The season is months away, but Davidson College’s men’s basketball schedule is starting to come together. That includes a game announced Monday: a nationally televised matchup against Duke on Jan. 2 at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena. Will it be as close as the teams’ last meeting in Charlotte?
The game will air live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.
“Playing Duke on national television is always a special opportunity,” Coach Bob McKillop said in a press release. “Having the game in Time Warner Cable Arena will make the experience even more special for the Davidson College community as well as the city of Charlotte.”
The Wildcats and Blue Devils last faced each other in Charlotte in 2007, when then seventh-ranked Duke held off Davidson 79-73 in Time Warner Cable Arena. Davidson played Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium last season and fell 82-69 to the then sixth-ranked Blue Devils in the third game of the young season.
Davidson also announced last week that it will play Vanderbilt in its opening game at the Old Spice Classic Nov. 22-25, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, at Walt Disney World in Florida.
The ‘Cats and Commodores will play Nov. 22, at 2 p.m., and the game will be televised live on ESPN2. Davidson will face either West Virginia or Marist in its second game of the tournament Nov. 23, at either 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m.
Other teams in the tournament are UTEP, Oklahoma, Clemson and Gonzaga. Several games will air on ESPN channels, while the Championship Game will air Sunday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Davidson finished the 2011-12 campaign with a 25-8 overall record, marking the fourth time in the last six seasons the Wildcats have posted 25 or more wins. Davidson returns all five starters and the top eight scorers and rebounders from last year’s squad.
Read more about the Wildcats on DavidsonWildcats.com.
NEW ASSISTANT
The Wildcats will have a new assistant coach as they prepare for the 2012-13 season. Ryan Mee is joining the staff from the University of Rochester, where he has spent the past three seasons.
The Yellowjackets compiled a record of 53-25 during that time and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Sweet 16 in 2011, finishing the year with a 22-6 mark.
“I’m thrilled with the addition of Ryan to our staff,” said McKillop. “He has experience as a successful college player and coach in an environment where there is an equal commitment to excellence in academics and athletics. His versatility will be a valuable addition to our program.”
As a student-athlete at Rochester, Mee played in four consecutive NCAA tournaments, including two Final Fours (2002, 2005).
Read more on DavidsonWildcats.com
And in another off-season move, Coach McKillop has promoted 12-year assistant coach Jim Fox to the position of Associate Head Coach.
