2023-24 North Carolina Sports Network
NC Basketball Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot:
Davidson
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
School: Davidson College
Location: Davidson, N.C.
NCAA DI Member Since: 1908-09
Conference: Atlantic-10 (A-10)
A-10 Member Since: 2014-15
A-10 Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 13th (2023), 10th (2022), 9th (2021), 9th (2020)
NCAA Tournament Bids: 15 (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2022)
Conference Titles: 13 (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 in SoCon; 2018 in A-10)
Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 25 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1981, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 in SoCon; 2015, 2022 in A-10)
Head Coach: Matt McKillop (40 years old, 2nd season at Davidson)
As A Player: Davidson (2002-06)
Record At Davidson (Through Dec. 5): 21-19 (.525) in 1+ seasons
Previous Head Coaching Experience: none
College AC Experience: Emory (2007-08), Davidson (2008-22)
Assistant Under: Jason Zimmerman, Bob McKillop
2022-23 Record: 16-16, 8-10 (8th in 15-team A-10)
2023-24 Preseason Prediction (Coaches/Media): 12th in 15-team A-10
2023-24 Record (Through Dec. 4): 5-3, 0-0 A-10
2023-24 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #119 nationally (8th in A-10)
Upcoming Schedule Highlights: Campbell (12/6), Miami-Ohio (12/9), USC-Upstate (12/21), vs. Ohio in Cleveland (12/30)
A-10 Opener: Dayton (1/3)
For the second time in the past decade, the Davidson men’s basketball program — which has a wonderful tradition dating back to the 1960s (Lefty Driesell, Terry Holland, Fred Hetzel, etc.) that more recently was boosted further by Steph Curry’s three sensational seasons on campus (a stretch that ended in 2009) — is in the midst of a major transition.
In 2014, the Wildcats made the bold jump from the Southern Conference, which they frequently dominated over the previous half-century, to the Atlantic-10, which (unlike the modern SoCon) often ranks among the 10 best conferences in college basketball.
In the summer of 2022, the Wildcats took another leap into the great unknown, when legendary coach Bob McKillop opted to retire, about a month before his 72nd birthday. During his 33 seasons as Davidson’s head coach, McKillop’s teams won seven SoCon championships, 11 SoCon regular-season titles, one Atlantic-10 championship (2018) and two A-10 regular-season titles (2015, 2022), among an avalanche of other amazing accomplishments on and off the court.
Now Matt McKillop, Bob’s 40-year-old son, is in charge, and he needed no introduction to Davidson’s basketball history or culture. Matt played for his father at Davidson from 2002-06 and served under him as an assistant coach with the Wildcats from 2008-22.
Last year’s father-son transition season, in which Davidson’s home games were played on “Bob McKillop Court” (dedicated in 2014), was a difficult one. The Wildcats finished 16-16, for just their second non-winning season since 1993.
Long ago, Bob McKillop actually took five years to post his first winning record as the head coach of the Wildcats, although he then went the next three decades with only one additional losing campaign.
Before the start of the ongoing 2023-24 season, the Atlantic-10 coaches and media picked Davidson to finish 12th in the 15-team league, and no player from the Wildcats was selected for the 18-man preseason all-conference team. Their coach, however, didn’t seem fazed by those developments.
“Unlike any year that we’ve been in the A-10, we have a group with incredible depth, incredible talent,” Matt McKillop said. “We believe we have 13 guys who can help us win.”
During Davidson’s 5-3 start, which included a 64-61 win over Maryland of the Big Ten, an 85-81 victory at Charlotte, and a 68-65 loss to an impressive-looking Clemson squad (now 7-0), the Wildcats were led by senior point guard Grant Huffman, senior forward David Skogman and highly skilled/sharpshooting true freshman forward Bobby Durkin.
2023-24 Davidson Wildcats
(5-3, 0-0 Atlantic-10; through Dec. 5)
Starters
PG Grant Huffman*, Sr. — 33 mpg, 11 ppg, 5 rpg, 45% FG, 65% FT, 40% threes, 44/17 ATO, 1 block, 9 steals
(6-4/190); 2x team captain/starter; 2023 preseason A-10 All-Defense; from St. Edward HS, Aurora, Ohio
G Angelo Brizzi, r-So. — 24 mpg, 8 ppg, 2 rpg, 30% FG, 83% FT, 23% threes, 18/11 ATO, 4 blocks, 19 steals
(6-3/190); January 2023 Villanova transfer (reserve); sat out spring; from Highland HS, Warrenton, Va.
G Connor Kochera, Sr. — 24 mpg, 10 ppg, 2 rpg, 60% FG, 75% FT, 44% threes, 7/8 ATO, 0 blocks, 5 steals
(6-5/205); 2022 W&M transfer (2021 CAA ROY); 2023 part-time starter; from St. Viator HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.
F Reed Bailey*, So. — 24 mpg, 9 ppg, 6 rpg, 51% FG, 77% FT, 25% threes, 9/11 ATO, 1 block, 3 steals
(6-10/220); 21-year-old sophomore; started all 32 games as freshman; from Brewster Academy, Harvard, Mass.
F David Skogman, r-Sr. — 26 mpg, 14 ppg, 6 rpg, 56% FG, 60% FT, 41% threes, 7/10 ATO, 1 blocks, 3 steals
(6-10/235); 2022 Buffalo transfer (starter); 2023 Davidson reserve; from Waukesha HS, Waukesha, Wisc.
Key Reserves
G Hunter Adam, r-Fr. — 12 mpg, 2 ppg, 1 rpg, 33% FG, 80% FT, 25% threes, 2/5 ATO, 1 block, 2 steals
(6-7/215); January enrollee; 3x MVP of New Zealand Junior National Team; from Christchurch, New Zealand
G Achile Spadone, So. — 9 mpg, 3 ppg, 1 rpg, 27% FG, 67% FT, 30% threes, 1/6 ATO, 0 blocks, 2 steals
(6-4/195); 6 mpg in 2022-23; called up to Swiss National Team this summer; from Geneva, Switzerland
F Bobby Durkin, Fr. — 23 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 47% FG, 100% FT, 42% threes, 8/2 ATO, 1 block, 4 steals
(6-7/215); 2023 captain on HS state champion; school record for threes; from Glenbard West HS, Darien, Ill.
F Sean Logan, So. — 15 mpg, 3 ppg, 4 rpg, 37% FG, 47% FT, 38% threes, 5/10 ATO, 8 blocks, 5 steals
(6-10/220); 5 mpg in 2022-23; both parents NCAA basketball players; from Westfield HS, Westfield, N.J.
*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)
Davidson Wildcats
10-Year Snapshot
Season — Overall, League (Place), Postseason
2022-23 — 16-16, 8-10 Atlantic-10 (8th), no postseason (Matt McKillop)
2021-22 — 27-7, 15-3 Atlantic-10 (1st), NCAA 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2020-21 — 13-9, 7-4 Atlantic-10 (3rd), NIT 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2019-20 — 16-14, 10-8 Atlantic-10 (7th), no postseason (Bob McKillop)
2018-19 — 24-10, 14-4 Atlantic-10 (2nd), NIT 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2017-18 — 21-12, 13-5* Atlantic-10 (3rd), NCAA 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2016-17 — 17-15, 8-10 Atlantic-10 (9th), no postseason (Bob McKillop)
2015-16 — 20-13, 10-8 Atlantic-10 (6th), NIT 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2014-15 — 24-8, 14-4 Atlantic-10 (1st), NCAA 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
2013-14 — 20-13, 15-1 SoCon (1st), NIT 1st Round (Bob McKillop)
*—conference champion
NOTE: Please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2023-24 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina.
Appalachian State, Sun Belt Conference
High Point Panthers, Big South Conference
UNC Wilmington, Coastal Athletic Association
Western Carolina, Southern Conference
