Davidson 2007 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Davidson Wildcats - Southern Conference (29-4, 17-1)

Seed: #13 - Midwest Region

Big Wins: 12/9 Charlotte (92-80), 12/21 vs Ohio (83-74), 3/3 vs Charleston (72-65)

Bad Losses: 11/11 at Michigan (68-78), 11/19 at Missouri (75-81), 1/20 Appalachian State (74-81)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2006, First Round loss to Ohio State

Coach: Bob McKillop (0-3 in 3 NCAA appearances)

Probable Davidson Starters:

• Jason Richards, Junior, Guard, 13.6 ppg, 7.3 apg

• Stephen Curry, Freshman, Guard, 21.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 apg

• Max Paulhus Gosselin, Sophomore, Guard, 4.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg

• Thomas Sander, Junior, Forward, 13.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg

• Boris Meno, Junior, Forward, 11.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg

Key Roleplayers for Davidson:

• William Archambault, Freshman, Forward, 7.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg

• Andrew Lovedale, Sophomore, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:
Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry…Stephen Curry? The 6-1 Davidson freshman only averages 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and shoots 84.8% from the charity stripe and 46.4% from the floor. Curry has only failed to score in double-digits once all season, incidentally against Duke, by far the best opponent the Wildcats have faced all season.

Jason Richards is truly a coach on the floor. The pass-first point guard averages 7.3 assists per game, ranking second in the nation. Even in the uptempo style of the Wildcats, Richards keeps the turnovers at a reasonable level. Davidson expected a decent point guard after the junior spent two years on the bench waiting his turn, but his scoring has been a surprise. Richards can step outside and hit the long ball, but he is even better at working his way in the paint and at least getting fouled. Richards leads the team with 4.2 trips to the charity stripe per outing.

Why Davidson Can Disappoint:
Davidson lost four starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament team and this year’s group lacks experience. Thomas Sander and Boris Meno shared starting duties last year and Richards saw about 15 minutes per game, but players like versatile guard Max Paulhus Gosselin and forward Andrew Lovedale saw only mop-up minutes. Now they are starters or key contributors. Of course that has not been a problem throughout the regular season, but the bright lights of March could change everything.

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Who To Watch:
Sander and Meno have taken on their increased roles without a problem. Both are quality scorers on the inside and can step outside and hit the jumper. Add back-up Lovedale to the mix and the Wildcats have a trio of great rebounders. Lovedale only plays 18.2 minutes per game, but grabs 6.0 boards. And because the Wildcats have a player like Lovedale coming off the bench, they rank in the top ten nationally in rebounding margin.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 81.7 (7th in nation, 1st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 68.3 (161, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (128, 3)

Field-Goal Defense: 42.3 (101, 3)

Free-Throw Percentage: 75.0 (20, 1)

Rebound Margin: 7.3 (8, 1)

Assists Per Game: 16.4 (26, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.5 (159, 3)

Joel’s Bracket Says: First Round loss to Maryland

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