The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 82 is Davidson basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Davidson basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 3
- Sweet 16s: 4
- NCAA wins: 8
- Bids: 15
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 13.5
- Bids per season: 0.13
- AP Polls: 72
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 6
- NBA players drafted & played: 5
- Conference Players of the Year: 17
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 25
- Conference tournament titles: 13
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Davidson basketball
Steph Curry. If I started this article with ANY other name or word, it would be wrong. You cannot even begin talking about Davidson basketball before bringing up Steph Curry.
The “baby-faced assassin” was lethal in college, being named a Consensus All-American in 2008 and 2009. In three seasons, Curry averaged a ridiculous 25.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. And in ’08, as a rising sophomore, Curry led the Wildcats on an Elite 8 run. The 10-seeded ‘Cats beat Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin, losing by just two points to 1-seed Kansas, just short of a Final Four. Surprisingly, Curry and Davidson missed the NCAA Tournament the following season, going 27-8 and losing in the second round of the NIT. But that doesn’t put a stain on one of the most accomplished, and arguably the best mid-major player of the 21st century.
The second name you need to bring up when talking about Davidson is Bob McKillop. The legendary head coach picked up 634 wins with the program, coaching them from 1989 until 2022. 15 of their 25 regular season conference titles came under McKillop, as well as 10 of their 15 tourney bids.
But Davidson did have some solid history before McKillop. Lefty Driesell’s first head coaching gig came here, going 176-65 from 1960-69. He led them to the big dance three times, making the Sweet 16 each time, and the Elite 8 in 1968 and 1969.
The Wildcats are also the most decorated program in SoCon history with 23 regular season titles, more than any other program in conference history. Their 12 conference tournament titles are tied with Chattanooga, also for the most. And this is impressive, considering Davidson moved to the Atlantic-10 in 2014. Still, they have played the fourth most seasons of any school in the SoCon.
Great history and two all-time names in McKillop and Curry. Davidson has had a lot going for them and continues to be a solid program now playing in the A-10. It’s a big conference, but the Wildcats have separated themselves on our all-time list from many similar-level schools.