the season, his entire game has improved...much like our entire team. We know his potential, and to see him turn that potential into production is exciting to see as a coach."

"It was just during the games that [my shot] wasn't falling," Archambault said. "I had been playing well in practice, so I tried to attack the basket more and I kept shooting. It just started falling."

-As soon as the game ended, the Wildcat team rushed up the side steps with a signed ball for Dick Sanderson, a lifelong Davidson fan with ALS. Kevin Cary wrote an article about him last year after the Wildcats presented him with the championship net after Davidson's SoCon championship.

-Andrew Lovedale had a superb game...finishing around the hole with authority and not leaving the ball on the rim where it might fall off. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

-Davidson's defense was absolutely spectacular. They held Furman scoreless for the first eight minutes of the first half and first 4.5 minutes of the second half. "We put pressure on the ball and cut the court in half," Curry said. "We tried to limit them to one shot so we could get back on the offensive end."

-Jason Richards had a huge game at the point. Seven rebounds and nine assists despite not hitting a field goal. "We have put an emphasis on gang rebounding. Jason Richards had a huge game with seven rebounds," McKillop said. "We want all of our guys rebounding. We want all five guys working on every play, every rebound, every in-bounds. If you don't get rewarded, someone on your team will and that will be a reward to you."

Despite playing a five-win team sandwiched between big TV games against UNC-G, Davidson came out with fire and intensity and knocked Furman to the mat from the beginning.

""I thought we were very consistent today," McKillop said. "We built on our first half and that was encouraging to me. Our seniors understand that their careers are in the twilight. They want to savor every opportunity. They look at it as a gift and they want to use this gift wisely."

Davidson rips Cougars...again

Here are some quick post-game thoughts after Davidson's 81-56 win over the College of Charleston.

-I got several comments over the last few days for calling out Davidson's fans during Wednesday's Elon game. They showed up in force today and did their best to create energy in what was yet another beatdown in Belk Arena. I sat in the student section for the first time in over a year, and definitely felt the strain of creating energy when possessions become less and less urgent as Davidson's lead increases and the Cougars continue to jack up bad shots (they shot 19-50 and turned the ball over 18 times).

-Stephen Curry left the game early with two fouls and Davidson's offense slowed a bit without him anchoring the wing. It was frustrating to see capable scorers continually pass up good shots. On several instances, Jason Richards was forced to jack a bad shot with an expiring shot clock just because the team could not find a satisfactory look.

-Thomas Sander continues to get beaten up like none other. While I am not denying that he is a physical player and that comes with the territory, Sander puts himself into suicidal positions sometimes as he continually gets run over by 240 pound forwards while trying to take a charge (they gave him two tonight). His defense is very effective, but it often leaves him battered and bruised. He came out of the game and did not return after being hammered on a fast break.

-My favorite moment of the game came in the second half when Max Paulhus Gosselin let loose a three-pointer in front of Davidson's bench and Coach McKillop leaped 10 feet into the air as if his team had just won the national championship (in fact, I think he would have been more sedate if Davidson won the national title). Pens and paper came flying out of his pockets and he quickly tried to recompose himself by picking up his things. He was so proud of Max.

-Because of foul trouble and Sander being beat up, Dan Nelms made it into the game at the 11 minute mark. Unfortunately, Nelms was not very productive on the offensive end and he seemed to have trouble securing rebounds despite his height. He will be called upon to provide some important minutes next year, so he will need to be a little quicker and stronger.

Mid-conference season interview with Coach McKillop

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Coach McKillop after practice. Here is a script from that interview:

Will's World: We are now at the midpoint of the conference season in the beginning of February. How would you assess Davidson's first half of conference games?

Coach McKillop: We continue to work very hard in practice and our performance in games is reflective of that effort that we're making in practice. We are getting better. The steps we are taking are not giant steps but they are all steps forward. So I'm very pleased with how we continue to progress.

WW: This team has played seven out of the last nine games on the road. Briefly speak to the mental and physical toughness that requires.

CM: Conference play on the road is incredibly challenging. There's a recognition of the opponent by the fans. There's a more inspired and motivated fan base that comes out to conference games. And there's also the recognition of sets and styles and schemes and this allows a preparation factor to really be much more engaged. So you have to be ready every time you step on the court, and you particularly have to be even more ready when you step on the court in an away setting, because of the crowd, because of the travel, because of the familiarity they have and the lack of familiarity that you have.

WW: Could you speak to the increased scoring production of Andrew Lovedale after moving into the starting lineup?

CM: We've been very pleased with the development of our frontcourt and a lot of that is the fact of the inside-outside game clicking because our guards are willing to get it inside. And our bigs have not let the guards down because they are producing. And when shots are not there, they are willing to give it up and willing to throw it out. So that factor of the inside-outside game is much like a football team that has a passing and running game. And I think that the development of Andrew Lovedale is a great sign that the inside-outside game is working.

WW: Against Chattanooga, Jason Richards set a new career high for field goal attempts with 19. Talk about the fine line between his role as a distributor and his role as a shooter.

CM: Jason Richards is incredibly unselfish. Very rarely, if at all, will you see Jason Richards force a shot. Because of the constant chasing of Stephen Curry, because of the defensive style of Chattanooga, who floods the paint and collapses on penetration so well, it opens up some perimeter shooting opportunities. And Jason did get those perimeter shooting opportunities.

WW: You have made a lot of references to football throughout this season. Do you have any thoughts on Sunday's Giant upset in the Super Bowl?

CM: That championship was a perfect affirmation of what we aspire to do here at Davidson, defensively and offensively. The Giants made it difficult for the guy with the ball to look around and do what he wanted. The Giants offensively had a great blend of the running game and the short passing game. By not trying to hit home runs and guarding the ball, I think they had a great game plan.

Thoughts and quotes from Belk Arena (vs. Wofford)

-Too many turnovers tonight for Davidson. Richards and Curry both had four and the Wildcats coughed up the ball four more times than did Wofford.

-"We had the right people shooting the right shots. Barr had some big rebounds. We are really coming together right now." Max Paulhus Gosselin

-Davidson's free throw shooting is a virus that they can't seem to get over. Davidson was 10-17 from the line and didn't seem comfortable there all night. At one point late in the game, Wofford fouled Max Paulhus Gosselin to stop the clock and MPG visibly cursed at the prospect of needing to go to the line. He missed the front end of the one-and-one.

-Davidson needs to continue to have confidence attacking the paint with entry passes. Their frontcourt can do anything against anyone in the Conference. They proved that tonight when they opened the game up with big layups inside.

"I am delighted with our second half performance. We have to learn how to come back from a deficit. We set the tone at the beginning of the half and that was delighting." -Coach Bob McKillop

-Everyone was up in arms about Kevin Cary missing tonight's game. The Charlotte Observer sent a replacement writer that almost looked as young as me (he was certainly wearing my wardrobe). No one knew who he was and I felt a little awkward as everyone talked about the Charlotte Observer as if they didn't have a representative there.

-Tonight was only second time that Curry has scored more than 30 points at home. He now has over 200 three-pointers for his career.

"This was a good situation for us. It was different to have to play a close game, but we have to learn different ways to win. Our inside-out game was excellent in the second half." Stephen Curry

"It was great to see Steph [Curry] elevate us at times when I put him at the point. He made some pinpoint passes, that were also singles. That was great to see." -Coach Bob McKillop

The Story of their Friendship and Love for DC BBall

I come to you this Christmas Day eve with the story of two men. Their story has already been told to many by their friends, and CSTV's Josh Herwitt. Now Michael Kruse has gotten into the act. Bro Krift and Tripp Cherry are just two normal people. But when it comes to Davidson basketball, nothing can keep them from what they love so dearly. In yet another stirring article on why Davidson basketball is so stirring, so transforming...so real, Kruse has immortalized Cherry and Krift for their undying loyalty to each other and to the basketball program that Bob McKillop has built over the last 19 years.

"In the department of Davidson fandom, there's a funny but not altogether untrue test: The merely casually interested are separated from the truly totally committed by weeknight trips to spots on the map of the South like Statesboro, Ga., and Johnston City, Tenn.

Bro and Tripp passed the test.

[...]

This is a story about being a fan. This is a story about being a friend. But mostly, this is a story about the sort of stuff that makes people do things like drive 25 straight hours to watch 40 minutes of college basketball.

The good stuff.

The stuff that matters."

Wildcats break out in 2nd half to down The Citadel, 95-74

"If we don't become consistent, we will just be a shooting star, not a shining star. As a mid-major there is the chance to be a flash in the pan. We want to be like the programs who have done it consistently."

Bob McKillop's program took another step towards becoming a consistent mid-major power after blowing open the second half against The Citadel in the second SoCon game of the year. The Wildcats won 95-74 and improved to 2-0 in the Southern Conference.

Davidson was tied with The Citadel at 39 at halftime, but an offensive explosion led by Jason Richards' 15 points pushed the Wildcats ahead for good. Richards finished with 21 total points and 9 assists. He hit six three-pointers on the game.

The Wildcats played without Stephen Curry for most of the first half. He was hit in the mouth and needed seven stitches. He came back out wearing a #25 jersey and scored 13 second-half points to go along with six assists. Curry finished with 20 points for the seventh time this season.

The story of this one might have been the play of Bryant Barr. Barr finished with 23 points on six three-pointers. Last year, he hit a career-high seven three-pointers at The Citadel and at one point was shooting 13-16 against them for his career.

Davidson's second half run was sparked by aggressive defense and transition scoring.

"We told ourselves that we needed to make defensive stops. We came out aggressively and it worked out well for us with some transition points," said Jason Richards.

Davidson blocked a total of seven shots on the game and their defense forced 18 turnovers on 11 steals. Andrew Lovedale tallied four steals on his own.

"When you don't get stops, you are digging yourself out of a hole. Our defensive stops were key in getting creating scoring opportunities," McKillop said.

Richards' 21 points was his second highest output of the season. His 23 points against Western Michigan in November was a career high. Richards missed his first two shots of the game, but then went on a tear, hitting seven straight.

"Jason was shooting the ball well in practice and I expected that he could have a big game tonight. He's the backbone of this team," McKillop said.

Fans who left the game will be surprised to see the final score when they get home. The scoreboard reported that Jason Richards scored 22 points on seven threes. However, the scoreboard and statistics operators accidently recorded a three-pointer when Richards hit a layup. Davidson's final margin of victory was only 21 and not the scoreboard's 22.

Davidson will next face N.C. State on Dec. 21 in Raleigh.

Wildcats fall to top-ranked Tar Heels 72-68

Photo by Tim Cowie

Once upon a time, Charlotte was the home away from home for the North Carolina Tar Heels. But if tonight's local news coverage was any indication, Charlotte now belongs to the hometown heroes who live right up I-77. Judging from the news segments from CBS, ABC and NBC, this was Davidson's game to win, to lose and to show the country how good they really are. And by the way, they happened to have been playing a really good team from another county. But we don't care about them.

The Wildcats were within one or two shots of beating the top-ranked Tar Heels. But once again, Davidson couldn't break through to the other side and beat one of the giants.

The Wildcats led North Carolina for most of the second half despite shooting 4-22 from three point land. Curry finished with 24 points on 8-22 shooting. The sophomore had two or three drives that will be making Davidson highlight videos for decades to come.

After the game, Coach McKillop presented a different face than the one at the NCAA Tournament last March.

"When you have exciting games like this in November, it's great for college athletics," McKillop said. "I was proud that our team played 40 minutes of basketball tonight."

The Wildats' losses against Ohio State and Maryland in their last three NCAA tournament appearances all came after various runs from their opponents to stretch their leads. On this night, North Carolina had to play catch up as they tried to weather Davidson's storm.

Tyler Hansbrough finished with only 14 points on 3-5 shooting (his lowest shot attempt mark since last year's contest against Gonzaga). His play was limited in the second half due to foul trouble. After drawing an off-the-ball foul, Andrew Lovedale did not back down in a confrontation with Hansbrough and Psycho T was called for a technical.

Ellington proved to be the hero for North Carolina, however. He finished with 20 points including the clinching field goal with under a minute remaining.

Although this game might leave many Wildcats' fans with deep wells of emptiness in their stomachs, Coach McKillop wasn't so quick to denote this game as another failure to break through.

"We fulfilled all of our three goals for each game," McKillop said. "We want to get better, have fun, and play to win. We did all three things tonight."

Davidson certainly made a statement with its fan attendance tonight. The official number was recorded as 19,299, only 701 short of capacity.

"It was definitely a pro-Davidson crowd tonight," Hansbrough said afterward. "They made it pretty intense."

In other notes, Davidson fans should know that Boris Meno was playing with an injured shoulder. He received a cortizone shot before the game.

"When he missed that dunk, I knew it was because of his injury," McKillop said. "I'm not making excuses but we'll look back at that and realize how close we would've been."

Davidson 120 Emory 56

-Live blogging will continue tonight on this thread. I will have some other responsibilities so the pace will not be as frenetic, but updates will be posted at least at the media timeouts with a game story to follow.

-This game will be the coaching debut of Emory's Jason Zimmerman and Matt McKillop, both of whom played for Coach McKillop at Davidson.

-The Eagles are a very small team with no player taller than 6'6" and they play in the D-III UAA conference. Emory is led by lone returning starter Spiros Ferderigos who averaged 17.6 points per game last season.

-The team also features twin brothers John and Ryan Kresse, the sons of former College of Charleston coaching legend John Kresse Sr. The Kresse twins went to my high school in Charleston and led the Porter-Gaud Cyclones to three straight state championships in their four years in high school. Other famous Porter-Gaud alumni include Jared Cochrane, a former Wildcat football and basketball player, and Stephen Colbert from the Colbert Report.

-Game time will be at 8 p.m. to partially accomodate the semifinals of the women's soccer Southern Conference tournament which Davidson is hosting and participating in. The soccer team is ranked #10 in the Southeast region and will be taking on rival Furman at 7 p.m.

-You can get all the latest Wildcat coverage by going to www.davidsonwildcats.com and clicking on the Multimedia tab on the right side of the screen.

-UPDATE: Men's basketball replica jerseys are now on sale through the Davidson College Bookstore. You can go to this site to order replica Stephen Curry jerseys.
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Here we go here at Belk Arena.

Matt McKillop is all business as they announce the Emory starting lineups.

In other quick hits, UNC Greensboro is hanging tough with Georgia Tech.
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18:10 D 10 E 0
Davidson off to a quick start with a Sander 2 and 3. The Wildcat crowd is into it and Davidson is rolling. It looks the nerves from Wednesday have been shaken. Emory is just so small.
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15:26 D 18 E 2
The Wildcats are rolling with some stifling defense. Meno with two blocks in a row on the interior and the two man press is slowing Kresse down. Lovedale with another block. I'm surprised Emory keeps going inside. There's so much good Wildcat stuff happening right now, I don't know what to recap.

In SoCon news, UNC G just upset Ga Tech.
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14:15 D 20 E 2
First media timeout and Matt's old frat mates are yelling "who's your daddy?" All kidding aside, this must be a really tough game for Emory to take. Every pass is getting deflected, the Wildcats are attacking the paint insatiably and challenging for every rebound. Sander leads all scorers with seven right now.
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10:49 D 28 E 7
Jason Richards scores to put his game total at eight. While it should go without saying, Davidson is attacking the paint very effectively and both Boris and Thomas are making some nice shots after receiving the ball with their backs to the basket.
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8:20 D 37 E 11
Wildcats looking good on the break as the Wildcats keep breaking Emory down and finding the open man. Curry hits a three and now has 11 points on the game. Wildcats dominant all around. The fans are warming up for Wednesday.
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4:55 D 45 E 17
Since this game will count in the official stats for the season, you have to (well, you don't, but I am) thinking about some stats for national standing. Curry has 13 points right now, but even more impressive are his three blocks so far (including one on a three-point attempt). Jason Richards already has six assists. And it doesn't look like the Wildcats will be letting up any time soon. Rossiter has been a lion inside so far with a few great offensive rebounds over three or four defenders.

We'll have to see whether Civi will score in double digits tonight.
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3:49 D 51 E 17
Whip out your video cameras, Boris Meno just got some huge dunks on the fast break including on off-the-glass alley-oop from Stephen. The frenetic pace of this game is really wearing Emory down. Kevin Cary's prediction of 100 points is looking pretty off right now. I'd say it will be more like 120.
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Halftime D 65 E 25
Brendan McKillop gets his first points of his career with a three from the corner, and the Danimal (Dan Nelms) enters the game. First half stats and thoughts coming up.

Stephen Curry leads all scorers with 15. He also has 5 assists to go with 6 rebounds and three blocks. Meno has a nice line once again with 12 first-half points to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Two of Boris's field goals came off rim-rattling dunks in the fast break.

In fact, this game has a seen nearly a season's worth of Davidson highlights. Steph has made some pretty moves around the basket, Archambault had a big dunk and Boris and Andrew have made some spectacular blocks. Thankfully for Davidson, members of the newly formed student broadcasting network are filming from the sidelines for their weekly TV show.
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16:40 D 77 E 34
And Stephen Curry is wanting those threes now. He just hit two in a row and now has 24 points on the game. Despite 40+ lead, Davidson is definitely still jacking up shots early and playing fast.
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15:28 D 81 E 36
If there were any doubts about Davidson deserving to be talked about in ESPN magazine as a national sleeper, this game should pretty much erase all of those. Another long pass for an alley-oop and smothering defense under the basket.

The only thing that looks semi-ugly on this night is Will Archambault's haircut.
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11:20 D 92 E 41
The pace of the game has really slowed and turned into a half-court slugfest with lots of fouls, out of bounds calls and the like. I'm sure that McKillop would like to get us running again so that the subs like lil McKillop, Barr and Archambault can get experience running and converting on the break. Curry subs back in on the official timeout...he already has four threes and probably wants one or two more. On some possessions, he has just sat in the corner and yelled for the ball as it made the rotation. Then he still hit the three despite being completely guarded.
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7:57 D 105 E 45
And a Steve Rossiter three makes Kevin Cary look like a genius. The Wildcats break into 100 points and there are still 8 minutes remaining. While Curry, Meno and Richards might be riding the bench from here on, I wouldn't sleep on McKillop and Rossiter putting up some big points from here on out.
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3:35 D 114 E 52
Bryant Barr has put together some big three point shots to keep building the Wildcat lead. We still haven't seen walk-on Mike Schmidt or Ben Allison, who is in street clothes on the bench. Nelms looked a bit overwhelmed with his few touches in the paint. He'll need to use his height more effectively.
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Final D 120 E 56
And it looks like my 120 prediction wasn't that bad. The Wildcats end this thing with a big dunk by Dan Nelms and the students chanting "we want the tar heels." I'll be back with a postgame story a little later.

Cats overcome slow first half to win exhibition, 82-58

"We are climbing a different mountain this year. But we still know that we have to take it one step at a time." -Coach McKillop

Boris Meno led all scorers with 21 points as the Wildcats overcame a paltry first half to beat Lenoir-Rhyne 82-58 in the season-opening exhibition game. Meno had a monster second half on both sides of the floor as he helped the Wildcats spark an offensive explosion with defensive blocks and big plays in the paint. Meno was only credited with 2 blocks, but he had more than that.

Jason Richards and Stephen Curry also had strong moments in the second half as they led the Wildcat fast break and the defensive pressure. The Cats forced 11 second half turnovers and Richards and Curry accounted for four of them. The Cats finished well at the end of the break with nice layups and kickouts.

Richards finished only one assist and one rebound away from a triple-double while Curry put up 13 points, despite 6 turnovers.

"We definitely used our defensive pressure to our advantage," Curry said afterward. "It said a lot about our team to respond to adversity and open up a big lead."

The Wildcat bench also showed some spark as Rossiter, Barr and Archambault contributed key minutes and big shots. Archambault found the lane on several ball drives and was effective at breaking down the defense with his athleticism. He finished with seven points while Barr had nine.

The Wildcats could not pull away from the quick Lenoir-Rhyne squad in the first half. Many of the three-point attempts fell way short and the 'Cats looked slow off the ball.

"We were definitely playing with cement in our shoes," said McKillop. "But that's what these games are meant to do. Show you how to deal with adversity and give you experience with playing in the spotlight with the crowd."

A full post-game writeup can be found on www.davidsonwildcats.com.

McKillop, Wildcats embrace the bull's-eye

by Patrick McArdle, Co-Sports Editor of The Davidsonian (this article appears in the 11/7/07 issue of The Davidsonian as part of its 2007-2008 basketball preview)

Soon students and fans will walk down the red brick, across the road towards Belk Arena for the beginning of the much anticipated 2007-2008 Men's Basketball season. Last year's unparalleled success of 29 wins and a Southern Conference Championship took the campus and nation by surprise.

This year, however, no one underestimates Davidson, especially the national press. The most recent national article to laud the team appeared in "USA Today," emphasizing that top tier basketball and first-rate academics coexist at Davidson.

"I'm absolutely thrilled with the article and how it represented what we truly are, not just as a program but as a school as well," Coach Bob McKillop said. "Not many times can we have that story told."

Positive press, however, is sometimes a double-edged sword. McKillop and his staff have been negotiating the delicate dance of public relations throughout the offseason.

"You can't run from the media, but you can't stick your chest out because of it," McKillop said. "You have to understand why it's here. It's here not because of anything we've accomplished at this point, but instead it's about what has been in the past. And it's not just about what this team and what this coach has accomplished in the past, but it's what this program has done in the past."

While the team needs to prove itself again, the potential exists for another historic season. Unlike last year, one of the team's greatest strengths is experience, with all five starters from last year's team returning to the floor for the Wildcats.

Anchoring the frontcourt in his final campaign will be Thomas Sander '08. A versatile forward, Sander is versed in hard-nosed defense, rebounding, transition scoring and three-point shooting. Boris Meno '08 joins in the frontcourt, adding defensive versatility, rebounding excellence and senior leadership to the mix.

Joining them is a backcourt that ranks among the country's best. All-SoCon point guard Jason Richards '08 will again start for the 'Cats, utilizing leadership and the exquisite court vision that allowed him to tally the second-most assists in the nation last year. Richards has a great target in Stephen Curry '10, the phenomenal shooting guard who last year won SoCon Freshman of the Year and SoCon Tournament MVP. Curry led the SoCon in scoring with 21.5 points per game, ranking ninth in the nation last year. The final piece of the starting backcourt is Max Paulhus Gosselin '09, a defensive specialist who led last year's club with a .500 field goal percentage.

But five players are not enough to win against the grueling schedule. Luckily, the bench is also full of experience and talent. The backcourt bench runs deep, consisting of Will Archambault '10, Bryant Barr '10, Can Civi '09, Brendan McKillop '11 and Aaron Bond '11. The frontcourt is fortified by Steve Rossiter '09, Andrew Lovedale '09, Dan Nelms '10 and Ben Allison '11.

"When you go to the bench, when you go to your full rotation, there cannot be a dramatic dropoff in terms of the implementation and execution of the system," McKillop said. "Maybe we've had that happen in the past, but we feel extremely confident in the current rotation because of their experience in meeting that challenge."

Being consistent in implementing the game plan will be the team's constant challenge during the upcoming season.

"It's going to take 40 minutes," McKillop said. "We sometimes get amnesia during the course of a game against opponents who outmatch us in every way. We stick to a game plan and we stay within a system and we have success. But the consistency of sticking to the game plan and staying within the system has to have the duration of 40 minutes. The elusive quality of greatness is consistency."

On the offensive side of the ball, the plan is simple: attack. "All five players need to be in the attack mode. You can expect us to run on makes and misses. You can expect us to take full advantage of every out of bounds opportunity that presents itself," McKillop said.

One word also effectively summarizes the defensive philosophy: disrupt. "We love to break rhythm. Breaking rhythm causes a disruption of their flow, creates dry spells for your opponent and maybe allows you to go on a run that's not just a result of your attacking offence but is a result of your rhythm breaking defense."

The team looks to start strong early against Emory before its showdown with top ranked UNC. As McKillop emphasized at Night with the Cats, embracing the bull's-eye starts with the fans.

"Games can be decided by a few points. The crowd gives you that needed boost of adrenaline. The crowd perhaps puts the opponent maybe at a disadvantage confidence wise. The crowd perhaps influences the way our guys use their energy. And because of the crowd, we may be able to steal a basket or two or three and in many games that's the difference in the outcome."

McKillop Era Brings Renewed Success

When Coach Bob McKillop moved to Davidson in 1989, he didn't make too many long-term plans. While McKillop had been an assistant at Davidson in 1979, he saw this coaching stint as an opportunity to springboard into the coaching ranks of major college basketball. McKillop knew Driesell's story, and he knew that he could use this opportunity to his advantage.

In Driesell's first year, he made an immediate impact by upsetting Wake Forest early in the season. McKillop went 4-24 with a team that wasn't even playing in the Southern Conference. The next two years were not much better. By the time Davidson rejoined the Southern Conference in 1992, McKillop had been humbled enough to realize that maybe he should refocus his priorities.
The Queens native came to buy into the Davidson way and invested all of his mind and self in the Wildcat program. McKillop changed his philosophy and success followed.

The Wildcats made their first postseason appearance under McKillop in 1994 when they were selected to the NIT after losing by one point in the Southern Conference tournament Championship Game.

Two years later, the Wildcats had one of their best seasons ever as they went 14-0 in conference play and only lost three regular season games. But NCAA glory once again eluded the 'Cats as Western Carolina knocked off Davidson in the tournament championship game. It was a heartbreaking loss for a senior class that included eventual NBA player and Davidson Hall of Famer Brandon Williams.

Although the Wildcats lost in the first round of the NIT that year, a more important thing had transpired during the four-year careers of players like Williams and Chris Alpert: Davidson basketball had become a winning program again. The Wildcats won Southern Conference tournaments in 1998 and 2002 and have advanced to the postseason each of the last three years.

McKillop would go on to fashion the talents of players like Ali Ton, Landry Kosmalski, Michael Bree, Chris Pearson and Brendan Winters into a winning system. That system called for effective perimeter passing, unceasing picks and screens and the ability of every player on the court to hit jump shots. McKillop also emphasized extremely physical defense and smart basketball. Whether McKillop brought in a player from North Carolina or the Czech Republic, they were all taught to play one way: as a team.

Perhaps that is one of the biggest trademarks of the team's success over the last two decades. Davidson basketball has come to embrace a unique role in being a national competitor in a huge commercial business, while continuing to stress the importance of an elite academic experience. The recent USA Today article certainly summed up this paradigm in its headline: "Hoops, Books coexist."

With all the media exposure of the last few years, Davidson's program, and McKillop its orchestrator, has received recognition for its success, international focus, academic integrity and hard work. Yet, there is one modifier that is too rarely used to describe Davidson basketball or McKillop: dynamic.

Two years ago, Davidson sported one of its most experienced team of the last two decades and yet the Wildcats struggled to a 10-5 record in the Southern Conference. By the end of the conference season, McKillop decided that it was time to change things up a bit.

He shortened the practice times, he used more gags and jokes around his players, he started hanging out in the Union more to interact with the team in a different context. For a brief week or two before the Southern Conference Tournament, things changed a little. The 'Cats ended up sweeping through the tourney as a three seed and capturing another SoCon title.

Last year, McKillop took a look at his team personnel and realized that his system might need to be made more flexible. Throughout the season, fans saw a Davidson style of play that seemed really new: the players took quick shots, they played more pressure defense and tried to get run-outs, they were dunking the ball during warm-ups. During the press conferences, McKillop stressed a new theme: responsibility to your teammates coupled with the freedom to improvise a little.

Wildcat basketball has continued to be successful because it has been dynamic and changed in small ways when it needed to.

Every summer, when McKillop and his players and staff run the youth basketball camp, McKillop opens the week off with a call to be great. He brings out the 1964 "Sports Illustrated" in which Davidson was the top-ranked team in the country during the postseason. Then he says, "We can do that again."

Every year, there are usually a few 15-year-olds in the back who snicker at the proposition, perhaps dismissing mid-major Davidson to big conference teams. But this summer, McKillop followed up the "Sports Illustrated" with another display. It was Andy Katz's preseason Top 25 that tabbed Davidson as the nation's 23rd best team. No one snickered this year.


This is the final article in a four-part Davidsonian series on the 100th anniversary of Davidson basketball.

A conversation with Bob McKillop

Will Bryan: Davidson was picked to finish fourth in the media’s preseason poll and many fans wrote this team off after losing seven seniors. They have all been very surprised by this year’s success. Has anything surprised you about this season?
Bob McKillop: I believe that the consistency of our players’ getting better as the season has progressed has been a pleasant surprise. Usually there are bumps in the road. Usually there are days where fatigue sets in, or where a lack of focus presents itself. But these guys have been consistent in their approach to practice and in their desire to get better. We have seen the results, and that’s why we have had that success on the court.

WB: Talk about the emergence of this year’s sophomore and freshmen classes as being major contributors to this team’s success.
BM: I think you have to look at the emergence of all three classes contributing significant playing minutes. You look at Jason Richards ’08 who averaged only 10 minutes a game last year. Thomas Sander ’08 was a starter, but clearly the fifth option in the rotation, while Boris Meno ’08 came off the bench. Those guys have not only emerged as major players but great leaders. The sophomore class has been an energizer. Andrew Lovedale ’09 and Max Paulhus Gosselin ’09 have played their roles well, which allows the freshmen to fall right into place. Bryant Barr ’10 and William Archambault ’10 come off the bench and give us microwave offense; they can heat it up real quick. Of course, Stephen Curry ’10 has been as good as any player that we’ve had at Davidson.

See the rest of this story at The Davidsonian.

Streaks prove hazardous to Wildcats

Back on February 4, 2006, Coach McKillop walked into the post-game media conference after Davidson lost to Western Carolina at home. The loss snapped Davidson's 19-game home winning streak. The first question from the press asked McKillop whether ending the streak helped release some pressure on the players. McKillop quickly answered that ending a winning streak is never a good thing.

Ending a winning streak is never a good thing. You play the game to win the game. But on Saturday afternoon, Davidson did not win the game. Their 81-74 loss to Appalachian State ended the nation's second-longest winning streak and dropped the Wildcats to 7-1 in the conference. Although many fans of the Black and Red left Belk Arena feeling legitimately dejected, I assure you that this game is not a complete loss. Last year's seniors, to a man, pointed at the home loss to Western Carolina as the turning point in their season. They realized that, despite their accomplishments and talent, more was expected of them. It is time now for this young group to get a little bit older and the rest of the season will defined, one way or another, by this game.

A hard-fought game throughout, Davidson was unable to hit the big shots in the end and Appalachian State was accurate from the free-throw line. Davidson shot 29-69 from the field and 7-27 from 3-point range. Both teams forced double digits in turnovers, and Appalachian State had four players score in double figures. Davidson was led by Jason Richards and Stephen Curry with 15 points. Richards kept his outrageous pace for assists going as he had eight on the day.

With an attendance of 5,580, Davidson put up another record-setting day as they now have two of the top 3 attendance records in Belk Arena in one season. It seemed like there wasn't an empty seat in the building. I know that there were more students in the section behind the basket than seats allotted.

The game was emotional. The crowd was into it. The refs were not on their game and allowed the game to get out of hand in many instances. I don't think that they were unfair, I just thought that there were too many bad calls against both teams. Overall, I think the game exhibited everything that the Southern Conference hopes to accomplish: great crowds, intense play, close competition, and great basketball being showcased. Davidson basketball is an experience that should be envied around the Southeast. I am glad that Appalachian State added to the experience this afternoon, and I know that the Wildcats will be ready for the rematch in the Conference Tournament.

Throw out all the conjectures on at-larges and RPI's, this team has three days in March as its ultimate focal point. It is time to pick up the broken streaks and prepare for Georgia Southern.

Davidson at Arizona State

Countdown is under two hours now for the championship game of the Sleep America Classic between the Davidson Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils. ASU is coached by Herb Sendek who instituted a Princeton-style offense while at N.C. State. In the past few seasons, some of Davidson's toughest games have been against teams that have slowed down the offensive flow of the game and limited the Wildcats to fewer shot attempts. Davidson will either have to go crazy on the offensive boards, create transition points off of turnovers, or raise their shooting percentage. They won't be scoring anywhere near 80 points in this game if they shoot under 40% from the field.

The Wildcats showed some fatigue during last night's game as there were stretches in the first and second halves when they allowed Ohio to work their way back into the game through turnovers and missed rebounding opportunities. Davidson can't afford to be sloppy against a team that slows the game down and limits opportunities to score. It will be interesting to see how fatigue affects this one.

Look for increased minutes from Steve Rossiter, Bryant Barr, Andrew Lovedale and Will Archambault as the Wildcats try to use their depth to counteract fatigue and (if we get the same whistle-happy refs as yesterday) foul trouble. While Coach McKillop might try some pressure defense to create turnovers in the passing lanes, don't be surprised to see the Wildcats briefly come out in zone looks after timeouts. They have been very effective in messing with set plays and keeping the offenses off guard.

Final Prediction: Davidson 70 Arizona State 62

Davidson 83 Ohio University 74

OK, so I caved. I'm young and have no reason to get up before noon tomorrow. So here we go, we'll have up-to-date comments during the game tonight.
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It seems that we have Dick Snyder on for the halftime show. Let's hope I can stay awake til 1 AM. Kilgo has also talked about some travel problems with getting the team flown out to Arizona. I'd be interested to know if Ohio ran into the same bad weather.
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Only on Davidson Basketball radio do we get to hear Alien Ant Farm introduce John Kilgo from a commercial break. Pretty sweet. It feels really cool to think that most everyone on the east coast is sleeping right now, while we have a nice little group of Davidson diehards on the internet here.

In the pre-game interview, Coach McKillop talked about the offensive prowess of Ohio. He also mentioned the need for Davidson to use a little zone tonight. I'm hoping that we utilize it a little bit in the first half. For the first time in many years, we have a group of guys that are long enough to make passing very difficult when we are in a zone. It also makes scouting a little more difficult when SoCon squads have to put in a zone offense in their short weeks of practice.
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Things seem to be going pretty well for the Wildcats right now. We have been strong on the rebounds and defensive pressure as Ohio has missed quite a few shots. Big man Leon Williams already has two fouls for the Bobcats and is now on the bench. We have turned the ball over 4 times so far, but without seeing the action, it is kind of hard to know how they happened.
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Ohio seems to be having a lot of trouble inside against our big guys. With the junior Leon Williams with 2 fouls, and 6-9 freshman von Kempen now with 3 fouls, let's look to see Sander get some looks on the blocks. We have already hit 4 three-pointers, but I would like to see us continue to attack the paint. Curry leads all scorers with 6 points. Coach seems to be rotating Steph and Jason at point. That's an interesting arrangement, especially this early in the game. Bobcats just picked up their seventh team foul.
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With 7:54 left in the first half, you have to love the depth that this team is displaying. Steph has become a pretty solid backup PG, which was a point of weakness earlier in the season. Barr has hit a three for Davidson, Lovedale, "the Big Cat" (I guess it's better than Anthony Lovedale) has been very strong inside and Archambault continues to provide speed on the wings. Ohio is in some major foul trouble right now with van Kempen and Williams both having 3 fouls inside. I am a little surprised that Sander hasn't been seen more on the offensive side of the court so far. These refs aren't scared to blow their whistles tonight. Double bonus already for Davidson.
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Davis has been very good for Ohio so far. He has 13 points right now. Turnovers are really hurting us right now as the Bobcats are being able to get some transition points and keep their size disadvantage minimized. They seem to be doubling down inside, and Davidson needs to continue to work their inside-out game. Barr got open on the last possession and hit a three off of an inside feed. Over 17 total fouls in the first half.
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Pretty good first half for the Cats. They always go through a stretch of offensive inefficiency, but the Bobcats couldn't get closer than 5 points. It is always important to be able to hold off runs when you aren't getting points on offense. This team looks to be headed towards another 80+ point performance tonight. Although Kilgo might not completely testify to it, I think that these players are really playing loose right now, which is something that we struggled with last year. Playing loose allows you to be a little more aggressive on defense and relaxes the offense to a point where they are not pressing to create baskets.
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Good to see that we're attacking the paint so far in the second half. Although our 14 turnovers are beginning to get on my nerves. Ohio is finding some scoring on the inside right now too. The Bobcats can score quickly. Kilgo hasn't mentioned it yet, but I wonder if we utilized any zone tonight. McKillop might put it in right after this timeout.
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HAHA! I called it. The Wildcats come out in the 1-3-1 zone, before switching back to man.
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"Curry's in a hurry!" Wow, there are some real Kilgo moments tonight. Like to see Archambault get a nice basket inside and seeing Curry run transition.
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The offense seems to be slowing up just a little bit in the last few minutes. Ohio refuses to relent in the frontcourt and the three-pointers are not falling like they might for Davidson. However, our depth still seems to be causing them problems.
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Curry just picked up his fourth foul with 10.5 minutes to play. This might not be so good. We'll see how this affects our offensive flow. Meno and Sander might be getting some more looks inside. Gosselin just committed our 16th team turnover. Momentum is definitely in the favor of the Bobcats. We need to do more than just hold on. We need to be keeping the pressure on.
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Both teams are really starting to feel some major foul trouble. Ohio has hit some big time shots, and have pulled this thing close. In these last few minutes of the game, Davidson needs to be careful about fatigue. Ohio has a lot of momentum and have been beating Davidson to the glass on the offensive end. The Wildcats need to take some pride in their defense.
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With Curry on the bench, Sander steps up big. With two three-pointers and some big rebounds on the defensive glass, he's going to have lead this team in the next five minutes.
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Curry comes back in to hit a big three. Then subsequently fouls out. A little over 3 minutes to play, and Davidson will need to look to its big juniors to carry this team for 3:18 more. But after a Meno turnover, Ohio pulled the game to within five under 2:30 to play.
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Sander hits a clutch basket with under a minute to play. Williams fouls out and this game looks to be in hand. You gotta love the play of Sander and Richards late in this game. Boris finished with a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds. Juniors stepped up big tonight.
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Big win tonight. I'm going to bed. Whew. It's a great night to be a Wildcat.