Davidson Wildcats
Southern Conference (25-7, 16-2)
Davidson got back to the top of the Southern Conference where they have been accustomed to finishing under long time head coach Bob McKillop. The Wildcats will get up and down the floor and usually take smart shots, albeit relatively quickly. That mentality wears down the opposition by the end of the game and the Wildcats have had good success winning close games for that reason.
Big Wins: 12/19 at Kansas (80-74), 12/29 Penn (75-70), 1/19 Charleston (87-69)
Bad Losses: 12/10 at Charlotte (61-84), 1/28 at Samford (74-77), 2/11 at Charleston (78-86)
Coach: Bob McKillop (23 seasons at Davidson)
Why They Can Surprise:
Davidson does like to run, but they will wait for their two forwards to get involved in the offense. De’Mon Brooks and Jake Cohen are actually the team’s top two scorers. Brooks is having a superb sophomore season and is a consistent shooter around the basket and can step outside and hit the long ball. The 6-10 Cohen is no slouch of a shooter either. With his size and strength, Cohen can beat the opposition in a variety of ways. The size continues on the perimeter. Tom Droney will never put up big numbers, but the 6-6 guard is a great glue guy. Chris Czerapowicz is a 6-7 guard who is a matchup nightmare for most opponents. Czerapowicz is also the most prolific three-point shooter on a team where just about everybody can hit the long ball. Guards Nik Cochran and J.P. Kuhlman are both good scorers on the perimeter and can hit the three-pointer or attack the basket.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Davidson is not the type of team that can create a lot of turnovers. They may end up with a few extra possessions due to their rebounding, but that may not be enough against the high quality teams they will run into in March. This is a team that needs to knock down their outside shots and keep the opposition from getting too many easy looks at the basket in order to pull off an upset. For the amount of points this team scores, they should have more assists per game as well. Cochran, Droney and Kuhlman are good passers, but this team lacks a true point guard. Cochran and Kuhlman are scorers and Droney does a little bit of everything. Fortunately, they are experienced players who can get the job done, but not having that leader who can keep things under control with the ball in his hands could be a problem when the going gets tough.
Probable Starters:
Nik Cochran, Junior, Guard, 11.0 ppg, 3.7 apg
J.P. Kuhlman, Junior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 2.9 apg
Chris Czerapowicz, Sophomore, Guard, 10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg
De’Mon Brooks, Sophomore, Forward, 16.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Jake Cohen, Junior, Forward, 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Tom Droney, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 2.2 apg
Tyler Kalinoski, Freshman, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 1.2 apg
Clint Mann, Junior, Forward, 5.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.9 (17th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.0 (180, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.6 (119, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.8 (161, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.9 (35, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.2 (171, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.2 (13, 1)
Rebound Margin: 6.6 (18, 1)
Assists Per Game: 13.8 (93, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.7 (36, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Davidson 2011 CBI First Round win over James Madison
Davidson 2011 CBI Second Round loss to Creighton
Davidson 2009 NIT First Round win over South Carolina
Davidson 2009 NIT Second Round loss to St. Mary's
Davidson 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Gonzaga
Davidson 2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgetown
Davidson 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Wisconsin
Davidson 2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to Kansas
Davidson 2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Maryland
Davidson 2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Ohio State
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
