Davidson Wildcats basketball: What to know about men’s, women’s teams as season opens

This is almost uncharted territory for Davidson College men’s basketball.

The Wildcats, a power in the Atlantic 10 Conference and a regular in postseason tournaments, are picked to finish 12th of 15 teams this season in the A10.

There are no Davidson players on the three preseason A10 all-conference teams.

Yet as coach Matt McKillop said during his preseason media luncheon, “Unlike any year that we’ve been in the A10, we have a group with incredible depth, incredible talent. And we believe that we have 13 guys who can help us win.”

Will the Wildcats surprise coaches and media members who picked them to finish in the bottom third of the conference?

That might depend on the answers to these questions about Davidson, entering the 2023-24 season:

Can the offense recover?

Davidson ranked among the top 20 teams nationally in offensive efficiency in the 2021-22 season, according to Kenpom ratings. The Wildcats dropped to 131st last season. They hit only 32 percent of their 3-point field goal tries. Their field goal shooting fell from 48 percent in 2021-22 to 44 percent last season.

McKillop used the transfer portal to land several players with offensive skills. The Wildcats made their mark during the past decade as an outstanding 3-point shooting team. Which leads to the next question …

Who will hit the 3-pointers?

This was another area that took a hit last season. In fact, it might be the key to the whole offensive problem. Davidson made 301 3-point shots (38.7 percent) two years ago. That fell to 216 (32.5 percent) last season.

Connor Kochera, a 6-5 senior guard, is an excellent wing player who can make the long-distance shot. And the group of freshmen recruits includes 6-7 wing Bobby Durkin, who made 78 3-point shots last year at his Chicago-area high school.

Who’s the go-to guy?

Foster Loyer served in this role a year ago, and before that, it was Hyunjung Lee and Luka Brajkovic. This season, when the offense is faltering, who will take over?

McKillop said he trusts 6-3 senior guard Grant Huffman in this role, especially after he finished third in assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference last season.

There are other candidates.

One has a local connection. Jarvis Moss, a 6-4 junior guard, transferred in from Stanford. He is a Cannon School product — an excellent athlete who can create plays and cause disruption on defense. And McKillop said that in an anonymous survey of his players, a majority of the Wildcats said they trusted Angelo Brizzi in that role.

Brizzi is a 6-3 sophomore who transferred from Villanova last January.

Is there an inside threat?

New Zealand native Sam Mennenga served this role the past few seasons, but he is gone.

The candidates include 6-10 senior David Skogman, 6-10 sophomore Sean Logan, and 6-11 sophomore Reed Bailey.

Bailey showed promise last season, starting all 32 games as a freshman and scoring in double figures five times. He had a season-high nine rebounds against eventual conference champion VCU.

Davidson women’s outlook

The Davidson women’s team, under head coach Gayle Fulks, is picked to finish seventh this season in the Atlantic 10.

Here are some questions to be answered about the women’s squad:

Did the trip help?

The Davidson women’s team traveled to Spain for a series of exhibition games in August. Coaches often say those offseason trips help players bond — and help coaches spot and solve problem areas.

Fulks said she thinks visiting and playing in Spain will pay dividends this winter.

“It’s really translated to how we play on the court,” she said. “This is a team that works together. It’s a team that doesn’t care who scores.”

How about Laura Barry?

During the offseason, Fulks landed the services of Laura Barry as an assistant coach. Barry, who has college coaching experience, served the past few seasons as head girls’ coach at Watauga High. She took a team that finished 1-11 in 2020-21 and guided the school to 24-4 and 23-7 seasons.

“She’s brilliant,” Fulks said of Barry. “She’s great with relationships.”

Barry is a specialist in working with guards, so it will be interesting to see how the Wildcats’ backcourt play develops this season.

Barry will be working with 5-10 senior guard Rosie Deegan, a 1,000-point scorer, and Davidson Day product Mallorie Haines, who Fulks called “one of the best shooters I’ve been around.”

Will Dunn make a difference?

Probably the most notable new face on the roster is that of 6-2 sophomore guard Charlise Dunn. She came to Davidson from Virginia Tech, where she got experience playing with a Hokies’ team that won the ACC and reached the Final Four.

Fulks said a change of scenery often helps players reach their potential, and she hopes that will be the case with Dunn.