Davidson Wildcats
SoCon (20-12, 15-1)
Davidson is definitely battle tested. They played against, and lost to, Duke, Virginia, Clemson, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wichita State. While non-conference wins were few, the Wildcats did go 15-1 in Southern Conference play, with the lone loss coming in overtime.
Big Wins: 11/21 vs Georgia (94-82), 12/4 at Charlotte (87-78), 3/1 at Elon (86-69)
Bad Losses: 12/11 vs Niagara (72-83), 1/1 Charleston (64-76), 3/9 vs Western Carolina (97-99)
Coach: Bob McKillop (25 seasons at Davidson)
Why They Can Surprise:
Once again Davidson does damage with their efficient and prolific three-point shooting. Brian Sullivan picked up where he left off while at Miami (OH) two years ago. The sophomore knocked down 84 three-pointers during the regular season and was Davidson’s second leading scorer. Tyler Kalinoski has emerged as a dynamic scoring threat and is one of the most consistent three-point shooters around. Tom Droney, Chris Czerapowicz and Jack Gibbs are all capable of knocking down some more long balls. All in all, this is a team that is going to hurt the opposition with their shooting. But it is De’Mon Brooks who boosts the overall shooting percentage. The 6-7 forward rarely wanders outside the arc, but he does everything imaginable inside of it. He averages 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds and he had some big games against tough competition throughout his career.
Why They Can Disappoint:
While the offense can be tough to stop, Davidson has a hard time stopping other teams. And it is not just because the Wildcats are involved in high scoring games; they allow the opposition to shoot about 47 percent from the floor. That is way, way too high. The problem is the complete lack of a shot blocker in the paint. The guards are big, but Coach Bob McKillop has to ask a lot from Brooks with four guards around him. Reserves Jake Belford and Andrew McAuliffe have some girth and eat up some space in the paint, but neither are shot blockers.
Probable Starters:
Brian Sullivan, Sophomore, Guard, 13.2 ppg, 2.1 apg
Tyler Kalinoski, Junior, Guard, 10.9 ppg, 3.3 apg, 4.9 rpg
Tom Droney, Senior, Guard, 10.3 ppg, 3.3 apg
Chris Czerapowicz, Senior, Guard, 8.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg
De’Mon Brooks, Senior, Forward, 18.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jordan Barham, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 ppg
Jake Belford, Sophomore, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Jack Gibbs, Freshman, Guard, 6.8 ppg, 2.1 apg
Andrew McAuliffe, Freshman, Forward, 2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 78.6 (28th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.5 (241, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.0 (21, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 46.5 (299, 11)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.3 (24, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.9 (50, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.2 (133, 4)
Rebound Margin: 0.1 (188, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.7 (101, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.5 (90, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA Second Round loss to Marquette
2012 NCAA Second Round 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 64 win over Gonzaga
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgetown
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 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
