Davidson College Digital Project

Press and Highlights from Davidson Basketball

Please choose from one of the following articles:

"Sports Illustrated Scouting Reports - Davidson Ranked #1" - Sport Illustrated, 1963

"Men's Hoops go to the Big Dance" - Campus Chronicle, 1998

"Vitale: If Davidson's out, baby, it's an absolute shame" - Charlotte Observer, 1996

"Bypassed by NCAA, Davidson to face USC in NIT" - Charlotte Observer, 1996

"Snyder one of Cats' Best Athletes" - Mecklenburg Gazette, 1995

"Hetzel helped lead Davidson to spotlight" - Mecklenburg Gazette, 1995

"In hard time for program, Gerdy set record for scoring" - Mecklenburg Gazette, 1995

Davidson in NCAA and NIT Tournaments 

For more information on prominent Hall of Fame Davidson Basketball players, click here.

Sports Illustrated Scouting Reports - Davidson Ranking #1
(Partial Typescript of article)

For decades, the end product at quiet, leafy old Davidson College has been a species called the Davidson Gentlemen - hand-polished southerners of good manners and great learning.  The ivy on Davidson's walls is the real stuff; the Rhodes people come there looking for scholars (they have found 14, a remarkable figure for a 1000-man student body); 70% of the faculty members are doctors of something or other, and it is the last place one would expect to find the best basketball team in the country.  But there it is: the fastest, fairest brand of ruffians around, Charles G. (Lefty) Driesell.  Davidson once settled for moral victories (having playing the game, after all, like gentlemen), but Lefty will have none of it.  "A moral victory," he has scrawled over a raggedy poster over the dressing room door, "is like kissing your sister."  

Men's Hoops go to the Big Dance - Davidson Campus Chronicle
(Partial Typescript of article)

This time the Wildcats left nothing to chance.  They had the players and the stars on their side.  Still recalling the disappointment of not getting to the NCAA tournament despite a 25-4 record in 1996, Davidson stormed through the 1998 Southern Conference Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum with victories over Georgia Southern, the Citadel, and Appalachian State.

It seemed as if the whole world noticed.  Coach Bob McKillop was on radio shows from coast to coast.  CBS, the Fabulous Sports Babe, and ESPN were among those who sought out McKillop for interviews.  A headline in Sports Illustrated proclaimed that "The Victory was in the Stars."

The sweep through the SC Tourney improved Davidson's record to 20-9.  Donnelly led the team in scoring and named to the All-Southern Conference team for the second straight year.  Going into the NCAA Tournament he had played in more winning games (85-32 records) than any player in Davidson history.

"The common denominator in any success we have experienced is Mark Donnelly," McKillop said. "He's been a winner everywhere he's been."

After winning the SC Tournament, Davidson had a whole week before the NCAA pairings were announced.  The Wildcats gathered in the 900 Room of the College Union, the mood decidedly more upbeat than in '96.  This time there were nothing but cheers and hugs as the announcement came that came that Davidson was a 14th seed playing #3 seed Michigan from the Big Ten in the first round match-up in Atlanta.  The big day came, Friday the 13th, but Michigan's luck held out - and the Cats fell 80-61.

Vitale: If Davidson's out, baby, it's an absolute shame - by David Poole, Charlotte Observer
(Partial Typescript of article)

Davidson's hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament drew strong support Thursday from one of the loudest voices in college basketball, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale.

"A team that goes undefeated in its conference, if there's no reward for what they did all year long, that is absolutely a shame," Vitale said during an ESPN teleconference.  "...I know that if I were going into that room and had a vote on who would get in, Davidson would be part of this tournament."

The Wildcats, 25-4 overall, went 14-0 in Southern Conference regular season games, but lost in the league tournament final to Western Carolina, giving the Catamounts (17-12) the automatic NCAA bid.  No Southern Conference team has ever received an NCAA at-large bid.

"I hope the committee does not decide to mediocrity over excellence," Vitale said.  "There's no way Davidson should be denied.  Those kids deserve to be part of this tournament.

Bypassed by NCAA, Davidson to face USC in NIT - by Chris Hobbs, Charlotte Observer
(Partial Typescript of article)

Their silence spoke volumes.  For a few minutes Sunday, no one in Room 900 of the College Union at Davidson said anything, at least not loud enough to be heard.

As Wildcats senior forward Brandon Williams later called it, "the seven-day wait for 5 minutes of news," was over.

And the news wasn't good.

Davidson, a 25-game winner, had just sat in front of a big screen TV and watched the 64-team NCAA men's basketball tournament pass it by.

The Wildcats, beaten a week before by Western Carolina for the Southern Conference's automatic bid, wanted history.  Never before had had the committee granted an at-large bid to a Southern Conference team.

At least the Wildcats' season will continue.  Coach Bob McKillop said the Wildcats accepted a National Invitation Tournament bid and will play at South Carolina Wednesday at 7:30 PM.

The NIT was consolation for the Wildcats' trying wait played out on national TV as they hoped and dreamed of making the NCAAs.  "It was weird," Willaims said.  "You wait so long...every joint in my body was shaking, creaking to see our name up there.  I really expected that we'd get in, despite all the history.  It was time for new things to happen."  

Snyder one of Cats' Best Athletes - by Jim Brown, Mecklenburg Gazette
(Partial Typescript of article)

Dick Snyder, Davidson's third basketball All-American, was recruited by every major Big Ten school and Notre Dame as a football player.  There was only one problem...Snyder wanted to play basketball.  "I think Lefty was a little surprised," Snyder said recently, "when I answered, 'yes, I'm interested in Davidson.'" 

In his sophomore season at Davidson the Cats were 22-4, one of the victories coming at Ohio State were the Buckeyes had won 50 straight.  Davidson romped 95-73 in a particularly gratifying "homecoming" for Snyder.  "It is my most vivid memory, playing before my folks and my girlfriend, who is now my wife, I think I scored 20 points." 

In Snyder's estimation, that 1963-64 teams was the best Davidson team on which he played.  Current Athletic Director, Terry Holland, was a teammate.  "Dick was, by far, the best athlete we had," Holland said.  "I remember him as a player always in motion.  He was a great defensive player and a great competitor."

In addition to his defensive abilities, Snyder was a pure shooter with incredible range.  He ranks fourth in career scoring at Davidson and third in career field goal percentage with a .566 mark.  He carried his accuracy over into the NBA where he was fourth in field goal percentage one year behind three great centers: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Walt Bellamy.  Dick Snyder was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round in 1966 and enjoyed 13 seasons in the NBA.

Hetzel helped lead Davidson to spotlight - by Jim Brown, Mecklenburg Gazette
(Partial Typescript of article)

The recruit that had the greatest impact upon the revived Davidson basketball program was Fred Hetzel. Hetzel had attended an all boys school, Landon, in Washington DC.  And while it was a small prep school, they faced powerful teams, such as the legendary DeMatha High School.  Hetzel was an inside player with a good jump shot from 16 to 17 feet.  He was a hard worker who somehow made everything look easy.  Jeff Mullins, current head coach at UNCC, started alongside Fred in the NBA for the San Francisco Warriors.  "Fred was a silky smooth player, similar to a Christian Laettner.  He never looking like he was exerting himself, but got a lot done."

In three years at Davidson, Hetzel scored 2,032 points for a 25.7 scoring average, while pulling down 1.094 rebounds.  He was named All-American in both his junior and senior years.  And in his sophomore season he confidently scored an unparallel 634 points.  When asked what set Hetzel apart as a two time All-American, Barry Teague replied, "Fred was very talented, not particularly quick or mobile.  He was a great shooter and offensive player - and he knew he was.  Confidence was probably his biggest asset."  

On Dec. 8, 1964, against Furman, Hetzel set two school scoring records that still stand, scoring 53 points (20-26 from the field/13-16 from the line) and hauling down 27 rebounds enroute to a 113-82 victory.  That season the Wildcats would go 24-2, being ranked most of the year in the top five; and they were Sports Illustrated's pre-season pick for the best team in the nation.    

In hard time for program, Gerdy set record for scoring - by Jim Brown, Mecklenburg Gazette
(Partial Typescript of article)

In 1975, six talented freshmen were recruited by coach Bo Brickels to help lead the Wildcat basketball program through the late 1970s.  Five coaching changes and 80 losses later, only Pat Hickert and John Gerdy were around to graduate in 1979.  However, in the midst of those dark times for Davidson, 6-7 John Gerdy worked in yoeman-like fashion to amass a school record 2,483 points while shooting .511 from the field.  He was named to several All-American team in 1979.

It was Davidson and its ideals that provided the motivation that he needed to make it through those dark days that some would want to forget.  "I made a commitment to the school," Gerdy said.  "I wouldn't change anything at all.  Other than my parent, Davidson has had the most positive influence on my life.  Davidson offered a unique blend for me.  It was Division I basketball playing the best teams all over the country, and it was also an opportunity to get a good education without lip service: just as soon as you walk off the court you are just a student."

Gerdy was taken in the third round of the NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets.  He didn't make the team but spent a year playing for the Main Lumberjacks.  He then returned to Charlotte for two years before leaving to pursue a master's degree and doctorate at Ohio University.

Davidson in NCAA and NIT Tournaments

NCAA

1966  - Beat Rhode Island in East first round, 95-65.  Lost to Syracuse in East Regional, 94-78.  Lost to St. Joseph's in East Regional consolation, 92-76.
1968 - Beat St. John's in East first round, 79-70.  Beat Columbia in East Regional, 61-60, OT. Lost to North Carolina in East Regional finals, 70-66.
1969 - Beat Villanova in East first round, 75-61.  Beat St. John's in East Regional finals 79-69.  Lost to North Carolina in East Regional finals, 87-85.
1970 - Lost to St. Bonaventure in East first round, 75-62.
1986 - Lost to Kentucky in Southeast first round, 75-55.
1998 - Lost to Michigan in Southeast first round, 80-61.

NIT

1972 - Lost to Syracuse in first round, 81-77
1996 - Lost to South Carolina in first round, 69-60.