Davidson Wildcats

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Davidson Wildcats
Davidson Wildcats logo.png
University Davidson College
Conference Atlantic 10 Conference (primary)
Pioneer Football League
Southern Conference (wrestling)
NCAA Division I (FCS)
President Douglas A. Hicks
Athletic directorChris Clunie
Location Davidson, North Carolina, U.S.
Varsity teams19
Football stadiumDavidson College Stadium
Basketball arena John M. Belk Arena
Baseball stadium T. Henry Wilson Jr. Field
NicknameWildcats
ColorsRed and black [1]
   
Website davidsonwildcats.com
Davidson wildcats wmark 2023.png

The Davidson Wildcats are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics teams representing Davidson College of Davidson, North Carolina, United States. [2] A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), [3] Davidson College sponsors teams in ten men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [4]

Contents

The Wildcats previously competed in the Southern Conference, [5] and the wrestling team retains associate membership in that league since the sport is not sponsored by the A-10. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League, [6] a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference of schools that do not offer athletic scholarships for football.

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross countryField hockey
Football Lacrosse
GolfSoccer
Soccer Swimming and diving
Swimming and divingTennis
TennisTrack and field†
Track and field†Volleyball
Wrestling
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Football

Bowl Games

Davidson v Marist game in 2012 Marist vs davidson 022.jpg
Davidson v Marist game in 2012
SeasonBowlWinnerLoser
1969 Tangerine Bowl Toledo 56Davidson33
1990Exhibition BowlDavidson35Baptist17
1994Bermuda Bowl [7] Davidson28Sewanee14

Men's basketball

Davidson's basketball team first reached considerable success in the 1960s under Coach Lefty Driesell, when Sports Illustrated ranked it No. 1 in the country prior to the 1964–65 season. [8]

The Wildcat men have competed in 11 NCAA tournaments (1966, 1968–70, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006–08, and 2012). Their last tournament victory was in 2008 over Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen. With that victory, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight where they lost to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks 59–57, capping off an incredible run that saw the rise of Stephen Curry to national prominence. The Wildcats' NCAA Tournament run came after finishing their regular season undefeated in conference play, at 20–0, and as the champions of the Southern Conference tournament. Curry led the nation in scoring in 2008–09, his last season at Davidson before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft.

Under the guidance of Coach Bob McKillop, the Wildcats have consistently posted winning seasons. In 2006–07, the team completed its regular-season conference schedule with only one loss and entered the Southern Conference tournament as a No. 1 seed, where the team would win the Southern Conference tournament for the second consecutive season.

In 2005–06, the Wildcats went 20–10 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after winning the Southern Conference tournament. In 2004–05, the Wildcats were undefeated in conference play at 16–0 and advanced to the third round of the NIT. In 2001–02, the Wildcats won the Southern Conference tournament and lost a close game to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

In addition to Driesell and McKillop, a number of notable NCAA men's basketball head coaches have coached at Davidson. Matt Doherty, former head coach of SMU, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida Atlantic, experienced his first coaching job as an assistant under McKillop, who, not coincidentally, was Doherty's high school coach on Long Island. Former Virginia head coach and current East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland is a Davidson graduate (Class of 1964) and was Driesell's first recruit at Davidson, before advancing to assistant coaching, head coaching and athletic director duties at Davidson. Larry Brown, who would go on to win an NCAA championship with Kansas in 1988 and NBA championship with Detroit in 2004, began his nomadic head coaching career at Davidson, managing to depart before the start of his first season. Jim Larrañaga, who took George Mason to the 2006 Final Four, is a former Davidson assistant coach. Rick Barnes of Texas was also a Davidson assistant.

Men's soccer

Atlantic 10 Conference logo in Davidson's colors Atlantic 10 Conference textless logo in Davidson red.svg
Atlantic 10 Conference logo in Davidson's colors

The men's soccer team at Davidson was declared a varsity sport in 1956 and had their first All-American player, Claude Finney, just four years later in 1960.

The peak of the soccer program was in 1992 when the team made a run to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Final Four. Led by two-time All-American Rob Ukrop, Davidson finished the regular season 17–5–5, earning an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Three electrifying wins — two on penalty kicks and one in sudden death overtime — propelled Davidson into the Final Four, which miraculously was being hosted by Davidson on the school's campus. Davidson lost 3–2 in overtime against San Diego in the semifinal game, but the team received plenty of accolades. Ukrop led the nation with 31 goals and 72 points and was awarded the Adi Dassler Award, given to the nation's best player. Head coach Charlie Slagle was awarded NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for men's soccer. Remarkably, all of this was accomplished without the use of a single athletic scholarship on the 1992 team, leading The New York Times to herald the team as "22 educated feet." [9]

Wrestling

The Wildcats wrestling team is coached by Andy Lausier. The team was established in 1920 and has won 293 dual meets, lost 601, and tied 18. The Wildcats last winning season came in 2004–2005 under the coaching of T. J. Jaworsky and Bob Patnesky. Davidson has never had an All-American wrestler at the NCAA Wrestling Team Championship and has had just eleven Southern Conference champions through 2018. [10]

Baseball

The Davidson Wildcats baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, USA. The team is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. Davidson's first baseball team was fielded in 1902. The team plays its home games at T. Henry Wilson, Jr. Field in Davidson, North Carolina. The Wildcats are coached by Dick Cooke.

Club sports

Croquet

Davidson's two-man golf croquet team has won the National Collegiate Croquet Championship in 2007, 2008, and 2010. [11] [12]

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The 2013–14 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 25th year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 20–13, 15–1 in SoCon play to win the SoCon regular season championship. They advanced to the semifinals of the SoCon tournament where they lost to Western Carolina. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Missouri.

The 2007–08 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in NCAA men's Division I competition during the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.

The 2014–15 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by 26th year head coach Bob McKillop, played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena and were first year members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 24–8, 14–4 in A-10 play to win the A-10 regular season championship. They advanced to the semifinals of the A-10 tournament where they lost to VCU. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Iowa.

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The 2022–23 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats were led by first-year head coach Matt McKillop and played their home games at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).

The 1967–68 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in NCAA men's Division I competition during the 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. Led by head coach Lefty Driesell, the team played its home games at Johnston Gym. The Wildcats finished first in the Southern Conference regular season standings and won the Southern Conference tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament – the school's fourth appearance in five years. Davidson finished win an overall record of 24–5.

The 1968–69 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in NCAA men's Division I competition during the 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. Led by head coach Lefty Driesell, the team played its home games at Johnston Gym. The Wildcats finished first in the Southern Conference regular season standings and won the Southern Conference tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament – the school's fourth appearance in five years. Davidson finished win an overall record of 27–3.

References

  1. ↑ "General Info" (PDF). 2021-22 Davidson Wildcats Men's Basketball Media Guide. November 12, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Davidson College". NCAA & Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Gleeson, Scott (May 8, 2013). "USA Today" . Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  4. ↑ "(Wildcat logo) Davidson". Davidson College. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ "SoCon". soconsports.com/. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Pioneer Football League". Pioneer Football League. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Bermuda Bowl II" (PDF). The NCAA News. December 14, 1994. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Press and Highlights from Davidson Basketball". Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  9. ↑ Yannis, Alex (November 28, 1992). "22 Educated Feet Take Davidson to Quarterfinals". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ "Davidson College Athletics: wrestling". Davidson College. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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