Davidson Wildcats
Atlantic 10 (21-11, 13-5)
For most of the Atlantic 10 season, Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure took all of the headlines. That changed in March when Davidson, who finished third in the conference standings, beat both the Bonnies and the Rams on their way to the conference tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Big Wins: 1/19 St. Bonaventure (83-73), 2/14 at VCU (74-63), 3/11 vs Rhode Island (58-57)
Bad Losses: 11/25 at Appalachian State (62-78), 12/24 at Hawaii (71-79), 1/28 Richmond (63-66)
Coach: Bob McKillop
Why They Can Surprise:
Davidson boasts the nation’s best assist-to-turnover ratio. The backcourt trio of KiShawn Pritchett, Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellan Grady does a great job of taking care of the ball and sharing the ball. Gudmundsson and Grady are also a couple dynamic scorers. Gudmundsson averages 13.0 points per game and is one of the many, many consistent three-point shooters on this team. Grady is having a superb freshman campaign, averaging 18.1 points per game. But the best scorer of them all is forward Peyton Aldridge. The senior leads the team with 21.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. With his 6-8 frame, Aldridge can shoot over most defenders.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Davidson has some size in the paint, but they do not have a major shot blocking threat. That can make it relatively easy for the opposition to score in the paint. On offense, Davidson will often settle for jump shots. Of course they share the ball effectively and will get good looks, but if the shots are not falling, the Wildcats have to try something else. This is a great free-throw shooting group, but they rank dead last in Division I basketball in free-throw attempts.
Probable Starters:
KiShawn Pritchett, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 ppg, 3.4 apg
Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Sophomore, Guard, 13.0 ppg, 5.2 apg, 6.0 rpg
Kellan Grady, Freshman, Guard, 18.1 ppg, 2.0 apg
Peyton Aldridge, Senior, Forward, 21.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Oskar Michelsen, Senior, Forward, 5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Key Role Players:
Will Magarity, Senior, Forward, 5.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Rusty Reigel, Senior, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.7 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.8 (89th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.1 (68, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.1 (31, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.8 (177, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 10.7 (10, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.4 (41, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 79.4 (4, 1)
Rebound Margin: 1.9 (116, 3)
Assists Per Game: 16.9 (18, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 9.8 (6, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NIT First Round loss to Florida State
2015 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Iowa
2014 NIT First Round loss to Missouri
2013 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Marquette
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Louisville
2011 CBI First Round win over James Madison
2011 CBI Second Round loss to Creighton
2009 NIT First Round win over South Carolina
2009 NIT Second Round loss to St. Mary's
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgetown
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Gonzaga
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Wisconsin
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to Kansas
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Maryland
2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Ohio State
*all team stats through 3/4
