1/11/2025
Davidson vs The Doubters - Round 9
I hate ham. Passionately. I’m pretty sure everyone secretly does. It’s excruciatingly bland, goes with nothing, and is the worst part of Christmas- my family moved to pizza years ago. Great decision. Think, have you ever heard someone say ham is their favorite food? If so, you should cut off said person ASAP.
Every other part of the pig is better. As Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega iconically said, “Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good.” Notice how he didn’t mention ham?
Painfully, far too many sports teams involve ham. In the English Premier League, a mind-blowing six of their twenty teams have “ham” in their name. Nearly every other game reminds me of that tasteless bit of swine - yet another bad thing about the English, right up there with colonialism and their weather.
So, my typical hostility for Davidson’s opponent heightened to immense disdain when Fordham walked into John Belk Arena. It was a frigid 30 degrees out (it’s the South, that’s frigid), but that couldn’t stop the Wildcats from heating up.
Reed Bailey clearly likes ham, seeing as he feasted for 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Connor Kochera must have an affection as well, devouring defenders while grabbing 20 points. Bobby Durkin gobbled up 13 rebounds to go along with 15 points. The team overall cooked up a comfortable 74-64 victory.
Don’t get me wrong, ham has its place: the theatre. Hamilton, Hamlet, Rodgers and Hammerstein, that dish can sure ham it up.
Scoreboard Update:
Davidson - 16 Doubters - 6
1/5/2025
Davidson vs. The Doubters - Round 8
I consider myself an old soul. My back randomly hurts sometimes, I don’t have TikTok, I’ve read far too many World War II books, and I have a fondness for Steely Dan. Fun fact: Chevy Chase and his two college friends founded the band. Chase was their drummer before he was expelled from the school for allegedly harboring a cow in his dorm room. That might be the first recorded time a student could complain about rooming with a cow and not just be insulting their roommate.
My favorite relic is the mixtape. Playlists serve the same purpose, but the name “mixtape” is perfect. I’ve created a mixtape for fans of Davidson basketball to carry them through the season.
Linger - The Cranberries: This one’s for sinking into sadness and despair after a tough loss. I played this song for two hours after the defeat against George Mason, 69-57. It wasn’t that Davidson played poorly; it’s that they shot 42% and 54.5% from the field and the free-throw line respectively.
After the Storm - Tyler the Creator: Perfect pick-me-up song. Listen to the lyrics, “Winners don’t quit, so don’t you give up.” We reset and reload. The next real test is URI on the 18th. Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion we may be playing this song once again after that one.
Rhymes Like Dimes - MF DOOM, Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith: Straight vibes for a victory. Davidson promptly bounced back against Duquesne, 77-71. After trailing by four at the half, the team dominantly came back.
Good Times Roll - The Cars, Picture Me Rollin’ - Tupac: Davidson now rolls into a schedule of La Salle and Fordham. These two make up ⅔ of the bottom three teams in the A-10 currently. Good times indeed.
Big Poppa - The Notorious B.I.G.: I’ve decided this is Reed Bailey’s anthem- no particular reason. He dropped 20 against George Mason and 22 against Duquesne.
Don’t Stop Believing: You hear that Doubters?? We are believing through the season.
Scoreboard Update Davidson- 15 Doubters- 6
(Doubters get two because the George Mason loss hurt. Davidson gets three because Steph Curry reposted their win, so the comments were filled with new Davidson fans)
12/29/2024
Davidson vs The Doubters- Round 7
As New Year's Eve approaches, I look forward to the annual traditions. Drinking champagne/sparkling cider, pounding 12 grapes at one time, watching the ball drop, and of course a kiss at midnight - well not personally for that last one. I’m proudly 0/18 so far, and I don’t see that changing soon. There’s no need for sympathy, this is actually a positive. Instead of wasting time being happy in a relationship, I get to focus on my favorite tradition: Predicting what will be in and out for the coming year.
Let’s look back at a brief snippet of 2024’s list for reference:
Ins:
Timothee Chalamet: Smash hit Dune 2, Oscar-worthy performance in A Complete Unknown, and elite sports knowledge on College Gameday - an easy but great prediction.
Bluegrass music: I figured the world was ready for more banjo and guitar after the rise of folk music - a bit of a miss by me.
Outs:
Digital clocks: Lacked the versatility of phones and style of analog clocks, I saw maybe five the entire year- proud of this one.
Whittier procrastinating: Unfortunately stayed very much in - how foolish I was.
After careful consideration and great preparation, I present to you the official ins and outs list for Davidson Men’s Basketball in 2025:
Ins:
Passing the ball to Connor Kochera: Kochera lost his mind this week against Eastern Michigan, dropping 34 points on 11-13 shooting. He’s now shooting 56% from the field as a guard.
Anti-American basketball: After committing a federal crime this week, murdering the eagles of Eastern Michigan 86-64, Davidson looks to continue with its desecration of American symbols. In the coming months, Davidson will take on the George Mason Patriots, the George Washington Revolutionaries, and the UMass Minutemen. Just wait till the Wildcats hear about the Patriot League.
Watching Zach Laput in person: Those who are mere box score warriors simply can’t understand the impact Laput has on the game. His work ethic, passion, and consistency are the stuff of coaches’ dreams.
Not giving the other team the ball: Davidson so far averages a mere 10 turnovers a game which is 29th in the nation. They are only a .5 turnover behind Dayton for first in the A-10. If this rate continues, the Wildcats will be a fearsome game for anyone.
Outs:
Playing in stadiums not named John Belk Arena - Davidson is 8-0 at home and 2-3 on the road. I propose we scrap the whole playing away games thing.
The Doubters- The Wildcats are 10-3. Two of those losses came to top 25 teams while playing in the Bahamas. The other came against Temple in a fluke game and they only lost by 1. So why are the odds +5000 for Davidson to win the A-10? I would never encourage my readers to gamble. That said, a little $10 bet would cash out for $500. Food for thought.
Scoreboard Update
Davidson-12 Doubters-4
12/23/2024
Davidson vs. The Doubters- Round 6
As Christmas draws near, we are faced with annual existential questions we must ponder and debate:
What’s the meaning of Christmas?- As a pastor’s child, I’m obliged to say peace, love, joy, and hope. As a fan of the show Community, my answer is the second season of Lost on DVD.
Should someone cut off Uncle Mike after his fourth cup of eggnog? -Probably, but then again, it might be fun to see him attempt a kickflip off the garage roof.
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?-The answer is yes. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a child.
Personally, I have some additional lingering questions surrounding Davidson basketball.
Can they hand Reed Bailey the A-10 Player of the Year trophy already?- Bailey is simply on a different level than most anyone in the conference heading into the break. He leads the Wildcats in the three main statistical categories, averaging 18.9 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 3.6 assists per game. He does all this while shooting 50% from the field. There is only one A-10 player in the same stratosphere as Bailey. Rhode Island’s Sebastian Thomas has impressed, averaging 17.6 points per game and 7 assists per game while leading URI to an 11-1 record. Though I think my rec basketball squad could go at least 4-7 against URI’s schedule so far.
Why did Davidson have to lose against Temple?- There was no reason the Wildcats shouldn't have pulled this one out. Up 10 points with 10 minutes left, this would have been such a solid win. Reed Bailey dropped 26, Davidson outshot Temple from three-point land, and they outrebounded Temple. Every team is bound to drop a random game, so I’ll give the squad a pass.
Is Bobby Durkin the second coming of Steph Curry?- No. Not close. But he is shooting the three better than Steph did his sophomore year! Durkin exploded against Bethune Cook for 23 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 50% from three.
What happens when a very stoppable force meets an immovable object?- This was answered when Bethune Cook, 1-6 on the road, walked into John Belk Arena to play Davidson, 6-0 at home. The result? A 13-point victory for the home side.
Why, why are there so many college mascots who are wildcats?- Goodness gracious, you cannot begin to imagine the strife this question has put me through. Bethune Cook versus Davidson was another matchup of the Wildcats, just like the one earlier this year against Arizona. Knowing this, I made a fatal decision. I mistakenly thought it would be fun to see if I could crown one program as the best Wildcat basketball school based on all-time head-to-head matchups. This led me down a rabbit hole in which I was stuck for multiple hours. I learned there are TEN D1 schools that all claim to be the Wildcats. As for the ranking? I have no idea. My concerned mother forced me to take a walk outside to clear my head after the torment this dumb little question was putting me through. All I know is that it sure isn’t Northwestern-yeesh.
Scoreboard Update
Davidson-11 Doubters- 4
(It’s the season of giving. Both sides get bonus points!)
12/15/2024
Davidson vs The Doubters- Round 5
When British soldiers exited the Davidson-Charlotte area in 1780 after losing for 16 straight days to American revolutionaries, the Redcoats described the area as a “damned hornet’s nest.” Thus, the “Battle of the Hornet’s Nest” between UNC-Charlotte and Davidson was born. This fierce rivalry has been going on for over 50 years, and despite the fact the victor gets quite possibly the ugliest trophy in sports (that wasn’t hyperbole, look it up), it is as intense as ever.
I had the pleasure of sitting in front of a couple of very loud and very passionate/obnoxious (depending on who you ask) Charlotte fans. At times it felt like sitting with the two old guys on The Muppets cracking jokes and light-hearted critiques. Other times I feared my Davidson sweatshirt could get me punched. Whatever the case, I compiled a list of real quotes from one particularly vocal fan that vividly depicts the game for those unable to attend. I have excluded the especially crude, explicit, and shocking comments that the parents of small children repeatedly frowned at to no avail.
“Every single shot is green”-- The 49ers couldn’t miss from deep to start the game. A team that shoots under 30% from three on year somehow started the game 5-8 from beyond the arc. This ignited Charlotte to jump out to a 12-point lead 10 minutes into the game, 25-12.
“Why are we getting repeatedly backed down by a balding 30-year-old”-- I’d witnessed this poor fan experiencing what it’s like to play against Reed Bailey. He finished with 18 points and shot 7-11 from the field. For the record, Bailey has wonderful locks and is only 22.
“No matter what, someone’s gonna be open. And even if they’re not, it’s still good”--- Davidson’s offense looked so dang pretty in this game. When working effectively, the cuts, quick passes, and unselfish screens create a mind-boggling offensive scheme for defenders. The basketball IQ is so high for each player, unsurprising seeing as Davidson’s acceptance rate is 14%.
“That’s it. We need to kneecap #1 and #2”--Although the legality of this strategy is up in the air, at least he had an idea of something to stop Davidson; Charlotte sure didn’t. The Wildcats turned a three-point deficit at the break into a 14-point lead with just under seven minutes left in the second half, 66-52. #1, Reed Bailey, grabbed seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and a steal to go along with his aforementioned 18 points. #2, Bobby Durkin finished with 14 points and shot 4-9 from three.
“Grab a board, good heavens”-- Davidson grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, including 5 from Zach Laput. I’m not sure if watching the Wildcats grabbing rebound after rebound or hearing this guy say “Good heavens” was more surprising.
“Anthony Richardson is hands down a way better quarterback than Bryce Young”-- When the opposing fans start talking about the NFL, it’s a good sign your team is nearing victory.
“I can’t wait till baseball season”-- The cherry on top. Despite a late-game push from Charlotte, Davidson held on to win 75-71.
Oh, and Davidson also killed Detroit Mercy a couple of days later, 86-51. One might say they were merciless.
The Wildcats are now 8-2 through 10 games. I’m a little puzzled. Wasn’t Davidson supposed to be bad this year? There are two major lessons to learn here. 1: Matt Mckillop has unlocked this team’s potential and they are poised to make some noise in the A-10. 2: Never doubt me again. I am always right.
Scoreboard Update
Davidson-9 Doubters-2
(Winning rivalry matchups counts for extra points no matter how ugly the trophy may be)
12/09/2024
Davidson vs. The Doubters- Round 4
Going to the beach to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a group of buddies sounds like an amazing idea until one realizes this means hours on the highway with a teenage driver. I felt nothing but fear for 263 minutes. I know that number because I counted each minute.
I experienced that same wave of terror while watching the second half of the Davidson vs. Charleston Southern game this week. With 14:50 left in the second half, Davidson led 50-40 and looked to be sailing to a comfortable victory. Fans who left their seats to get a snack must have been surprised to see 52-49 on the scoreboard a mere three minutes later. The battle stayed close for the rest of the game. With 4:35 remaining, the Wildcats found themselves down four, 66-62. A cheeky grin must have started to form across the faces of The Doubters. Davidson responded with an 8-0 run over the next couple of minutes and held on to win, 73-72.
The resilience this team showed was admirable. Their run to close the game was mature and clinical. 6' 10", 235-pound Taje’ Kelly had been a problem for Davidson all evening. He finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds and was such a force that the commentator likened him to Shaquille O’Neal (He was referencing the players’ shared inability to hit free throws, but we’ll ignore that for the hyperbole’s sake). Down the stretch though, Bobby Durkin made Kelly look more like Celtics Shaq. Durkin picked his pocket twice in the final three minutes, shutting him down on two crucial possessions.
Reed Bailey continues to make his case for being the best player in the A-10. He went off for 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He also hit a clutch free throw with 3 seconds left to extend the lead to four and seal the game to finish out his stellar performance. It was impossible to take your eyes off him- not because of his remarkable game, but due to his remarkably bright purple shoes. I would have better insight into this game, but I swear all I could look at was his shoes. Basketball players have long made bold style choices. I’ve often thought Dennis Rodman only grabbed as many boards as he did because the opponents were all too busy looking at his hair. More recently, players like Russell Westbrook and Tyrese Haliburton make statements on and off the court with equally jaw-dropping play and outfit choices. Kyle Kuzma still lives in infamy due to a pink sweater, if you can call it that, that arguably was a crime against humanity.
12/1/2024
After getting my wisdom teeth pulled this past Tuesday, I attended my school’s basketball game that evening. I figured I couldn’t have a more painful basketball viewing experience this week- then I watched Davidson and Arizona play. Yeah, the doubters took a huge W as Davidson took a huge L, 104-71. The scoreline is misleading, the Wildcats (the North Carolinian ones) kept the game competitive. They actually led by seven six minutes into the game. Unfortunately, despite the heat of the Bahamas, where they played, the team went ice cold. Their height, or more accurately, lack thereof, exposed them on the glass, and Caleb Love read my column from last week and decided to spite me. Ok, maybe not that last part, but he lit it up anyhow. But, I firmly believe in Rocky Balboa’s message, “It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
So how did the group move forward? They dominantly defeated Providence the next day, 69-58. The wire-to-wire victory came against a 5-1 school that the money line favored by five and a half points.; the best response a fan could have hoped for. Connor Kochera ate up this Thanksgiving tournament, picking up 20 points against Arizona and 22 versus Providence. Bobby Durkin also feasted with 15-point and 20-point performances in the two matchups. Not to be outdone, Reed Bailey picked up a double-double himself, grabbing 18 points and 11 rebounds. Forgive me for not making any food-related pun on that last statline; they were getting dangerously corny (Ha get it, like corn the food.) Speaking of Thanksgiving, words cannot express how badly I wished Davidson played Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University this week (their mascot is a turkey). I’m sure my editor and all of you at home are grateful they did not.
To finish the week, Davidson lost to the third-ranked school in the nation Gonzaga. It was their third game in as many days, and again, they were playing #3 Gonzaga. On the bright side, Davidson kept it close for the first 11 minutes, and Reed Bailey did Reed Bailey things, dropping 19 points.
The tournament was called the “Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis.” I couldn’t think of a more American event. This had it all: Thanksgiving, college hoops, bad boys, lawnmowers, and conspiracy theories about lost ancient cities.
The Doubters won this week. To them, I say: Scoreboard
Scoreboard Update
Davidson-5 Doubters-2
11/24/2024
Schadenfreude is morally wrong. I know that. Still, I can’t help but find myself gleefully laughing at all of the Davidson doubters right now. After a crushing victory over the Virginia Military Institute, 93-66, the Wildcats are now 4-0 and are flying. Reed Bailey is becoming more of an absolute stud by the day. He had a comfortable 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 64% from the field. Bobby Durkin turned in another stellar performance, picking up 19 points to go along with 4 steals. Mike Loughane had a big game, dropping 13 points and 6 assists. 13 Davidson players played. The team shot 40% from the three-point line, draining 13, and shot 50% from the field overall. Defensively, they forced 15 turnovers and completely shut the Keydets down. It got so bad that VMI’s mascot, Moe the Kangaroo, was spotted hopping from John Belk Arena all the way back to Australia out of embarrassment.
The Davidson bandwagon is growing by the day, and will surely add thousands of passengers following the upcoming matchup with 17th-ranked Arizona on November 27th. This matchup will be a test of Davidson’s early success and Arizona’s ability to bounce back. More importantly, this will finally decide the fierce debate of which school can claim to be the best Wildcat, ignoring Kentucky. Based on the name alone, Davidson is in the lead. “Lux” is far superior to “Wilbur.” I shouldn’t be confused and expect your mascot to be a pig. The matter will have to be settled on the court in what should be a tight game. Arizona needs to get back on track losing back-to-back to Wisconsin and Duke. Davidson is looking to take advantage of their hot start and pick up a statement victory. The game will answer many questions like, “Can Davidson defend against Arizona big man Motejus Krivas?” “Will Reed Bailey make his star power known nationwide?” and “Does Caleb Love still know how to play the game of basketball?”- I probably shouldn’t be talking; I quit in sixth grade.
If, hopefully, when Davidson wins, just remember, I called it.
Scoreboard update
Davidson-4 Doubters-0
11/17/2024
Davidson vs. The Doubters- Round One
Just a short 20 minutes from the young and vibrant city of Charlotte, North Carolina lies Davidson College. Its storied history and rich traditions can be felt all around campus, especially in the hallowed halls of John Belk Arena. Although it may shock you that they even are a Division One school, Davidson has a legacy of being small but mighty. The college has a population of merely 1900, almost a thousand smaller than Hough High School which is just down the road. Despite this, it has seen three Elite Eights, including one since the creation of the iphone.
Oh, and Steph Curry went there. Figured I should mention that.
Curry and countless other players competed under famed coach Bob Mckillop. Known for being one of the first coaches to heavily incorporate stats into the game, he made Davidson a flame throwing, shot-chucking, and all-around entertaining squad. However, he isn’t central to this story nor is Steph. Both meant the world to the fans, but no longer have any effect on the team. The name Mckillop will still appear throughout the season as his son Matt is the current head coach of the men. In his third year with the group, he bravely leads the Wildcats into the fearsome Atlantic 10 conference.
The A-10 is stacked this year, and many believe the Davidson men will finish near the bottom, if not dead last. This column will follow not only the wins and losses versus opponents on the court, but also the battle between Davidson and the critics’ prophesying their downfall. As a fan, it is my duty to hope for the best; it is also my instinct to complain when they do anything slightly wrong. Any criticism, however harsh, is simply the ranting of a delusional cheerleader who thinks he should be the coach.
Whether Davidson goes undefeated, or winless, or Birnan Wood comes to Dunsinane, I will be here to tell you about it. Week one saw the men defeat William Peace University by a scoreline of 88-47. Although William Peace is Division III and the matchup arguably felt like a violation of the 8th Amendment, a win is a win. The boys followed that up with a strong win over Bowling Green, 91-85. Three Wildcats ended with 20 points or more, including junior Reed Bailey leading with 24.
On Saturday, November 16th, the squad faced off against East Tennessee State in a rematch from last year. ETSU pulled out a 70-68 win in the previous matchup. Once again, it was a tight matchup. However, this is a different Davidson team. They scraped out a 76-70 victory led by Reed Bailey. He has taken a serious jump up from last season. He finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Senior guard Zach Laput had a huge game off the bench, he dropped 14 while shooting 85.6% from the field. No bucket of his was more important than his "and one" layup following his offensive rebound with 0:45 left in the game. His big play put Davidson up 71-67.
Maybe my fandom of Detroit sports has made this word too ingrained in my brain, but I can’t think of a better descriptor for this group than gritty. They work. They hustle. They scored merely three three-pointers and still won, a feat that seems impossible in the current basketball world. They out-rebounded ETSU by 12 rebounds.
Three games down, undefeated. Take that, critics.
Davidson-3 Doubters-0
Comments