Davidson is well known for producing one of the best scorers in the world, Golden State superstar Steph Curry.
A few years after Curry left campus for the NBA, the Wildcats have produced another top scorer in the country: senior guard Jack Gibbs. No, he’s not at the same level as Curry because no one is. But Gibbs is one of the top scorers in the nation with freedom to shoot from anywhere on the court and an ability to drive to the rim.
Ranked 64th by KenPom, Davidson features an efficient offense that ranks among the nation’s best from behind the 3-point arc. Plus, the Wildcats are dominant at the free throw line, shooting 80.7 percent, which ranks fourth nationally.
Beyond the offense, the Wildcats have improved on the defensive end this season. They are holding opponents to 37.9 percent shooting from the field, which ranks 28th in the country.
Interesting note: In his 28th season at Davidson, Bob McKillop is the sixth-longest tenured coach in the country at the same school. His 521 career victories rank 24th on the active list among coaches.
Series history: Tied 1-1. Davidson won the last meeting in the Sprint Center in 2011, which KUSports.com’s beat reporter Matt Tait [detailed earlier this week.][1]
**DAVIDSON STARTERS**
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*No. 12 — G Jack Gibbs | 6-0, 195, sr.*
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– Gibbs ranks third in the nation with 24.3 points per game, shooting 43 percent from the floor (49 of 114) and 36 percent from deep (22 of 61). He’s added a team-leading 29 assists. He was sixth in the nation in scoring last year.
– He features one of the quickest free-throw motions in the country. He gets the ball, takes one step forward and shoots without dribbling. Gibbs has made 50 of his 60 attempts this year (83 percent). He said he changed his routine after shooting around 65 percent in high school, so “my thinking was that the quicker you shoot it, the less you’re thinking about it.”
– Gibbs grew up a huge Ohio State fan, just 15 minutes from campus. But a torn ACL in his knee forced him to miss most of his junior season in high school and he never received a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.
– He missed a few weeks, including Davidson’s season opener, with a sprained left shoulder.
– QUOTE: “I just know he’s a gamer,” Davidson’s most famous basketball alum, Steph Curry, told the Charlotte Observer. “He knows how to play. …I’m sure we will see Jack repping some NBA jersey next year.”
*No. 32 — G Rusty Reigel | 6-2, 205, jr.*
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– More of a role player, Reigel brings plenty of defensive intensity to his game. He’s averaging 5.1 points and 5.4 rebounds with 22 assists compared to 14 turnovers. He’s struggled to shoot the ball, making only six of his 25 attempts from behind the three-point arc.
– His nickname is Big Tex. He said in middle school, he used to go play basketball at a church in his neighborhood and “I was really fat when I was younger, and I would eat a Big Texas Cinnamon Bun and drink a Yoohoo between every game, and so everybody at the gym called me Big Tex.”
– His father, Ernie, and brother, Will, both played for Davidson. His dad suited up for the Wildcats in 1976-80 and his older brother followed in 2008-12.
– QUOTE: “He has a toughness about him that fits the character of Davidson basketball in everything that he does,” McKillop said. “That’s not by chance. His dad was that way and his brother was that way.”
*No. 3 — G Jon Axel Gudmundsson | 6-4, 190, fr.*
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Block party has already begun! Jon Axel Gudmundsson came ready to play #CatsAreWild pic.twitter.com/eXfsO0sayt
— Davidson Basketball (@DavidsonMBB) November 13, 2016
– Hailing from Grindavik, Iceland, Gudmundsson helped Iceland to second place at Finland’s U-20 International Tournament, averaging 18 points and 6.3 rebounds.
– Gudmundsson has started in each game this year, averaging 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game. He’s recorded a team-high 10 steals and dished 24 assists to only 13 turnovers.
– He mostly shoots from behind the three-point line and he’s made 10 of his 34 attempts (29.4 percent).
– QUOTE: “Jon Axel’s versatility and competitive toughness will be a terrific addition to our roster,” McKillop said. “His extensive experience competing as a member of Iceland’s national team will serve him well as he makes the transition to Atlantic 10 basketball.”
*No. 23 — F Peyton Aldridge | 6-8, 225, jr.*
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Top Scoring Duos?
1.Marcus Keene/ Braylon Rayson CMU 48.4PPG
2.Jack Gibbs/Peyton Aldridge Dav 44.3PPG
3.Jaylen Adams/Matt Mobley SBU 43.4PPG— Mark Adams (@EnthusiAdams) December 12, 2016
– The second half of Davidson’s dynamic duo, along with Jack Gibbs. Aldridge averages 20 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He’s versatile, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 35 percent from deep.
– Aldridge is a strong finisher around the basket. According to hoop-math.com, he’s converted on 67 percent of his shots at the rim. He is just 26 points shy of becoming the 49th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
– In high school at LaBrae in Leavittsburg, Ohio, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,735 points) and rebounder (1,016 rebounds).
– QUOTE: “He’s a guy we’re going to build around,” McKillop said.
*No. 22 — F Will Magarity | 6-11, 240, jr.*
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– The Stockholm, Sweden native sat out all of last season after transferring from Boston College. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds with BC in 2014-15.
– Through eight starts this season, Magarity is averaging 8.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. He’s registered a team-high 11 blocks.
– He’s not afraid to stretch out the three-point line, converting on 6 of 26 attempts this year. He’s shooting 47 percent from the floor.
– Hid dad, William, played basketball at Georgia.
– QUOTE: “He is a perfect fit for our style of play,” McKillop said.
**DAVIDSON BENCH**
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*No. 2 — G Jordan Watkins | 6-1, 165, jr.*
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– The Charlotte native is the leading scorer off of the bench, averaging 6.6 points. He’s a strong passer with 12 assists and only three turnovers.
– According to hoop-math.com, Watkins has taken 2.5 percent of his shots at the rim. Instead, he lives at the three-point line, where he’s shooting a team-best 39 percent (13 of 33).
– He’s suffered a couple of shoulder injuries throughout his career.
– QUOTE: “I definitely felt ready to step in,” Watkins said last season. “Last year, coach (McKillop) pushed me a lot and put me in difficult situations … so I was pretty much ready.”
*No. 1 — F Nathan Ekwu | 6-7, 235, jr.*
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– Averaging 2.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. He’s shooting 8-of-19 from the floor this season.
– From Enugu, Nigeria, Ekwu led the Wildcats with 37 blocks last year. He has three blocks this season.
– He grew up playing soccer, but turned to basketball at 15 years old after he enjoyed watching Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. “I don’t know how to put it, if I picked it up quickly or not,” he said. “It was just playing hard and learning and listening to people. That’s pretty much what it is. And I’m still learning. I think I’ll keep learning.”
*No. 0 — F Dusan Kovacevic | 6-10, 245, fr.*
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– In seven games off of the bench, Kovacevic has scored 16 points with 15 rebounds in 75 total minutes. He’s shooting 7-of-21 from the field.
– From Serbia, Kovacevic missed all of last season after undergoing knee surgery.
– Prounounced: DO-sahn Ko-vah-so-vitch.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2016/dec/13/davidson-one-of-5-programs-to-have-beate/
