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University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: Davidson
December 1, 2017 | Men's Basketball
By Bobby Hundley
Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com)
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Rankings: Davidson - No. 78 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 11 KenPom, No. 13 AP
Records: Davidson - 3-2; UNC - 6-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 65-11 (UNC 83, Davidson 74, Dec. 7, 2016, Smith Center
Carolina and Davidson will meet for the fifth year in a row Friday night in what has evolved into a fun regular occurrence on the non-conference schedule. In last year's meeting, seniors Justin Jackson and Jack Gibbs went toe to toe, with Gibbs outscoring Jackson 30-27 but the Tar Heels triumphing 83-74 in Chapel Hill. Friday also marks the second meeting in four seasons at the home of the Charlotte Hornets, making it both a perfect opportunity for Queen City fans to see UNC live and a potential NCAA first and second round scouting trip for Roy Williams and his club.
Under 29-year head coach Bob McKillop, Davidson has found a winning formula - take (and make) 3-pointers at a high rate and protect the ball. The 2017-18 Wildcats have pushed the take part of the equation to new heights, leading the country in 3-point rate at a whopping 56.8 percent. In its season opener, Davidson attempted 53 3s and made 26 of them in a 110-62 (just a cool 1.57 PPP) rout of Charleston Southern.
While last year's 17-15 team struggled to shoot and protect the ball relative to program norms, it seems things are back on track this season. The Wildcats are fourth nationally in turnover rate, 15th in effective FG% and even fifth in the country in 2-point percentage. That all adds up to Davidson being a top-100 offense despite no real production from either the foul line or the offensive glass.
Senior Peyton Aldridge has replaced the departed Gibbs as the team's go-to player. A preseason All-A-10 pick, Aldridge leads Davidson in both scoring and rebounding and has been especially effective inside the arc (30-49 on 2s). At 6-8, he is the closest thing the Wildcats have to a post presence in the starting lineup, but he also leads the team in 3-point attempts with 36 through five games. Scandinavian standouts Oskar Michelsen (50%) and Jon Axel Gudmundsson (45%) are DC's top outside shooters, with the Icelandic sophomore Gudmundsson taking over the point guard duties from Gibbs.
The Wildcats were picked sixth in what should be a wide-open Atlantic-10, and that has typically been a multi-bid league. An early road loss at Appalachian State is the only worrying blemish on the ledger thus far, and Davidson will have another shot at a signature non-conference win in two weeks at Virginia before jumping into A-10 play right before the new year. The Wildcats get league favorites Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure both home and away, so there will be ample opportunities for McKillop's squad to push for an NCAA berth for the first time since 2015.
Davidson (DavidsonWildcats.com)
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Rankings: Davidson - No. 78 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 11 KenPom, No. 13 AP
Records: Davidson - 3-2; UNC - 6-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 65-11 (UNC 83, Davidson 74, Dec. 7, 2016, Smith Center
Carolina and Davidson will meet for the fifth year in a row Friday night in what has evolved into a fun regular occurrence on the non-conference schedule. In last year's meeting, seniors Justin Jackson and Jack Gibbs went toe to toe, with Gibbs outscoring Jackson 30-27 but the Tar Heels triumphing 83-74 in Chapel Hill. Friday also marks the second meeting in four seasons at the home of the Charlotte Hornets, making it both a perfect opportunity for Queen City fans to see UNC live and a potential NCAA first and second round scouting trip for Roy Williams and his club.
Under 29-year head coach Bob McKillop, Davidson has found a winning formula - take (and make) 3-pointers at a high rate and protect the ball. The 2017-18 Wildcats have pushed the take part of the equation to new heights, leading the country in 3-point rate at a whopping 56.8 percent. In its season opener, Davidson attempted 53 3s and made 26 of them in a 110-62 (just a cool 1.57 PPP) rout of Charleston Southern.
While last year's 17-15 team struggled to shoot and protect the ball relative to program norms, it seems things are back on track this season. The Wildcats are fourth nationally in turnover rate, 15th in effective FG% and even fifth in the country in 2-point percentage. That all adds up to Davidson being a top-100 offense despite no real production from either the foul line or the offensive glass.
Senior Peyton Aldridge has replaced the departed Gibbs as the team's go-to player. A preseason All-A-10 pick, Aldridge leads Davidson in both scoring and rebounding and has been especially effective inside the arc (30-49 on 2s). At 6-8, he is the closest thing the Wildcats have to a post presence in the starting lineup, but he also leads the team in 3-point attempts with 36 through five games. Scandinavian standouts Oskar Michelsen (50%) and Jon Axel Gudmundsson (45%) are DC's top outside shooters, with the Icelandic sophomore Gudmundsson taking over the point guard duties from Gibbs.
The Wildcats were picked sixth in what should be a wide-open Atlantic-10, and that has typically been a multi-bid league. An early road loss at Appalachian State is the only worrying blemish on the ledger thus far, and Davidson will have another shot at a signature non-conference win in two weeks at Virginia before jumping into A-10 play right before the new year. The Wildcats get league favorites Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure both home and away, so there will be ample opportunities for McKillop's squad to push for an NCAA berth for the first time since 2015.
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