As March Madness begins, all eyes are on men’s and women’s college hoops. With the recent announcement of the Curry-Berman Fund at Davidson and Stephen Curry ‘10 as new assistant general manager of men’s and women’s basketball, even more eyes are on the Wildcats. Unfortunately, the lights proved too bright, as the men’s team was sent packing in the second round of the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Conference Tournament. The ‘Cats fell to the Saint Louis Billikens 75-83.
After going 6-12 in regular-season conference play, Davidson entered the tournament as the 12 seed. The ‘Cats entered their first-round matchup on a four-game losing streak, with their most recent loss coming in Belk Arena on March 8 against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies 61-64. Still, when Davidson faced the 13-seed Richmond Spiders on March 12, they approached the game with experience and confidence, having beaten the Spiders twice in the regular season.
The ‘Cats were able to channel some of that confidence, knowing that any chance of an appearance in the NCAA tournament rested on an improbable run through the A-10 tournament. Reed Bailey ‘26 showed out, as he had all season, scoring 25 points to lead all scorers. This season, Bailey earned First Team All A-10 honors and was awarded the Chris Daniels Most Improved Player award. Thanks to 22 points from Connor Kochera ‘25 and a good shooting night from the team—the ‘Cats shot nearly 50% from the floor—Davidson downed Richmond in a tight game, 64-61.
Unfortunately, their time in the tournament was short-lived. The ‘Cats played another close game (with nine lead changes) and Kochera led the effort with 18 points. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Billikens on March 13, led by their senior guard Isaiah Swope’s 26 points.
Close games have been a staple of Davidson’s season. “Unfortunately, there were a few too many games where one big run by an opponent made us either lose a lead, or helped our opponent build a lead that left us a possession or two short of coming back,” Head Men’s Basketball Coach Matt McKillop ‘06 said. “Too often, that was something we could not overcome.”
“Could not overcome” unfortunately encapsulates the last few years for Davidson men’s hoops: the last time Davidson won a conference championship was 2018, their first since moving from the Southern Conference in 2014. The ‘Cats last made the A-10 Championship game in 2022, which also marked the last time they earned an NCAA tournament bid.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, McKillop did not let it sour his experience with the team. “I think our team had a great attitude all season, and I believe that it was why we were able to fight in every game. Our practices always gave us great faith and belief that we were ready to win, no matter who we were playing. I loved coaching this team and [felt] joy every day coming to the gym to work. I was never happy that we fell short of the successes we worked for, but I was happy that I was able to share the ups and down with people that played together and cared about each other the way they did. This group reminded me of the teams I played for at Davidson, and being with them brought me back to some of the greatest memories I have had in my life.”
Fifth-year senior Zach Laput echoed the same sentiments as his coach. “The growth I saw was the togetherness off the court more than anything. Being a transfer, it takes time to build bonds with the guys and I felt by the end of the year we were much closer,” Laput said.
McKillop was optimistic about the growth of his team and the direction of the program, stating, “We saw individual improvements from many players. We saw big moments from our younger, less-experienced players, and our veterans showed that they are on a path to being great college players. I believe these improvements will lead us to a level of consistency that can win a championship next season.”
