Davidson beats UIC: articles

From the UIC official website:

Men's Basketball Falls At Davidson, 100-89

Davidson, N.C. - Despite five players scoring in double figures, the UIC men's basketball team was unable to keep pace with a red-hot Davidson squad on Wednesday night as the Wildcats raced to a 100-89 victory at John Belk Arena.

Davidson shot 58 percent from the field in the game, including a blistering 70 percent (21-for-30 FG) clip in the second half. Freshman Stephen Curry paced the Wildcats (3-1) with a game-high 27 points, 23 of which came in the final stanza. He also added nine rebounds and four assists in the win.

Click here for entire article.

Click here for box score.

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From Davidson official website:

White-Hot Shooting in Second Half Lifts 'Cats to 100-89 Victory

DAVIDSON, N.C — Stephen Curry scored 23 second-half points and finished with a game-high 27 to lead four Davidson players in double figures as the Wildcats opened their home slate with a 100-89 victory over Illinois-Chicago Wednesday evening. The 15th straight home-opening win improves Davidson to 3-1 on the young season while the Flames drop to 1-1 overall.

A freshman from nearby Charlotte, N.C., Curry hit 11-of-19 shots from the floor including three from downtown to score in double digits for the fourth consecutive game to start the season. He also led both clubs with nine boards, matching his previous season high that he set against the Michigan Wolverines.

Davidson’s Thomas Sander reached the 20-point mark for the second straight outing with 23. The junior tri-captain set a new career-best with three baskets from downtown and turned in a solid performance on the glass with eight boards.

Click here for entire article.

Click here for box score.

They're not happy on the UIC message board

Click here to read the Davidson game thread.

Here are a few samples:

Regarding Kilgo:
"I'm listening to the Davidson broadcast. This guy is a silly hillbilly!"
"this guy is killing me with 'Illinois-Chicago'. Has he not seen the Flames on ESPN at all or does he not even notice the 'UIC' on the team uniforms?"

The blog got a shout-out:
"finally found the link through Davidson's blog homepage, I guess they took exception to us not believe that Davidson is a good team."
Yep, you are right about that! (I'd say they know better now.)

Regarding Davidson's shooting:
"hmmm....UIC giving up wide open 3s each time down the court....sounds like we haven't learned a thing over the past few years..."
"seems like they have an answer for every big shot we make.....after every three that they come right down and nail another huge shot"

On Thomas Sander:
"No one can stop this Thomas Sander."
(They used to say that about Ian, too.)

Regarding their center:
"For the love of all that's holy, can anyone explain why Vandermeer, our 7-foot center known for defense, just shot a 3-pointer?... "

Getting respect:
"Davidson is a quality team and a tough place to play."

On our freshmen:
"Two freshman lit us up. Makes me think that Davidson is doing something right, two great young guys on their team."

And last, but not least....the token, post-loss rant:
"We gave up 100 points....that is freaking pathetic. We lost to a Davidson team that lost a lot of players to graduation...we end up losing to a bunch of freshmen by more than UWM lost at Michigan tonight....congrats Jimmy and Co. for once again making the HL and UIC look like trash."

Davidson beats Illinois-Chicago, 100-89

First Half passing thoughts:

The streaming video on SoCon TV is OK, but not great. It's better than nothing, but the audio feed is horrible....almost unbearable....too much crackling and popping. Maybe they will get it right for the next game. Anyway, I tried muting the audio feed and playing the streaming radio broadcast separately, but there was about a 10 second delay, so it was pointless.

Theme for the Widcats in the first half: turnover. The ball was all over the place, it seemed.

Curry's shot is off. Sander is tough as always.....and hitting 3-pointers?? (When did that start happening?) Sander left holding his head...worried about the concussion? I'm liking Will Archambault more and more....he seems like a player; hitting some good shots. Boris had a nice block on that attempted dunk, but doesn't need to shoot that 3...keep it inside the arc, Boris. UIC hitting 3 pointers like crazy, it seems. Had a good lead 30-22, but let it slip away. This group is clearly still trying to figure out just what this is all about, but that's to be expected this early in the season with two freshman playing so much.

Tied at half. I'll take it.


Second half passing thoughts:

Another Sander 3 pointer? When did Thomas Sander turn into Larry Bird? Another Boris block....Curry gets his shot going, and going. Mayo for UIC will shoot from anywhere...and hit it. Archambault not afraid to match Mayo's 3. Curry needs to hit his layups. Archambault needs a nickname, because I can't type that name over and over for the next 4 years. UIC hits yet another 3 from way behind the line....Archambault comes right back and fires another 3 at them. That Mayo guy is shooting from 90 feet, it seems. Curry really getting it going from outside. UIC won't go away.....13 point lead cut to 8 real fast. Boris HITS a 3? OK, I guess I stand corrected on my first half comment Boris staying inside the arc. Archambault hits from seeminly 30 feet....still liking that guy more and more. The Cats are going to probably eclipse 100 points against a decent D-1 team....and need to in order to keep the lead....UIC is scoring in a ton, too. Cats playing sloppy down the stretch....sign of a young team that hasn't played together much. Mayo continues to amaze me....hitting from 30 feet. Curry hits again. Wildcats win 100-89.

Post game thoughts:

When was the last time we gave up 89 points to a D-1 school and won? On the flip side, when was the last time we scored 100, and only won by 11? Good win for Davidson. UIC is tough.

Thomas Sander is the heart and soul of the team...he is really stepping up this year with his scoring. Along with Sander, the freshmen are turning out to do a great job filling in the gaps for the 7 seniors we lost from last year. Is Steph Curry an early leader in the SoCon Freshman of the Year race? Could be, but let's not get ahead of things.....long way to go. Archambault is right there with him. I have a feeeling that Barr will be making some much needed contributions as well. Overall things are looking much better than I had anticipated for this year, or at least for this early in the year. McKillop is obviously coaching his tail off, and has done a great job of recruiting talent to come in this year.

On the negative side, this young team is going to have some let-downs, most likely. As young as they are, and as sloppy as they can get at times....it's going to happen. However, once they have the season to get more and more familiar with one another, they could be very dangerous by SoCon Tournament time.

Click here for stats.

Reminder: UIC game on SoCon TV tonight

Click here to go to SoCon TV.

Click here to read more about it on the Davidson website.

Scroll down to read my other post about this, or just click here.

What they are saying on the UIC message board

Just out of curiosity, I went to the UIC message board. Their board does not seem to be too active, but I could be wrong. There are only two total posts that even mention Davidson. They don't seem to be taking Davidson very seriously, and not giving our team much credit. That is just fine with me. (One guy said last year's Davidson team was decent.....DECENT. Granted, they beat us last year when we apparently played poorly, but never mind the SoCon Championship and NCAA Tournament....and I digress.)

Here are the posts:

Post #1
"What are the men's chances against Davidson? The Wildcats are always so up-and-down, they could be flat as day-old soda, or sharp as a tack. Given the way we walked all over St. Edwards, I don't know that UIC is prepared for Davidson's knack for making every game a close one. Also, since Ivanov went out with the injury the other day early, UIC didn't face the kind of perimeter attack they will probably see at Davidson. I'm expecting them to call on Othyus again to bail them out when it gets tough (like they did against Lewis in the preseason)."
-Posted by Mcflamey

Post #2
"Hopefully, Jimmy remembers how Davidson played us last year. Davidson was decent last year...hard to believe they'll be better this year, but who knows. All I know is that they sprinted non-stop and were quite sloppy, but whether we made a basket or missed, they were immediately running down the floor on a break. UIC played horrible defense last year against Davidson and let them do whatever they wanted with the ball.

"I think it's a good test for us on the road so early. They may be up and down but that is the definition of UIC basketball over the past few years...you just never know what you're going to get. I think we can win, but if we repeat last year's defensive performance against them, then we will lose...plain and simple. And we need to be beating teams like this on the road. There have been some decent wins in the HL so far, as rambler63 pointed out...so we need to play our part as well...no more blowouts on the road to teams from smaller conferences."
-Posted by Big D

Click here to view the thread.

Davidson to host Illinois-Chicago Wednesday

From the official UIC website:

Men's Basketball Travels To Meet Davidson On Wednesday Night
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC men's basketball team opens a five-game swing away from the friendly confines of the UIC Pavilion on Wednesday night when they travel to meet Davidson at 6 p.m. CST. The game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1000 AM in its entirety beginning at 7 p.m.

The Flames enter the game 1-0 on the year following Saturday's 75-60 win over St. Edward's. Junior Othyus Jeffers paced UIC past the Hilltoppers with a career-high 24 points and five steals, while adding eight rebounds and a pair of assists.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a strong showing at the John Thompson Heritage Challenge hosted by Michigan over the weekend. Davidson went 2-1 at the event with wins over Eastern Michigan and Central Connecticut State, with its lone loss coming at the hands of the host Wolverines.

Freshman Stephen Curry led the Wildcats' attack in the tournament, averaging 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

UIC is 1-0 all-time against Davidson with that lone victory coming in a 76-67 triumph last season at the UIC Pavilion.

Note:
Click here to read the UIC Basketball message board.

Click here to read a season preview of the UIC team.

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From the official Davidson website:

Wildcats Look for 15th Straight Home Opening Win Wednesday vs. UIC

DAVIDSON, N.C — After winning two of three at the John Thompson Foundation Challenge to begin the 2006-07 campaign, Bob McKillop and his Davidson Wildcats will entertain Illinois-Chicago in their home opener Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

At the three-game event in Ann Arbor, Mich., Davidson recorded a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Eastern Michigan on Friday, then fell to host Michigan, 78-68, before cruising to a 91-64 win against Central Connecticut State in the final contest Sunday.

Freshman Stephen Curry led the way offensively for the Wildcats with an average of 21.0 points per game, earning JTFC All-Challenge honors. Against the Wolverines on Saturday, the native of Charlotte, N.C., poured in 32 points and grabbed a team-best nine boards.

Click here to read entire article.

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Want to listen to the game?
Click here to listen to the Davidson radio broadcast.
Click here to listen to the UIC radio broadcast.

Game Notes:
Click here for Davidson's game notes (not available yet).
Click here for UIC's game notes

Watch all home games via the internet

You can subscribe to SoCon TV and watch all men's and women's Davidson home games (along with a bunch of other SoCon stuff). I just signed up, so I can see as many games as I can. It costs $44.95 for the academic year, or you may pay $5.95 per game, if you prefer. I just went ahead and got the whole package so I won't have to mess with paying each time.

Click here to go to SoCon TV.

UPDATE: I'm not 100% sure about how good the resolution will be for the streaming video. I watched a clip from one of the tournament games from last season, and the resolution was not all that great. It was, however, good enough to watch and tell what is happening....it's just not like actual TV. Part of the problem had to do with the lighting in the building. Hopefully the lighting in Belk Arena will be better, so that we can more clearly see everything. I'd give the video feed that I saw a C+.

Fox Sports - Davidson season preview

Davidson: Getting Inside
from foxsports.com

Coming off an impressive 20-win season that including the SoCon tournament championship and an invite to the NCAA Tournament, Davidson returns, well, not much.

However, by no means is this a rebuilding year for the Wildcats. Let's call it more of a transition season. Davidson should still be competitive, and come conference play, after the team has time to mesh, it will win its share of SoCon games.

"We have a new cast of players and not great experience," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "We look forward to them getting playing experience, gaining confidence and becoming a cohesive group."

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Like always, despite being vastly inexperienced, Davidson will play one of the toughest schedules of any mid-major team, including road games at Missouri and Duke.

"There are some talented and experienced teams in the league," McKillop said. "I would think that we lost more than any other team in the conference. Last year, we were probably the most experienced team in the conference, and this year we're more in the middle of the pack in that category."

Davidson won't be able to compete with the College of Charleston for the South Division title, but a strong middle-of-the-pack, around-.500 conference finish is more than plausible. Next season, though, watch out.

Click here to read the entire article.


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Editorial comment:

"Davidson won't be able to compete with the College of Charleston for the South Division title, but a strong middle-of-the-pack, around-.500 conference finish is more than plausible."

How's that for bulletin board material? I think McKillop's bunch just might prove this guy wrong.

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Team Report: Roster Report

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Davidson fans might need a program the first few games this season to match the new faces with their uniform number.

The No. 1 new face to watch is a familiar name, at least to basketball fans, and that's Stephen Curry, the son of former NBA veteran Dell Curry.

A 6-0 guard from Charlotte Christian, Curry can score, rebound, pass and play defense. Don't be surprised if he starts right away.

"Stephen has a great feel for the game, excellent natural instincts," coach Bob McKillop said. "When you combine his skills and athleticism with an exceptionally high basketball IQ and excellent toughness, you get a rare talent. It's not often that you see a freshman with all those traits, and he's also hungry to be an excellent player."

Other newcomers who'll be playing from the get-go include 6-4 wing Bryant Barr, a long-range specialist from Maine, and 6-6 William Archambault from Canada.

Click here for entire article.

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Team Report: Notes and Quotes

STRENGTHS: First off, it's Davidson, and the program itself is a huge strength. While the roster is barren in terms of leadership and seniors, the players know that the program is an established winner......

Click here for entire article.

Tommy Amaker comments on Curry

“Well obviously that was an outstanding performance by the kid Curry," said Amaker. "He was tough to handle. He got his rhythm going early. He is a big time scorer and we knew that, and we still could not contain him. I thought he did so many things for them offensively and he stretched us at times. We had two people looking at him and someone else would pop open. He is a fine basketball player.”
-Tommy Amaker, Michigan Head Coach

From article: Michigan Makes Adjustments; Downs Davidson

Looking back at the weekend's 3 games

Full stats for the weekend for all four teams: click here
Discuss this weekend's games: DavidsonCats.com

Note: I was not in attendance for these 3 games, so my following thoughts are simply based on what I have been able to read about the weekend and heard on the radio broadcast on Sunday.

EARLY ASSESSMENT OF THE TEAM

Expectations heading into the weekend: moderate
Let's face it...we lost most of our scoring and the core of our team from last year. We're not picked to do much, and most fans probably expect this to be a rebuilding year. That's a great way to set the stage for this year's team......no pressure.

News flash: These guys can play.

Prior to these three games, I figured this team was going to be extremely young, and would probably struggle to find itself early in the year. Last year - since we had Brendan, Ian, and company - none of the current players had the opportunity to really carry the team. Therefore, I did not know exactly what to expect from these guys. About the only things that I knew were that (1) Sander is a tough guy and would do good things, (2) that Boris would do well, (3) that Richardson would be solid, and (4) that Lovedale would begin to emerge. We obviously all knew that McKillop would provide great leadership for the team (that goes without saying). Other than that, I had no clue what this team would do. I imagine that I am not alone in this.

With last year's group, I would not have been at all surprised to have won all three games (Michigan included in that). With this year's group of so many unknown and unproven players, going into the weekend, I did not expect to beat Michigan. I also didn't really know much of anything about Eastern Michigan and Central Connecticut State. I just really had no idea what to expect.

Results: Excellent
Beginning the season with a win against EMU was encouraging. While it's not a Big 10 school, it is a large state university with almost 24,000 students. EMU may not be a great team, but after losing 7 seniors,our team is almost starting over (at least it feels that way). I'd chalk that up as a very good win.

Losing to Michigan was not unexpected. Losing to Michigan by only 10 was, perhaps, unexpected. Having a freshman, Stephen Curry, drop 32 points on Michigan was VERY unexpected. That's no knock on Curry at all.....it's just rare that a freshman comes in against the Wolverines in his second-ever college game and knocks down 32 against them in their house. Nobody is really in favor of moral victories, but this game may be a sign of good things to come this year.

Crushing CCSU by 27 points was a fitting finale to the weekend. Granted, CCSU is not a good team at all. However, with the young bunch we have on the team, who knows what could have happened? Like EMU, CCSU is a large school with over 12,000 students. In the game, Curry was apparently off a little, but still put up 16 points. Jason Richardson and Boris chipped in with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Thomas Sander apparently decided to put on a show, and lit up CCSU for 26 points.....which included at least one 3-pointer. If we start getting that type of production out of Sander, we're going to be just fine. Sander is a tough son-of-a-gun.

Conclusion from the weekend:
We've got talent..no doubt. The freshman are going to be making great contributions. Stephen Curry obviously began to make a name for himself by leading all the players on all four teams in scoring for the weekend. Will Archambault played solid minutes, averaging 8.7 points per game in the first three games of his college career. Freshman Bryant Barr came in a the end of the CCSU game to hit 5 quick points, apparently in front of a bunch of his family. (That must have been a thrill for him.) Clearly, Thomas Sander is going to be a great leader on this team, as well as Richardson and Meno.

After the CCSU game, McKillop gave this weekend an overall grade of "A". I would have to agree. Starting out 2-1, and finding out we've got some real talent in this year's freshman class was a great way to begin the season. I really think we've got a chance to surprise alot of people this year. I'm already looking forward to heading to Charleston in March.

Outlook for the next week:
Now we've got the University of Illinois-Chicago coming to Davidson on Wednesday. I'm sure the guys would like to get a little revenge against them for last year's loss. Then on Sunday, it would be great to make it 3 in a row against Missouri (at Missouri). Without a doubt, they are going to be ready to pounce on Davidson after what the team has done to Missouri the past 2 years. They will not be taking us lightly. However, with the way Davidson has emerged from this past weekend's games, I would not be surprised to see the winning streak against Missouri continue.

Who knows? This could wind up being another special season under McKillop.

Curry makes All-Challenge Team

John Thompson Challenge: All-Challenge Team

Stephen Curry, Davidson*
Javier Mojica, Central Connecticut State
Carlos Medlock, Eastern Michigan
Ron Coleman, Michigan
Courtney Sims, Michigan

Challenge MVP
Dion Harris, Michigan

*Curry averaged 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the 3 games played in the Challenge. Curry was, by far, the leading scorer for the Challenge weekend. Thomas Sander was the second leading scorer with a 16.3 ppg average.

Pictures from the Michigan/Davidson game

Photos by U-M Photo Services, Martin Vloet
Click here to see all photos from the game as found at the official Michigan Basketball site.

Wildcats roll past Central Connecticut State, 91-64

Sander Leads 'Cats to 91-64 victory with 26 Points

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior forward Thomas Sander connected on 12-of-17 from the floor for a career-high 26 points as Davidson cruised to a 91-64 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday afternoon in the final of three games in the John Thompson Foundation Challenge hosted by the University of Michigan. As a team the Wildcats shot 55 percent from the floor to improve to 2-1 on the season, while CCSU fell to 0-3.

Click here for entire article from Davidson offiicial website.

Click here for Box Score

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From CCSU official website:

Men's Hoops Drops to 0-3 on the Season on Sunday
Ann Arbor, MI - Junior guard Tristan Blackwood and senior guard Javier Mojica combined for 37 points and seven threes but the Blue Devils fell to Davidson, 91-64, on Sunday afternoon. With the loss Central Connecticut drops to 0-3 on the season while Davidson improves to 2-1. The game was the third in three days for each team at the John Thompson Challenge held on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday on the road at New Hampshire beginning at noon.

Click here for entire article.

Davidson faces Central Connecticut State Sunday

If you can't get the game on the radio, TV or internet audio feed, you can follow the progress of the game on Gametracker.

Click here for Gametracker.

Wildcats fall to Michigan Wolverines 78-68

Curry's 32 Points Not Enough in 78-68 Loss to Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Freshman Stephen Curry scored 32 points for Davidson, but Michigan was able to thwart several comeback attempts to fend off the feisty Wildcats on the second day of the John Thompson Foundation Challenge, 78-68. Davidson fell to 1-1 on the young season while the host Wolverines improved to 2-0.

Click here for entire article.

Click here for box score.

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From ESPN.com:

Michigan 78, Davidson 68

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Dion Harris scored 23 points and Courtney Sims added 21 to lead Michigan past Davidson 78-68 on Saturday in the John Thompson Challenge.

Click here for entire article from the AP wire.

Davidson "University" wins season opener

From EMU website:
Men's Hoops (EMU) Drops Season Opener

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Davidson University overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to claim a 73-69 victory over the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team in the 2006-07 season opener Friday night here at the John Thompson Classic held at Crisler Arena on the campus of the University of Michigan.

Click here for entire article.

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Editorial Comment: Davidson University? Do a little research, will you?

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From Davidson "University" (ha!) website:

'Cats Rally Late in Season Opener to Beat Eastern Michigan, 81-77

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After trailing by as many as 17 in the first half, Davidson rallied to win its season opener against Eastern Michigan, 81-77, in the John Thompson Foundation Challenge hosted by the University of Michigan. The young Wildcat squad overcame 32 turnovers with four players scoring in double figures, led by junior Thomas Sander with a career-high 19 points.
Click here for entire article.

Click here for Box Score.

Care to discuss the game? Click here to go to DavidsonCats.com and join the discussion.

Follow the EMU game on Gametracker

If you can't get the game on the radio, TV or internet audio feed, you can follow the progress of the game on Gametracker. It's not video or audio, but it does give constantly updated score, time and stat info. It's somewhat of a last resort, but it will do in a pinch.

Click here for Gametracker direct link for the Davidson/EMU game.

If the above link doesn't work, click here to go to the EMU website, and then click on the "Live Stats vs. Davidson" link on the right side of the EMU webpage.

Wildcats gear up for road trip to Michigan to play 3 games

The Wildcats open their season on Friday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan, playing in the John Thompson Foundation Challenge, hosted by the University of Michigan.

The venue will be Crisler Arena, which was "Named in honor of Herbert 'Fritz' Crisler, U-M athletic director from 1941-1967, Crisler Area has served as the seat of Michigan basketball since 1967. It's capacity of 13,562 has provided a superior venue for games, concerts, and commencement activities ever since."

Here's the game schedule for this weekend:
Nov. 10 vs. Eastern Michigan @ 6:00 (game notes: click here)
Nov. 11 vs. Michigan @ 4:00
Nov. 12 vs. Central Connecticut State @ 2:00

Links:
Eastern Michigan Basketball: click here
Michigan Basketball website: click here
Central Conn. State Basketball website: click here

Here's a link to Michigan's game notes for the weekend: Click here
Here's a link to Central Connecticut State's game notes for the weekend: Click here
Here's a link to Eastern Michigan's game notes for the weekend: Click here

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Preview of Eastern Michigan:
Eastern Michigan returns two starters from last year’s club that finished the 2005-06 season with a 7-21 overall record and 3-15 mark in the MAC.

Article from EMU site: EMU to Play in John Thompson Challenge

Crisler Arena Replica Model: (I know the picture of this miniature Crisler Arena was completely unnecessary, but it was so ridiculous that I couldn't resist.)

Want to submit something?

Feel free to submit articles that you may write, newsworthy links, and other assorted Davidson Basketball related info to me at: davidsonbasketball94@yahoo.com

I may post your article or link on the blog. I'm always up for a little help.

Blog updated for 2006-07

I've updated the roster and pictures in the sidebar, and made a few other minor changes for this season.

I'm in the process of coming up with a possible new look, as this standard "blogger.com" template look is geting old. I've also reserved a new domain, www.davidsonbasketball.net, which will ultimately be the new domain for the blog. I don't know if I will get around to moving the site over to the new domain this season. I'll just see how it goes. I've got a little research to do before I get the new site up and running. Don't count on anything drastic any time soon. I'll be sure to let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, I'll keep blogging away to try to keep you updated as to the happenings of DC basketball.

Official Outlook for 2006-07

2006-07 Season Outlook

Davidson coach Bob McKillop is always up for a good challenge. That's the good news, because with seven players graduated from last year's Southern Conference champions, he has his work cut out for him if he hopes to keep the Wildcats in a challenging position for the 2007 SoCon championship.

Click here for entire article.

Unofficial Davidson 2006-07 outlook

Davidson Wildcats 2006-2007 Basketball Preview
By Ricky Dimon

When the final buzzer sounded on their 2006 season after a close loss in the NCAA Tournament to the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes, the Davidson Wildcats endured a mass exodus of UNC-post-2005 proportions.

Gone are starters Brendan Winters, Matt McKillop, Ian Johnson, and Kenny Grant. Super-sub Jason Morton and valuable reserve Eric Blancett have also departed. In total the Cats graduated 59.4 points per game, or 76.6% of their total scoring last season. They parted with their floor general, their emotional leader, perhaps the most polished big man in the conference, and the MVP of the 2006 Southern Conference Tournament.

Fortunately, the Cats are not without the man at the top, Bob McKillop. Despite several off-season rumors linking the coach to major conference schools such as Seton Hall and Kansas State, McKillop is back for is 18th season at the helm of the Davidson Wildcats. He’s established the program as perennial Southern Conference powerhouse, leading the Cats to NCAA Tournament berths in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Let’s also not forget that another year, 2005, Davidson went 16-0 in Southern Conference play before being upset by UNC-Greensboro at the SoCon Tournament.

Click here for entire article.

Open Letter to Coach McKillop

Coach McKillop:

On behalf of all of the Davidson Basketball fans, I want to say "thank you".

First, I want to thank you for coming to Davidson. Hiring you as the coach in 1989 was far and away the best decision the athletic department had made in a long, long time. You brought a winning attitude to our school, and you have not wavered in your commitment to winning. You brought players to our school that represent Davidson proudly both on and off the court, yet you still managed to win year after year. Your record on the court speaks for itself. Your players' graduation rate and other accomplishments off the court also speak volumes.

Second, I want to thank you for staying at Davidson. It is common knowledge that some bigger schools have courted you, and you have probably had some opportunities to leave that none of us know anything about. The stabillity you have provided for the basketball program has been unbelievably important. You have been a blessing for Davidson. Without your constant presence, the incredible success the program has enjoyed over the past two decades would not have been possible.

We thank you for everything you have done for Davidson. You ARE Davidson Basketball. We just hope that we can keep you around until you retire. We look forward to many, many more years with you on the sideline.

Thank you, Coach.

Best Coaching Staff in the SoCon

Head Coach: Bob McKillop
Associate Head Coach: Matt Matheny
Assistant Coach: Jim Fox
Assistant Coach: Tim Sweeney
Director of Basketball Operations: Jeremy Henney

Freshman Curry scores 27 in debut

Freshman Curry Scores 27 in Wildcats 84-64 Exhibition Win over Guelph

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Freshman Stephen Curry led four Wildcat players in double-figures with 27 points as Davidson cruised to an 84-64 exhibition victory over the University of Guelph in men’s basketball action Friday evening at Belk Arena.

Curry, a 6-1 guard from nearby Charlotte, N.C., and product of Charlotte Christian poured in 18 of his final points total including four treys in the first stanza. The frosh also concluded his preseason debut with seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals and just one miscue.

The Wildcats were also led by juniors Boris Meno and Jason Richards, who contributed 18 and 16 points, respectively. Meno hit seven of his 10 attempts and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, six on the offensive side to finish with a double-double. Freshman William Archambault was the other Davidson player to hit double-digits as he added 13 off the bench in 22 minutes of action.

Click here for entire article from Davidson official website.

Game Notes: Click here.
Box Score: Click here.

Archambault skies to the rim for a two-handed flush early in the second half.

Cougars the trendy pick to win SoCon

Wildcats picked to finish 4th in South Division.

Article from The State in Columbia, SC:

Cremins’ Cougars lead pack in SoCon
Former Ga. Tech coach has C of C poised to make run at conference title
By BOB GILLESPIE

GREENVILLE — Wofford basketball coach Mike Young has the perfect description for the mix of new College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins and the team he will put on the floor this season: “The Perfect Storm.”

It’s not enough, Young said during the Southern Conference’s Tip-Off media day, that Cremins instantly becomes the league’s highest-profile coach. The former USC player, Georgia Tech coach and TV analyst also has the returning players to live up to high expectations.

“(Former Cougars coach) Tom Herrion left the talent level there in superior shape,” Young said. “And Bobby will do a great job of getting all the pieces going in the proper direction.

Click here for entire article.

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Article from The Greenville News (SC):

Furman picked second in SoCon's south division

Thursday, November 2, 2006

By Ann GreenSTAFF WRITER

Furman coach Jeff Jackson attended his first Southern Conference Basketball Tip-off on Wednesday and got a nice "welcome to Greenville" present.

His men's team was picked by the SoCon coaches to finish second in the league's south division behind another team with a new head coach, the College of Charleston under Bobby Cremins.

"I don't think we'll be boring. We'll play at a pretty good pace," Jackson said at the annual gathering of the coaches and the media at the Greenville Hilton.

Jackson, a former Vanderbilt assistant named to replace Larry Davis last April, said he's pleased with his team's work ethic. The men are preparing for an exhibition game Saturday night (7 p.m.) vs. Francis Marion in Timmons Arena, then will open the season at home Nov. 11 vs. Charleston Southern.

Click here for entire article.

Scrimmage

The Davidson Wildcats scrimmaged last Saturday against the Davidson Wildcats.

The Davidson Wildcats won.

GO WILDCATS!!

A Night with the 'Cats

Friday - October 13th, 6-9 p.m.

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Don’t miss your first opportunity to witness both the Davidson men’s and women’s basketball teams in “A Night With the ‘Cats” Friday, Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Belk Arena on the campus of Davidson College.

Activities Include: FREE Kids Carnival and Prizes, Cake Walk, Student Competitions, Meet the Teams, Performances by Both Teams, Autograph Sessions, Speeches and Food Vendors — Bellacino’s, Chick-fil-A and Matt’s Chicago Dogs.

Admission is Free, for more information call (704) 894-2374.

Click here for flyer.

DC Basketball Blog traffic info

For anybody that might be interested, here's a graph showing the hits and page views for the past year. Keep in mind that the blog didn't start until January. The traffic was predictably highest in March, during tournament time, with a big drop-off after the season ended. It will be interesting (OK, probably not all that interesting) to see how the traffic progresses once the season starts.

SINCE JANUARY 12TH, 2006:

TOTAL VISITS: 8,748.........TOTAL PAGE VIEWS: 18,561

Wildcats get good press

Here's an article about the Western Michigan University basketball schedule. Davidson is mentioned as one of the teams that made the NCAA tournament last year that makes the WMU non-coference schedule "brutal". I love it!
Click here for the article.

Also, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse mentions playing "unbelievable mid-majors" such as Davidson, etc.
Click here for the article.

Thanks to Pete Wagner for the tip on the Boeheim article!!

(Note: Problems with the links are now corrected.)

Davidson's drama dept apparently rocks

Here's a little news I happened to come across. Since it's a bit slow for hoops right now, I thought I'd post it. This blog is, after all, subtitled "Coverage of Wildcat Basketball and all things Davidson". Therefore, why can't I veer away from hoops from time to time??

Perfect 10: Davidson sweeps drama awards

Davidson finished the evening a perfect 10-for-10 in the college and university category at the Metrolina Theatre Awards last Sunday, including the 'Outstanding' awards for director, production, actor and actress.

Although the college competed against UNC Charlotte, Gardner-Webb and Pfeiffer universities, Davidson often competed against itself, with at least two nominations in every category. Davidson had 21 nominations overall after receiving 11 at last year's awards.

Davidson's 'She Loves Me,' a musical similar to the movie 'You've Got Mail,' swept the awards.

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Pictured above: Ryan Creighan '07 and Hanley Smith '07 won best actor and actress awards for their lead roles in last spring's "She Loves Me."
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Let's hear it for the drama people. I don't know who they are, but they are apparently pretty darn good. Drama's not my thing, but I'll give them their due. Good job, drama people! It's not all just about basketball at good 0ld Davidson!

Note from the author

I guess I need to get geared up to do this all over again. Don't take that the wrong way. That's not lack of desire in my voice. I'm looking forward to it....it's just that the season has just snuck up on me. I still feel like basketball season just ended, and the new season is four or five months away. Hell, football just got started.

Last year, I didn't start this blog until mid-season (January), so my blogging activities only lasted for a couple of months, and it really wore me out by the end of the season. It got to be pretty intense trying to keep up with posting updates during the SoCon Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. It was, however, lots of fun. I'm not sure exactly what, if anything, will be different on the blog this season. I'll just let it flow and see where it takes us. Hopefully a few of you will read, and maybe even enjoy....perhaps post a comment or two?

I'm not sure how I even ended up doing this blog, to be honest. It just hit me last January that, unlike the big schools, there was not much of a way to keep up with DC basketball, other than the official website, which is very limited. I do love Davidson Basketball, but I'm not what you would really call a "basketball nut" by any stretch of the imagination. I don't follow stats (boring....can't stand all that fantasy football garbage), I don't watch basketball all the time during the season, and I try not to live and die by how my favorite teams are doing. (Life's too darn short for that type of approach.) I'm just pretty much an average basketball fan....and I happen to enjoy keeping up with the Wildcats. I figured there might be a few more of you like me out there that would enjoy reading this stuff and getting a few good links to articles about our team. So, I'll keep up the blogging this season. Hopefully we'll enjoy this year as much as last year.

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Incidentally, I am contemplating some changes (hopefully improvements) to this blog. I'm not sure what all I will get done. I'm sure it will be a work in progress. It will also depend on family time, work, etc. After all, I do have a wife, two kids, and a law pratice to keep up with. As hard as it may be to believe, I don't get paid for this!

Holy Cow...basketball season is 7 weeks away???

Is it just me, or does it seem like it was just March? Didn't football season just get going??

Well, the Wildcats tip off the hoops season on November 10th in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That's only 7 weeks away!!

....And there's an exhibition game only 6 weeks away!!

Where did the time go?

Tentative schedule released

Games against Duke, Michigan and Missouri are the big non-conference contests. All three games are on the road.

The Wildcats will play in two "events". First, they will be part of the John Thompson Foundation Challenge from November 10-12 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Then they will play in the Arizona State Hoops Classic from December 21-22 in Tempe, Ariz.

The SoCon Tournament will once again be in Charleston. Maybe that's a good omen for the Wildcats. Charleston has, after all, been pretty good to Davidson.

Click here to view the tentative schedule.

Get your 2006 SoCon Championship gear

Here's a link to get your t-shirts and hats to celebrate winning the 2006 SoCon Tournament. Honestly, it's pretty slim pickings, and the shirts aren't all the great, but our team still won!!

Click here.

Former All-American Wildcat, John Gerdy, writes books

Air Ball: American Education's Failed Experiment with Elite Athletics

John Gerdy, former Wildcat, is now Dr. John Gerdy (PhD).....another example of how Davidson athletes are truly student-athletes. Click here for a profile. Click here for some Gerdy quotes.

"Lest his theories be dismissed as the sour grapes of a "nerd" who never competed in "elite" sports, Gerdy is a former All-American basketball player at Davidson College, played professional in the Continental Basketball Association. He served as associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference from 1989-1995 and as a legislative assistant at the NCAA from 1986-1989."

Click here to read article from The Clarion Ledger (Mississippi)

Click here to read release from the University Press of Mississippi

Click here to read an article that John Gerdy wrote (May 2006) for The Chronicle Review "For True Reform, Athletics Scholarships Must Go"

This is not Gerdy's first book. In 2002, Sports: The All-American Addiction was published.

Former Wildcat Puff Summers making noise

Going job hunting
From the Culpeper Star-Exponent
Jeff Say
Sports Editor
Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The moment Lawrence “Puff” Summers walked into the gym in Raliegh, N.C., he stood out to USA Select Basketball general manager Sean Kilmartin.

It wasn’t because Summers blocked out the sun. The Culpeper native stands just 5-feet-9-inches –“ 5-10 on a good day,” “Puff” jokes.

Summers stood out for another reason. It was what he was wearing.

The 2005 graduate of Davidson College showed up for practice wearing a Davidson jersey, something that caused Kilmartin to laugh.

When the USA Select Basketball GM was a college player, he played for Davidson rival Appalachian State University. So when he saw Summers sporting a Wildcat shirt, it was strike one.

But that didn’t stop Kilmartin from choosing Summers for the USA Select team, a squad that will travel overseas to Europe Sept. 5 to play an exhibition schedule against the top teams France, England, Wales and Belgium have to offer.

Click here for the entire article. It's pretty long and all about the former Wildcat.

Wildcats get an apparent commitment

Aaron Bond

6-5, 180

"Georgetown Prep’s senior guard Aaron Bond has chosen his college this month. Reached yesterday via telephone, Bond shared 'I’m going to Davidson (College)'. "

"Bond, a 6’4”+, 180lb senior guard who attends Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, MD), averaged 13 points, six assists, six boards, and three steals, while shooting 75% from the free throw line and 48% from the field as a junior"

Click to read both articles about Aaron Bond: Article 1 and Article 2

Here's Aaron (in black uniform) fighting for position during a game:

Non-Davidson: Goodbye, Steve

As everyone knows by now, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, tragically died while filming a documentary. He will be missed by many. Here is Steve sporting Davidson colors. Who knew he was a Wildcat fan? Thanks for everything, Steve.

Recruiting News

Andrew Beinert
Ht: 6-1.5 Wt: 165
Position: PG, SG
Birthplace: Floral Park, NY
Year: Class of 2007
High School:
Chaminade HS(Mineola, NY)





Year-old article:
New York Jr. Combo Guard Has Two Offers
Date: Sep 25, 2005

Andrew Beinert, 6-foot-2, 160 pound junior combo guard from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, has a trio of New York colleges following his play. One, along with Davidson, has offered a scholarship.

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Recruiting visit info:

School***Interest Level***Offer?***Visit Date
Davidson High Interest Yes 09/08/2006
Holy Cross High Interest Yes 09/15/2006