# Davidson Wildcats men's basketball

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 third 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.

## Conference affiliations

* 1907–08 to 1935–36: Independent
* 1936–37 to 1987–88: Southern Conference
* 1988–89 to 1989–90: NCAA Division I independent
* 1990–91 to 1991–92: Big South Conference
* 1992–93 to 2013–14: Southern Conference
* 2014–15 to present: Atlantic 10 Conference

## Postseason
### NCAA tournament results

The Wildcats have appeared in 15 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 8–16.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1966 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional third place Game | Rhode Island Syracuse Saint Joseph's | W 95–68 L 78–94 L 76–92 |
| 1968 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | St. John's Columbia North Carolina | W 79–70 W 61–59$^{OT}$ L 66–70 |
| 1969 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Villanova St. John's North Carolina | W 75–61 W 79–69 L 85–87 |
| 1970 | First Round | St. Bonaventure | L 72–85 |
| 1986 | First Round | Kentucky | L 55–75 |
| 1998 | First Round | Michigan | L 61–80 |
| 2002 | First Round | Ohio State | L 64–69 |
| 2006 | First Round | Ohio State | L 62–70 |
| 2007 | First Round | Maryland | L 70–82 |
| 2008 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Gonzaga Georgetown Wisconsin Kansas | W 82–76 W 74–70 W 73–56 L 57–59 |
| 2012 | Second Round | Louisville | L 62–69 |
| 2013 | Second Round | Marquette | L 58–59 |
| 2015 | Second Round | Iowa | L 52–83 |
| 2018 | First Round | Kentucky | L 73–78 |
| 2022 | First Round | Michigan State | L 73–74 |

#### 2008 NCAA tournament

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. Following the tournament, the Wildcats earned a number 9 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Stephen Curry, who has since become a two-time NBA MVP with the Golden State Warriors, was the leading scorer of this team.

### NIT results

The Wildcats have appeared in nine National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–9.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1972 | First Round | Syracuse | L 77–81 |
| 1994 | First Round | West Virginia | L 69–85 |
| 1996 | First Round | South Carolina | L 73–100 |
| 2005 | Opening Round First Round Second Round | VCU SW Missouri State Maryland | W 77–62 W 82–71 L 63–78 |
| 2009 | First Round Second Round | South Carolina Saint Mary's | W 70–63 L 68–80 |
| 2014 | First Round | Missouri | L 77–85 |
| 2016 | First Round | Florida State | L 74–84 |
| 2019 | First Round | Lipscomb | L 81–89 |
| 2021 | First Round | NC State | L 61–75 |

### CBI results

The Wildcats have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational. Their record is 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2011 | First Round Quarterfinals | James Madison Creighton | W 85–65 L 92–102 |

## ESPN basketball ranking

In a system ranked by ESPN, Davidson was listed as the #44 Basketball Program 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."

## Players
### 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.
Davidson Wildcats retired numbers :
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | No. ret. | Ref. |
| 30 | Stephen Curry | PG | 2006–2009 | 2022 | |

### Retired jerseys

Honored, but numbers are still active:
| No. | Player | Tenure |
| 10 | Dick Snyder | 1963–1966 |
| 11 | Derek Rucker | 1984–1988 |
| 21 | Hobby Cobb | 1952–1956 |
| 33 | John Gerdy | 1975–1979 |
| 42 | Terry Holland | 1961–1964 |
| 42 | Fred Hetzel | 1962–1965 |

### All-Americans

| Player | Year(s) | Team(s) |
| Fred Hetzel | 1964 | Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), NABC (2nd), UPI (3rd) |
| Fred Hetzel | 1965 | Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| Dick Snyder | 1966 | Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), UPI (2nd) |
| Mike Maloy | 1969 | Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd) |
| Mike Maloy | 1970 | AP (3rd), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd) |
| Stephen Curry | 2008 | Consensus Second Team – AP (2nd), Sporting News (2nd) |
| Stephen Curry | 2009 | Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), Sporting News (1st) |

### Wildcats in the NBA/ABA

| Player | Years active | Teams | Highlights |
| Stephen Curry | 2009–present | Golden State Warriors | 4× NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022); 2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2015, 2016); NBA Finals MVP (2022); 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2022, 2025); NBA Western Conference finals MVP (2022); NBA Clutch Player of the Year (2024); 11× NBA All-Star (2014–2019, 2021–2025); 10× All-NBA (first team: 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021; second team: 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023; third team: 2018, 2024); Olympic gold medalist (2024) |
| Fred Hetzel | 1965–1971 | San Francisco Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Cincinnati Royals, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers | Top overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft |
| Rod Knowles | 1968–1969 | Phoenix Suns, New York Nets | |
| Mike Maloy | 1970–1973 | Virginia Squires, Dallas Chaparrals | |
| Dick Snyder | 1966–1979 | St. Louis Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA champion (1979) |
| Brandon Williams | 1997–2003 | Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks | |

### Wildcats playing in international leagues

* Luka Brajkovic (born 1999), Austrian player for Rio Breogan of Liga ACB
* Jake Cohen (born 1990), American-Israeli player for Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Israeli national basketball team
* Jón Axel Guðmundsson (born 1996), Icelandic guard for Victoria Libertas Pesaro of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A
* Lee Hyun-jung (born 2000), South Korean player for Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL

### Players in Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame

* John Belk ’43
* Hobby Cobb ‘56
* Stephen Curry (played 2006–2009; inducted in 2022)
* Fred Hetzel ’65
* Rodney Knowles ’68
* Jerry Kroll ‘70
* Doug Cook ‘70
* Mike Maloy (played 1965-1969; inducted 2020)
* Derek Rucker ’88
* Richard Snyder ’66
* John Gerdy ’79
* Brandon Williams '96
* Brendan Winters '06

### Coaches in Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame

* Charles "Lefty" Driesell