By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Mark Schmidt would not go as far as saying St. Bonaventure figured Davidson out or constructed some kind of blueprint during its home-and-home sweep over the Wildcats last season.
Holding Davidson under 60 points twice in four days, only the second time the Wildcats failed to reach that number in consecutive Atlantic 10 games, did make for a high point of Bona’s championship regular season. The in-game experience of defending a motion offense that is difficult to simulate in practice, Schmidt allowed, can prove valuable when the 17-3 ‘Cats visit the Reilly Center on Tuesday evening.
“Our veteran guys have seen it, and it’s like the VCU press: if you’ve got experienced guys that have seen it, it helps,” Schmidt remarked.
McKillop’s team, however, has improved from last season. Now-Kentucky guard Kellan Grady graduated and transferred last May, but Davidson added an even more consistent 3-point threat when Foster Loyer transferred in from Michigan State. Loyer has made 50 of his 108 3-point attempts this season, the team’s second-leading scorer to star junior Hyunjung Lee.
Despite being listed at just six feet and 175 pounds, Loyer has been shut out from 3-point range just twice in 19 games.
“He’s a great leader. Playing for (Michigan State head coach Tom) Izzo for a couple years, I would assume, toughens you up a bit,” Schmidt said of Loyer, who was a Spartans captain. “But he’s highly skilled; he’s smart. He’s perfect for how Davidson plays. He can read screens. He’s good enough to get by people. He brings a lot to them, and one of the reasons why they’re having the success that they’re having is because of his leadership and his ability to not only knock down shots, but to be able to get the ball into the post as well.”
Davidson’s top four scorers are each averaging more points than they did last year, guiding the team to a five-point-a-game offensive improvement. After opening the A-10 slate with six straight wins, the Wildcats trailed VCU by as many as 14 points with 5:30 remaining at home last Wednesday, making a late charge before falling 70-68. Luka Brajkovic led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-15 field goal shooting, but his teammates combined to shoot just 10-of-29 (34.4 percent).
Lee attempted just five field goals that night, his second-lowest volume of the season. His magic number has become 15 points: Davidson is 10-0 when he reaches that threshold, including an upset over then-No. 10 Alabama, and 7-3 otherwise.
Davidson doesn’t merely exit a bus and launch 3-pointers, however; George Mason and Saint Joseph’s each shoot 3s at a higher rate than McKillop’s charges. The 6-foot-10 Brajkovic is tied for third in the A-10 in two-pointers made per game, while 6-foot-9 forward Sam Mennenga is shooting over 50 percent from the field after converting just 37.7 percent of his shots last season.
“There’s a saying: Winter’s gonna ask, ‘what have you done all summer?’” Schmidt commented. “Those kids have worked their tails off all summer to improve, just like our guys.”
If the Bonnies were to win the nationally televised matchup (7 o’clock, CBS Sports Network), SBU would add a fifth win over a top 100 team in the NCAA’s NET ranking. Bona would also climb over .500 against the Quadrant 1/2 portion of its NET résumé, perhaps advancing its standing in that metric from the high 90s.
Each program typically excels when the calendar flips to February: Davidson holds a 33-19 record in February since joining the A-10, while the Bonnies are 39-16 in the same span. An SBU squad seeking more consistency will reap the rewards of teams’ past if that consistency debuts the month before the Madness.
“You’ve gotta contest shots. Can’t give up open 3s and when you do, you have to hope they miss,” Schmidt assessed. “But it’s gonna be a challenge.”
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