The Davidson men’s and women’s basketball programs are bonded by the same question as they each embark on their 2024 season.
They’re haunted by it, and fueled by it, in fact.
The question:
What if?
On the women’s side, such a question hurts. The program made national news last season after it decided to cancel its season early due to a handful of season-ending injuries , prompting an endless supply of hypotheticals:
What if the six season-ending injuries never came? What if the team found a way to stay healthy through the month of February and deep into March? What if these Wildcats got to play through the season that featured their program’s best all-time start — a 12-1 record that included a win over Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium — and a group of veteran players who seemed destined to have a seat at the NCAA Tournament table, whether with an at-large bid or with a conference championship?
On the men’s side, such a question stings, too. The Wildcats, in Year 2 of Matt McKillop’s tenure, finished 15-17, the school’s first losing season since 1992 . They ended their season in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament with an overtime loss. It was a heartbreaking end befitting of a brutal season — one in which the Wildcats played in 15 games that were decided by fewer than five points or in overtime. Of those 15 games, Davidson lost 11 of them.
The “what ifs” are predictably everywhere, too: What if David Skogman , the team’s senior and leading scorer, didn’t sustain a season ending injury in January? What if they beat Clemson — an Elite Eight team — by three instead of losing by three? What if a shot went in there, a loose ball was collected there? Would their season be remembered differently?
On Tuesday, at an annual media luncheon on Davidson’s campus, both programs answered the bevy of questions that follow such a difficult one.
Davidson women’s basketball cohesive and talented — but will no longer surprise people
A year ago, Davidson women’s basketball coach Gayle Fulks stood in front of media members and said her 2023-24 team was going to be the most talented one in program history .
It’s tough to say she was wrong.
Her big proclamation this year?
“We have the most cohesive team in the country,” she said.
Fulks, who orchestrated an 18-8 abbreviated season, said this about her team among other superlatives. But when you talk to returning point guard Issy Morgan , that team cohesion is what she points to, too.
“It’s so encouraging to see where people are coming back from and how people are returning and how much tougher it’s made our team, for having to go through that,” Morgan said of last year’s unfulfilling end . “And like Gayle said, the unfinished business thing is a huge thing for us. We haven’t played since February. We’re dying to get back into it, and I think having so many new players who’ve just come off a summer of AAU: they’re fresh-faced, so excited for college basketball. That’s just another rejuvenating sense for our team that makes us even more excited to play.”
The fresh faces Morgan discussed is another important thorough-line this year. Davidson has 10 — yes, T-E-N! — players listed as freshman on its roster for the 2024 season. And of the few returners, three are coming back from season-ending injuries. There is Tomasine Adenupe, who suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason and was expected to be an important scorer for the team last year. There is Charlize Dunn, a Virginia Tech transfer a year ago who was one of three players who averaged double-digits before going down in conference play. And there is Sylvie Jackson, a forward who went down in January. (The three players will make their returns at different times, Fulks said, but all of them will be around for “meaningful” parts of the season.)
So the team has talent. It’s close on and off the court. That can all be traced back to last year’s exploits.
One drawback to all of it? No one will be surprised by the Wildcats this year. The team has more nationally televised conference games — five — than many teams this year, including basketball power UConn.
Fulks isn’t concerned about the new attention, however. It signifies a growth in her program.
“You gotta be ready for that,” Fulks said when asked about the challenges of not being able to “surprise” people anymore. “We’re not going to be the underdog. We’re not going to be somebody people aren’t valuing when we step on the floor.”
Davidson men’s basketball littered with shooters, and newfound confidence
On the men’s side, confronting the haunting “what if?” queries didn’t start in the spring and summer. It happened last year, in the moment — as Davidson went on to lose close game after close game, their defense holding up but their offense bending under late-game pressure.
One way the team confronted all of their what-if demons? Analytics.
According to Matt McKillop — who is the new-age side of the same coin as his predecessor and father, Bob McKillop — Davidson didn’t have its highest NET ranking after the team emerged 10-3 out of non-conference play. It also didn’t have its highest NET ranking after beating Maryland.
Their highs in the metric — one important to NCAA bids — came in the middle of conference play, even as the team struggled in the win/loss column. Their rankings kept creeping up even after losses.
“We’re all very aware of the NET rankings,” said Connor Kochera, Davidson’s two-time captain and leading scorer a year ago. “We’re very aware of what goes on, and we talk among ourselves and the team. But yes, they also share the numbers. Because it’s encouraging to see. If you have a close loss, obviously that could be discouraging. But if you’re seeing that you’re still getting better, that’s huge.
“That helped us and propelled to keep fighting. Another close game, you’d see us fight all the way to the end. You didn’t see it in the wins and loss columns, but you’d see it in our rankings. You’d see it in the analytics that we’re getting better.”
Kochera said it’s important to note that the team will use that experience this year — and build on it. The Wildcats shot 31.4% from 3-point land last year and only 43.1% from the field; it’s a credit to their defense they were in as many games as they were.
“We’re lucky to have four out of five starters returning,” Kochera said. “Guys who have all been in that situation. And who’ve been in it together. Taking the next steps this season I think will just come naturally to us. Some of these other programs, they go through these tough times, and then everyone just separates and they all go their separate ways, and they bring in their whole new crew and they gotta do it all again. We don’t have to do it all again. We’ve been there, we’ve been in those close games, and it has been tough. ...
“But I think you’re going to see a team that is resilient. And it’s because of our shared experiences together that we’re going to grow from.”
Quick facts of Davidson basketball
Women’s record 2023-24: 18-8 (8-7 A10)
Women’s leading returners: sophomore Charlise Dunn (12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 41.7% FGs); senior Millie Prior (9.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 55.8% FGs); senior Issy Morgan (8.3 points, 3.4 assists, 41.2% FGs).
Women’s head coach: Gayle Fulks. She’s entering her eighth year at Davidson with an overall record of 113-102.
Men’s record 2023-24: 15-17 (5-13 A10)
Men’s leading returners: fifth-year senior Connor Kochera (13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 49.2% FGs), junior Reed Bailey (12.7 points, 5,8 rebounds, 42.4% FGs), sophomore Bobby Durkin (12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 45.3% FGs).
Men’s head coach: Matt McKillop. He’s entering his third year at Davidson with an overall record of 31-33.
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