| Current: | 2023–24 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team |
| Davidson Wildcats | |
| University: | Davidson College |
| Conference: | Atlantic 10 |
| Location: | Davidson, North Carolina |
| Coach: | Matt McKillop |
| Tenure: | 2nd |
| Arena: | John M. Belk Arena |
| Capacity: | 5,223 |
| Nickname: | Wildcats |
| Studentsection: | D-Block |
| H Body: | BF0C26 |
| H Pattern B: | _thinsidesonwhite |
| H Shorts: | BF0C26 |
| H Pattern S: | _blanksides2 |
| A Body: | BF0C26 |
| A Pattern B: | _thinblacksides |
| A Shorts: | BF0C26 |
| A Pattern S: | _blacksides |
| Ncaaeliteeight: | 1968, 1969, 2008 |
| Ncaasweetsixteen: | 1966, 1968, 1969, 2008 |
| Ncaaroundof32: | 2008 |
| Ncaatourneys: | 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2022 |
| Conference Tournament: | Southern Conference 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013----Atlantic 10 2018 |
| Conference Season: | Southern Conference 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1981, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 ----Atlantic 10 2015, 2022 |
The Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2022. The Wildcats are currently coached by Matt McKillop, in his first season after succeeding his father Bob after the 2021–22 season. Davidson plays its home games at the Belk Arena in Baker Sports Complex on the school's campus.
The Wildcats have appeared in 15 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 8–16.
| First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional third place Game | Rhode Island Syracuse Saint Joseph's | W 95–68 L 78–94 L 76–92 | ||
| First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | St. John's Columbia North Carolina | W 79–70 W 61–59OT L 66–70 | ||
| First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Villanova St. John's North Carolina | W 75–61 W 79–69 L 85–87 | ||
| First Round | St. Bonaventure | L 72–85 | ||
| First Round | Kentucky | L 55–75 | ||
| First Round | Michigan | L 61–80 | ||
| First Round | Ohio State | L 64–69 | ||
| First Round | Ohio State | L 62–70 | ||
| First Round | Maryland | L 70–82 | ||
| First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Gonzaga Georgetown Wisconsin Kansas | W 82–76 W 74–70 W 73–56 L 57–59 | ||
| Second Round | Louisville | L 62–69 | ||
| Second Round | Marquette | L 58–59 | ||
| Second Round | Iowa | L 52–83 | ||
| First Round | Kentucky | L 73–78 | ||
| First Round |
| L 73–74 |
In 2008, Davidson defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Georgetown Hoyas, and Wisconsin Badgers to advance to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats nearly made the Final Four, but lost to the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks 57–59. Prior to their Sweet Sixteen matchup, the college's board of trustees supplied students with tickets, transportation and lodging for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games.[1] Following the tournament, the Wildcats earned a number 9 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll.[2] Stephen Curry, who has since become a two-time NBA MVP with the Golden State Warriors, was the leading scorer of this team.
The Wildcats have appeared in nine National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–9.
| First Round | Syracuse | L 77–81 | ||
| First Round | West Virginia | L 69–85 | ||
| First Round | South Carolina | L 73–100 | ||
| Opening Round First Round Second Round | VCU SW Missouri State Maryland | W 77–62 W 82–71 L 63–78 | ||
| First Round Second Round | South Carolina Saint Mary's | W 70–63 L 68–80 | ||
| First Round | Missouri | L 77–85 | ||
| First Round | Florida State | L 74–84 | ||
| First Round | Lipscomb | L 81–89 | ||
| First Round | NC State | L 61–75 |
The Wildcats have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational. Their record is 1–1.
| First Round Quarterfinals | James Madison Creighton | W 85–65 L 92–102 |
In a system ranked by ESPN, Davidson was listed as the #44 Basketball Program[3] of the last 50 years (1962–2012) based on its on the court accomplishments during that period. (out of 309 Division I programs that qualified)
"Positives: Under Lefty Driesell, the Wildcats were a powerhouse in the 1960s, racking up seven 20-win seasons in an eight-year span. The ’64–65 team was AP preseason No. 4 and boasted future NBA No. 1 pick Fred Hetzel. Nine combined conference titles (Regular season & Conference Tournaments) since 2005."
See main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers. Per athletic department policy, number and/or jersey retirement is reserved for players who have earned bachelor's degrees at Davidson. While six players have had jerseys retired, Stephen Curry is the first to have his number retired. Curry qualified after completing his bachelor's degree in May 2022. During the retirement ceremony held on August 31, 2022, Curry not only had his number retired, but also entered Davidson's athletic hall of fame and physically received his Davidson diploma.[4] [5]
| Davidson Wildcats retired numbers | |||||||||||
| width=px style="" | No. | width=150px style="" | Player | width= px style="" | Pos. | width=100px style="" | Tenure | width= px style="" | No. ret. | width= px style="" | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2009 | 2022 | [6] |
Honored, but numbers are still active:
| 1963–1966 | |||
| 1984–1988 | |||
| Hobby Cobb | 1952–1956 | ||
| John Gerdy | 1975–1979 | ||
| 1961–1964 | |||
| 1962–1965 |
| Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), NABC (2nd), UPI (3rd) | ||
| Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) | ||
| Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), UPI (2nd) | ||
| Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd) | ||
| AP (3rd), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd) | ||
| Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), Sporting News (2nd) | ||
| Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), Sporting News (1st) |
| 2009–present | 4× NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022); 2× NBA Most Valuable Player ; NBA Finals MVP (2022); NBA All-Star Game MVP ; NBA Western Conference Finals MVP ; NBA Clutch Player of the Year ; 10× NBA All-Star (–, –); 10× All-NBA (first team:,,, ; second team:,,, ; third team:,); Olympic gold medalist (2024) | |||
| 1965–1971 | Top overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft | |||
| 1968–1969 | ||||
| 1970–1973 | ||||
| 1966–1979 | NBA champion (1979) | |||
| 1997–2003 |