8.31.2009

Davidson football at Elon

Burlington:

Before Matheny coaches a game for the Phoenix, he’ll watch his alma mater play Elon in Saturday night’s football opener at Rhodes Stadium. That’s quite a balancing act: Former Davidson football player, current Elon basketball coach.

“I haven’t really thought what way my heart will pull,” Matheny said a few days ago, though fully pointing out that he’s all Elon, all the time these days.

8.30.2009

8.29.2009

A bit on Jason

Eurocupbasketball.com: ... a pass-first point guard who made a name for himself at Davidson College, helping lead the small school to within a basket of the 2008 NCAA final four. He finished his four years at Davidson as the school’s all-time leader in assists.

8.28.2009

That staff in ‘78-‘79

Andy Katz: Bzdelik is coveted in the NBA. But he has been able to bridge the NBA and college game because of his wealth of knowledge and spending quality time early in his career at Davidson with Eddie Biedenbach (now at UNC Asheville), Bob McKillop (now the head coach at Davidson) and Rick Barnes (now the head coach at Texas). That was before he went to work for Wes Unseld and Pat Riley in the NBA.

Cats on Main

Brendan Winters

Tweeting: Ok, so I’m going to start tweeting for all the Dusseldorf Giants and DC Wildcat fans out there who have been asking for the inside scoop!

Bryant on the trip

On DavidsonNews.net:

Our trip ended with four days in Bormio, a ski town in northern Italy nestled in the Alps. From our hotel rooms we had views of plush green mountains with snowy white peaks. The views were amazing. On our second day in Bormio we took ski lifts up to Bormio 3000, named because it is 3011 meters above sea level. Standing on top of the mountain I could see for miles upon miles of snow-covered mountains.

Lamsenjochhutte, Austria

50th year on the front lines

Terry:

In this particular case, Memphis is only guilty of doing what everyone else does -- accept student-athletes who have been cleared by the NCAA’s own “Clearinghouse.” Memphis just happens to be doing so for more talented players than most schools.

8.25.2009

A Sketch of the Past

Virginia Woolf from Claire in her memoir seminar this semester: “... is it not possible -- I often wonder -- that things we have felt with great intensity have an existence independent of our minds; are in fact still in existence?”

8.24.2009

The power of the story

Scott:

Another coach told Chadwick he would be the face of the program for four years, he said, and do for that team what Stephen Curry did for Davidson.

I wonder how often No. 30 and March 2008 come up in different coaches’ pitches these days.

Jason this year

Poland. On Facebook: Poland here i come! McKillop: Congrats to Jason Richards for signing with PGE Turow in the Polish 1st Division. A great team that competes in the Euro Cup.

Look who’s tweeting

McKillop: Just returned from 2 great weeks in Italy and Slovenia with the team. Glad to have everyone on campus ready for classes to begin tomorrow.

8.21.2009

The other Curry

Seth: “I wouldn’t have minded playing with my brother, but I kind of wanted to separate myself, make my own name.”

The late Robert Novak

In his memoir via the Washington Times: “[When] Maryland hired Lefty away from Davidson, I knew that big-time basketball had come to Washington.”

Some convincing recruiting

What Stephen told Jordan: “He told me how great the school and Coach were. He definitely put in a good word for them, and I could tell he loved the school. He made it more appealing.”

8.18.2009

Blake “interviews” Stephen

Davidson In Focus

Austin: “And I love creating for Davidson because I have a built-in audience who I know, because I’m part of it.”

Best rookie shooter?

Landslide.

Venice

As tweeted by Bryant.

DavidsonNews.net on the trip

David Boraks:

Davidson and other U.S. college teams are permitted to take summer overseas playing tours every four years, Davidson sports information chief Marc Gignac said Tuesday. Thanks to Coach Bob McKillop’s European connections, they usually find plenty of opponents.

And they have a chance to travel, something not always possible for Division I college athletes, Mr. Gignac said. “It’s a great opportunity for student athletes, who don’t get a chance to study abroad like other students,” he said.

8.17.2009

8.16.2009

A win in Game 4

Facebook: 25 for Will, 14 boards for Dan, 23 and 10 for Brendan.

The standard

Robbi on Buzz:

A dozen years ago, he said, he was always looking for the next victory; now, he wants to savor each one. Back then, he said, he was always searching for the next job opportunity. Now, he said he’s ready to settle in and build a consistent, winning program, much like that of Davidson coach Bob McKillop.

8.15.2009

Game 3 result

Via the Davidson page on Facebook: Aaron has 20, and so does Will, but Davidson loses 75-69 against Helios Domzale. Brendan: 10 points and three assists. Bryant: back in treviso.

8.14.2009

Cremins contract extension

AP: Now, with Wildcats’ star Stephen Curry gone to the NBA, College of Charleston likely will be the favorite to win the SoCon title -- and return Cremins to the NCAA tournament. P and C.

‘Glad to pick Davidson’

First time I’ve seen this stated quite so explicitly:

Downing didn’t take official visits, but made plenty of unofficial trips. He loved the campus at St. Bonaventure in Olean, N.Y. At Winthrop, the coaching staff impressed him. Wright State, in Dayton, Ohio, had a great practice facility. And Xavier is a top 20 program.

But it was Davidson he kept coming back to.

“I remember two years ago watching them play in the NCAA tournament when they made it to the Elite Eight,” Downing said. “I thought, ‘They’re good. I need to check them out.’ The more I watched, the more I liked. The style coach (Bob) McKillop plays is very similar to our style at Hopewell.”

Also of note is this from Hopewell coach Eric Davis: “I think Jordan is going to be very successful there. As he matures physically, I think he can have the same success at that level as he has at the high school level. He can be a player-of-the-year-type player.”

8.13.2009

Game 2 result

Via the Davidson sports Facebook page: Will leads with 17 in a loss to a team of Slovenian free agents. Bryant: tough, good shooting team.

8.12.2009

Telep on Kuhlman

Today on the phone: “I’m telling you. Winner. Toughness. No nonsense. Gets after it. He has intangibles. He has it. The mysterious it.”

Stephen as art

From Golden State of Mind.

One game down

And a win: 90-66 over KK Alpos. Facebook: Bryant with a team-high 18, and Steve, Ben and Brendan go for double-doubles.

Tracking the team

Via the tweets of one White Lobster: off to slovenia ...

8.11.2009

Autographs in New York

Photo from The Journal News.

From Maryland to Belfast

The network: Neal’s path to Northern Ireland was paved with a fortuitous connection. Neal and his family hosted Frank Ben-Eze, a Nigerian power forward who opted to attend Davidson, during Ben-Eze’s high school years. Ben-Eze just finished his freshman year with the Wildcats, and coach Bob McKillop remains in contact with the Neals.

On the ground

Bryant and his updates: spaghetti, gelato, a faux hawk, a fanny pack.

Summer at Belk

From babybherewecome.blogspot.com.

Out in San Francisco

Scott Ostler:

Pray, Warriors fans, that Curry isn’t as sensitive as he looks, that he has the skin of a rhino and the Jedi ability to translate Nelson's tact-free ranting into positive instruction.

If so, Curry has to be in the rotation from the beginning, and has to stay there even when he sucks lemons, which he will do at times, because he represents real hope.

If Curry is able to bring about 80 percent of his college game to the NBA, he and Randolph will soon move Monta Ellis to the No. 3 spot on the ladder of Most Important Warriors.

Rookie Transition Program

Stephen: “I’m sure there’s some stuff that they’ve experienced for themselves that my parents don’t want to tell me about the NBA. You’d like to be working out. You’d like to do something else, but I’m sure, down the road, I’ll say that there was some stuff that I was able to use.” Trading cards photo shoot.

8.10.2009

Columnist in Minnesota

Oops: Larry Brown became a head coach at Davidson, then jumped to the ABA. A commenter to the rescue: How many games did Larry Brown win at Davidson, Jim? Answer: None, he never coached in one. He left before the season even started.

Summer ball

Droney: “AAU-wise, it’s the best team I’ve been a part of.”

8.09.2009

On the bus to the airport


From Bryant via Twitter.

November in Hinkle

Scheduling note from the Indy Star: Butler opens the season at home Nov. 14 against Davidson.

Off to Europe

The team leaves this evening for the program’s quadrennial international trip, with stops scheduled in Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. There’s good history here: went in ’05, went to the NCAAs in ’06; went in ’01, went to the NCAAs in ’02; went in ’97, went to the NCAAs in ’98. Bryant on Twitter: Italia in 16 hours ... cant wait! Brendan on Facebook: Will be in Italy until the 22nd. Rossiter on Facebook chat: “Have to keep that streak going.”

Getting to know him

Three of his favorite quotations from his Facebook profile:

1. Hard work beats talent only if talent chooses not to work hard.

2. Success always looks easy to others who weren’t around when it was earned.

3. The day you stop learning is the day you stop living.

Heck of a question

Langston on Twitter: Charlotte prep star commits to Davidson. Is Jordan Downing the next Steph Curry?

8.08.2009

A thought here

When a recruit goes to Davidson to play pickup on summer evenings at Belk, and when he sees the incoming basketball freshmen already on campus because it’s where they want to be, and when he sees program alums who graduated three years ago, four years ago, seven years ago, 10 years ago -- guys who play in Europe, guys who make their livings doing that, guys who are pros, and guys who still come back to their alma mater every summer because it’s where they want to be -- and then when he sees the program’s most visible face come back to run and work, even though he’s a Golden State Warrior now, even though he has millions of NBA dollars now, because it’s where he wants to be ...

The Observer confirms

Langston:

Hopewell High basketball player Jordan Downing, a 6-5 senior, has committed to Davidson, Titans coach Eric Davis said.

Downing chose the Wildcats over Air Force, Appalachian State, Northwestern, St. Bonaventure, Winthrop and Wright State. Downing was one of four Hopewell starters to average 13 points per game last season when the Titans finished 29-1 and reached the N.C. 4A state semifinals.

“He didn’t take any visits anywhere,” Davis said. “He decided Davidson was where he wanted to go. He’d been up there on some unofficial visits and he told me (Saturday) that basically for the past year, that’s where he wanted to go to school.”

The newest Wildcat

Downing and Droney. Has a nice ring.

It’s big because it’s early. It’s big because he’s local.

Some stuff:

Scout. Snippets: “has had a very strong pre-senior summer” ... “isn’t afraid to defend.”

Telep on the BlackBerry: “Good player! Winner!”

ESPN in April: Downing is a good athlete with great length on the wing. He runs the floor in transition and can get to the rim with ease. In the half court he scores with a nice mid range game. He can knock down the jumper to 18 feet after one or two rhythm dribbles. He is a good rebounder on both ends and can clean the defense glass and go coast to coast. Downing can finish in the lane using his length to elevate over smaller defenders. He is a good on ball defender that is capable of defending both wing positions. Downing is a very good all around guard with good upside.

Quick-culled info off Nexis: His Hopewell team went 29-1 last year before losing in the state semis and was 20-0 in summer league play. ... He was on the All-Observer second team last April. ... Also all-conference. ... Langston Wertz at the Carolina Challenge last March: “OK, he missed a wide open dunk, but he continues to show improvement in his ball-handling and shooting. He was one of the bigger surprises of the day.” ... Downing in the Observer in January: “North Meck-Hopewell is like Duke and UNC, Hopewell basketball player Jordan Downing said. The fans are crazy. The schools are close to each other and when we play, the temperature is just hot.” ... And in January after scoring a team-high 16 points in Hopewell’s win over Vance: “I think we were tougher.”

Jordan Downing

Committed to Davidson, according to him, on his Facebook page: “officially a Davidson Wildcat!”

Cats on Main

DavidsonNews.net: The retail outlet will sell college logo clothing and merchandise, which has become a booming because of the Wildcat basketball team’s success in recent years.

‘Every little bit helps’

Davidson’s bridge superstars

Austin: We wanted to all wear #30 jerseys, but we couldn’t get the bookstore to loan them to us, so we instead carried the spirit of the sharpshooter inside of us, not hesitating to pretend we averaged an NCAA-high 28.6 points per hand.

Droney’s buddy: Appalachian-bound

Droney: “I told him he can win as many games as he wants, but he’s not going to beat us.”

Swimming in Indy

8.05.2009

Illinois AAU coach

He says he has three favorite players of all time. One of them is Jason.

Not to quibble but ...

Set to play some pro-am golf in Greensboro: Davidson College alumnus Stephen Curry. (Update: He is, in fact, according to the definition of the word, an alumnus of the college, even though he hasn’t graduated -- yet. An alumnus also can be just a former student. He is that obviously. So much for my silly quibble.)

8.04.2009

NBA 2K10 rookies

Brandon on Man Caves

For those with something called the DIY Network, the show with Ozone was on earlier tonight, will be on again at 1 a.m., then again on Saturday, then again next Saturday.

Stephen’s rookie year

The Golden State schedule is out. Of note: March 6 in Charlotte. Smack during SoCon tourney time. Observer.

November in Charleston

USF’s opener: Fortunately for the Bulls, Davidson’s sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry left early for the NBA. A member of the Southern Conference, Davidson has at least 20 wins in each of its past five seasons. DavidsonWildcats.com. Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer.

8.02.2009

Well this is odd

Wilmington:

... none of the state’s mid-major and low-major schools have thrived. Outside Davidson’s Elite 8 run in 2008, UNCW (2002) and Charlotte (2001) are the only ones to win a NCAA tournament game since 2000.


Except for, you know, the GIANT exception, as mentioned, in northern Mecklenburg County. And not just in ’08.