For decades, Davidson’s men’s basketball has prided itself on the program’s unique culture and community. The motto Trust, Commitment, Care (TCC) has defined the program throughout much of its winning history, even extending off the court and often driving former players to come to summer practices. But as Davidson moves into its fourth season with Coach Matt McKillop at the helm, the Wildcats’ challenge is not identity; it is execution.
Following a year rife with close losses, key injuries and the loss of the five most active players from the 2024-25 season, it was a busy offseason. Now, a revamped team with seven newcomers, strong depth and experience up and down the roster eyes a return to the top of the Atlantic 10 (A-10).
Thriving at a top liberal arts school while competing in Division I athletics presents a challenge, and Davidson has not been immune to the year-to-year roster fluctuations. Reed Bailey, last season’s First Team All-A-10 performer, transferred to Indiana University; starters Bobby Durkin and Mike Loughnane shipped off to the University of Minnesota and Northeastern University, respectively; stalwarts Connor Kochera ’25 and Zach Laput ’25 graduated last spring.
Purely by minutes played, 75% of last year’s team is gone. But a look under the hood reveals the roster situation is not as dire as it seems.
Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris Clunie understands transfers have changed how teams construct rosters these days. “The transfer portal is a two-way street. We’ve lost kids, but we’ve also gained kids,” Clunie said.
University of Pennsylvania transfer guard Sam Brown ’27 averaged double-digit points per game (PPG) in two seasons with the Quakers, punctuated by a 42-point outburst at Columbia University. As a Second Team All-Ivy League player, he is a threat from the field as a shooter and distributor and is expected to be one of the biggest producers on a Wildcat team in need of an outside threat.
Davidson expects Army West Point transfer guard Josh Scovens ’27 to be a go-to scoring option. Scoven’s 6-foot-6 frame powered him to 15.2 PPG and finished second in the Patriot League in blocks per game.
Despite being at Davidson for just a few months, McKillop is impressed by Scoven’s early impact. “[Scoven’s] presence and his attitude off the court and his play on the court are where he’s led by example and gained the trust of his teammates,” McKillop said.
Two more transfers, forward JQ Roberts ’27 and guard Parker Friedrichson ’27, were rotation players for Vanderbilt and Wake Forest before joining Davidson. McKillop hopes their power conference experience will help the younger ‘Cats. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Roberts will have a noticeable presence inside and brings the size this team needs on the glass.
Friedrichson in particular was hotly recruited by Davidson out of high school as a top-100 recruit per 247Sports, and the staff hopes that familiarity will revitalize his talent. Friedrichson can be another dynamic scoring option who thrives in space and morphs into a star.
As for the incoming freshmen, time will tell whether they can make a sizable impact, but early returns from camp are promising. 7-foot center Ian Platteeuw ’29 from Barcelona, Spain was named the 2025 U18 Eurobasket MVP this past summer as he led Spain to a championship.
Finding players who fit the Davidson mold and embody the program’s TCC mantra remains important. In terms of character, McKillop believes the newcomers have fit seamlessly.
“[Our players] are all kids with great work ethic: very coachable, but also interested in playing the way that we play here at Davidson. Everyone’s willing to sacrifice and play a selfless brand of basketball,” McKillop said.
With the four transfers bringing a wealth of experience from mid-major and power conferences, McKillop thinks the team’s age differentiates this year’s team from that of years past.
“We’re not going to step on the court every night and have [nineteen-year-olds] going up against [twenty-four-year-olds] like we’ve felt at times over the years,” McKillop said.
Along with the transfers, the ‘Cats may be returning one of the best defenders in the conference in Sean Logan ’28. Despite tearing his ACL last December in the midst of a dominant defensive campaign in which he threatened to break his own program blocks record, Logan looks to return to his prior form.
Hunter Adam ’27, Manie Joses ’28 and Roberts Blums ’28 will all be strong rotation pieces with the potential to become starters. After averaging 14, 13 and 15 minutes per game last season respectively, improvements from these three are paramount if the ‘Cats want to take a step forward.
The most encouraging sign that this year’s team could be special is the tantalizing depth and versatility on the roster––at least nine players can be serious difference-makers. Coach McKillop thinks that depth is something that really stands out about this year’s group.
“You could step into practice on Saturday and say, ‘Man, those five guys are the best players on the team.’ And then you walk into the gym yesterday and say, ‘Those are the five best players on the team,’ and they could be completely different than the day before,” McKillop said.
“There’s a lot of versatility at every position,” Clunie said. “There’s ball-handling, shooting and I think that we can be a very versatile team which we’ve lacked in the past.”
Scovens and Brown are two playmakers who can fill the scoring void left by Bailey. Logan and Joses should be hounds on defense.
The primary area for concern is defensive rebounding. The Wildcats have performed below average for three consecutive years, and in a conference with such a small margin for error, rebounding is often the difference. A full season from Logan and the continued emergence of Adam would certainly help, but an improvement in rebounding is necessary, and there is not much to suggest that improvement is imminent. However, if the Wildcats can come out and dominate the glass in early tests against Washington State and Charlotte, the ceiling for Davidson rises.
In this age of college athletics, the transfer portal gives any team reason to believe in a quick turnaround, and Davidson is no different. Impressive transfers, superb depth, increased experience and perhaps some luck in close games can all allow the Wildcats to eclipse their projected 11th place conference finish. The upside is certainly there.
