Most Davidson fans are well aware of the numerous international successstories that Bob McKillop has had in his time at Davidson. An article in lastSeptember’s edition of TWR detailed the 13 current and former players thathave represented their countries at the national team level. No one could haveknown at the time how that article would end up foreshadowing the explosionof international participation that would take place in the summer of 2010.

The festivities tipped off in July of 2009 when Swede Chris Czerapowiczmade an early verbal commitment to the Wildcats. The Davidson coaches,already thrilled with Chris’s commitment, were further delighted later in themonth when he had a breakout performance in the European under-18 champi-onships in Bosnia. Sweden, led by Chris, went undefeated in the “B” divisionand earned a spot in the 2010 “A” group. Prior to the team’s perfect showing,no Swedish age group in men’s or women’s basketball—not the under-16s, theunder-18s, the under-20s or the men’s national team—had ever advanced to the“A” division…EVER. To top things off, the young Swede, his commitment toDavidson barely two weeks old, was named MVP of the tournament. The onlydownside for Chris was that the under-18 team would be participating in the“A’s” without him the next year; due to his date of birth he knew that hewould be moving up to the under-20s in 2010 (a team which, alas, had notqualified for advancement). However, as you will read later on, Chris found asatisfactory way to rectify that situation.

The next domino to fall in place was Davidson’s freshman sensation, JakeCohen. Due to his stellar performance in his freshman season and his Jewishheritage, the Israeli basketball federation approached him and asked if hewould have an interest in playing for the country’s under-20 team. Jake saidyes and, after a whirlwind of logistical planning, he quickly found himself inIsrael training with the team in early June. After a few weeks of training and afew “friendly” games (universal European parlance for a scrimmage) he andhis teammates headed to Austria for the tournament.

The Wildcat contingency, however, was not yet complete. Last spring thecoaching staff had heard about a young Scot who was interested in coming tothe States. After a brief recruiting period, which included a quick 48-hourtranscontinental trip for his official visit to Davidson’s campus, Ali Mackaycalled Coach McKillop and pledged to become a Wildcat. Standing six feet, 10inches, Ali’s late commitment gave the Davidson side (European soccer jargonfor “team” or “squad”) an immediate boost in the frontcourt.

Continued on Page 4

THE WILDCAT REPORTA NeWSleTTer for THe frieNDS of DAviDSoN BASkeTBAll SePTeMBer 2010

Davidson BasketballBox 7158Davidson, NC 28035-7158

Wildcats Make Their Mark in Austria

Chris Czerapowicz and Bob McKillop

Coming in November. . .Due to the relative inactivity between basketball seasons,Davidson fans are forced to speculate about what to expectin the subsequent season. One topic, in particular, especiallypiques supporters’ curiosity: the incoming freshmen. Whatare their names? Where are they from? What positions dothey play? How good are they? No matter how many ques-tions they ask, true Wildcat fans always thirst for more infor-mation; and yet they cannot truly be satisfied until they cansee the youngsters with their own eyes. In the next edition ofTWR, we will profile these young men and, hopefully, satisfyall Wildcat fans’ curiosity. For now, just to give everyone abrief taste—and to leave you wanting more—here are thenames, hometowns and heights of the newest members ofthe Davidson family:

Tom Droney Pittsburgh, Pa. 6-6Chris Czerapowicz Goteborg, Sweden 6-6Ali Mackay North Berwick, Scotland 6-10 Jordan Downing Huntersville, N.C. 6-5De’Mon Brooks Charlotte, N.C. 6-7

Jake Cohen and Bob McKillop

Ali Mackay and Bob McKillop

Davidson Basketball News and Notes:

Gerry Born ’86, he of the miraculous, game-winning three-pointer in the Southern Conferencetournament championship game in 1986, is thenew head boys’ basketball coach at Echols Countyhigh school in Statenville, Georgia.Congratulations and good luck to Gerry and histeam!...Jason richards ’08 was recently named agraduate assistant coach for the University ofPittsburgh men’s basketball team… John falconi’07 recently changed jobs. He is now a financialanalyst for ESPN and will be working out of theirNew York City office…Chris Pearson ’02 recently

retired from his career as a professional basketballplayer. Chris, who had been also working as a basketball agent while heplayed, parlayed that experience into a new job with the prestigious TwoPoints Sports Agency in Italy. Congratulations to Jason, John and Chris ontheir new opportunities!..Congratulations to Ian Johnson ’06 on his recentengagement! In September, Ian will tie the knot with Colette Meek, a pro-fessional volleyball player from Edmonton, Canada. Ian’s former team-mate, eric Blancett ’06, got engaged in late July. EB will be marrying thelovely Anna Williams of Concord, N.C. Despite the fact that he is twoyears younger and was mentored by them in college, the pupil became theteacher when Thomas Sander ’08 beat both Ian and EB to the punch withhis late April engagement to Sarah Walter ’08. Sarah, a former lacrosseplayer at Davidson, hails from Baltimore, Maryland. Congratulations to allof the happy couples!...Brendan Winters ’06 signed to play next seasonwith the Atomeromu SE Paks club in Hungary. Atomeromu won the 2009Hungarian championship on a team that includ-ed none other than the aforementioned IanJohnson. Ian left the champions to play foranother Hungarian team, Kecskemeti, last sea-son, but after Brendan’s signing Ian also re-signed with Atomeromu, making the two team-mates again for the upcoming season…kennyGrant ’06, fresh off of his championship seasonin Sweden, signed to play the upcoming year forNancy in France’s top professional league, ProA. The transition should be a fairly seamlessone for Kenny as he is fluent in French, havingspent several years of his childhood in Franceand also already having played one season in the French Pro B league…logan kosmalski ’05 recently agreed to play next season in Stockholm,Sweden. Joining the Solna Vikings, he will be taking over for Kenny as thelatest Wildcat to hold court in the Swedish league…Boris Meno ’08 recent-ly re-signed with his Czech club, Basketbol Brno. This will be Boris’s thirdyear in the Czech Republic and his second season with Brno… TWR andthe whole Davidson family wishes Brendan, Ian, Kenny, Logan and Boristhe best of luck in their upcoming seasons!…July 3rd marked a special dayin the Wildcat basketball family: Bryant Barr ’10 married Brittany Narr ’09in a beautiful ceremony in Excelsior, Minnesota. Many family and friendsattended the wedding and reception as did the ever-present contingency ofDavidson players and coaches. Bryant and Brittany left the very next dayfor their week-long honeymoon and, upon their arrival back home, imme-diately began their new jobs in Chicago…On August 1, a Davidson reunionof sorts convened in Concord, N.C. There, family and friends gathered forthe baptism of Benjamin Miles Ebong, the son of Sylvana and Ben ebong’99. Those Davidson members in attendance included Cathy and BobMckillop, Mikaela, Jamye and Michael Bree ’02, Bentley, Jessica and

Michel lusakueno ’03, Andrew lovedale ’09 andgirlfriend Molly McQuillen and frank Ben-eze’12…the Davidson coaching staff received a verypleasant surprise in late August when Wildcat leg-end Jerry kroll ’70 stopped by the office for aquick visit with his nephew, Matt, and Matt’s son,Matthew. The coaches were treated to a few spe-cial moments with the Davidson great, who somesay played like recent NBA first round draft pick,Gordon Hayward…

Continued on Page 4

The Wildcat Report: Thanks for joining us, Brendan.Wildcat fans are dying to hear what this year’s lone seniorhas to say about the upcoming season. So please tell us,what do you foresee for the Wildcats in the months ahead?

Brendan McKillop: I see a group of guys that are hun-gry to help return Davidson to its status as the SouthernConference’s powerhouse. Every single one of us was disap-pointed with the results of last season, and we will worktirelessly to make sure we have a much more successful sea-son. I also see a group that is going to have a lot of fun. Wehave a very close group returning and a great freshmenclass coming in, and we know that in order to succeed, we need to have fun!

TWR: Having grown up attending almost every Davidson basketball game, you havea perspective that is different than most fans and players. What has it been like to watchDavidson basketball games for almost 20 years? And now, as a player, what is it like to

actually be on the court playing in those games?

BM: Luckily, I was too young to know what was actually going on in my Dad’s firstfew years as the head coach at Davidson, but ever since I can remember, Davidson basket-ball has been my life. Growing up, I lived and died with the Wildcats, from traveling togames on the road and watching practice every day. Being a part of this team has been adream come true. I get to play for the team I’ve loved my whole life as well as the team myfamily and extended family has loved their whole lives. It’s a gift to know that every timeI step on the court, I’m not just playing for Davidson, but I’m also playing for my family.

TWR: You were a highly recruited high school player coming out of CharlotteCatholic. What gave Davidson the edge when you made your college choice?

BM: My brother Matt’s graduating class consisted of seven seniors who were all greatfriends and a really tight knit group. When I was making my college decision, I knew Iwanted to be in a place that had the same type of family atmosphere. After watching theWildcats play in the SoCon tournament and NCAA first round in 2007, I knew this wasthe right place for me.

TWR: Your older siblings, Kerrin and Matt, both graduated from Davidson. Whatadvice, if any, did they give you about what to expect from your Davidson experience?

BM: Most of Matt’s advice dealt with what it would be like playing for my father. Hetold me I needed to forget about expectations and pressure and just play the way I knowhow too. It took me a while to grasp that, and I think I finally fully understand how to dothat. Kerrin just told me to enjoy every aspect of college. It’s well known that she missesher days as a student and event planner on Davidson’s campus so she wants me to takeadvantage of my time here while I can.

TWR: What has it been like playing for your father the last three years?

BM: It’s been great at times and very rough at times. Like he once said of our situa-tion: “the highs are very high, but the lows are very low.” During my first two years andeven at points last season, I felt overwhelmed by pressure of being the coach’s son andfeeling like I had to constantly prove myself. This year, however, I’m just going to let goof it all and play like I know I can.

TWR: Has your Davidson career been, so far, what you had imagined it would be?

BM: My career has been somewhat of a roller coaster, going from the Elite 8 to lastyears postseason-less year. While last year’s outcome wasn’t what we expected, it’s defi-nitely a year we can learn from and grow from to help the program excel starting with thisupcoming season.

TWR: What are your plans after you graduate? Where do you see yourself in fiveyears? Ten years?

BM: I definitely want to continue to play basketball after graduating, at least while mybody still allows me to. After that, I haven’t decided yet. I may go back to school or mayfollow my dad and brother’s footsteps into coaching.

TWR: We asked Ben in the last edition, and now we want to ask you: was your grouprobbed of the first place trophy in last year’s A Night with the Cats dance contest? Do youexpect to win the contest this year?

BM: Last year’s judging was a travesty! Our loss is on the same level as ArmandoGalarraga’s lost perfect game. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will dance our way tothe trophy, as long as they give me another solo.

2010-11 fast Break ClubThe Fast Break Club has helped the Davidson men's basketball team reach new heights of success. Fast Break Club rev-

enues are used for projects such as improving the facilities, publishing The Wildcat Report, providing the pep band, pur-chasing equipment, sponsoring promotional and game related activities, all of which enhance the Davidson Men'sBasketball Program.

Membership benefits this year will include receipt of The Wildcat Report, the pre-game social and scouting report (atevery home game), Fast Break Club Hospitality room activities at the Conference Tournament, and a repeat of last year'swell received and very informative pre-season behind the scenes look at the Davidson College basketball program, “AnInside Look at the Cats.”

The minimum donation required for membership is $200 for an individual and $300 for families. Family membershipincludes children 21 and under. A donation of a Gift Membership can be for a Family or Individual. Donations to the Fast BreakClub must be in addition to any contributions already being made to Davidson College and are not tax deductible.

If you would like to become a member of the Fast Break Club and support the Davidson Men’s Basketball Program, please fill

out this form and return it to:

Men’s Basketball officeDavidson College

Box 7158Davidson, NC 28035

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Family Members: _________________________________________________

Mailing Address: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Telephone: _________________________________________________________

Email Address: _____________________________________________________

Davidson Alum? Yes/No (circle one) Class of _____________________

Amount of Donation: $________________________

Method of Payment: _______ Check Enclosed (Made payable to: Fast Break Club)

_______Visa/Mastercard # __________________________

Exp Date: ________

Signature: ___________________________________________________________

GifT MeMBerSHiP: i would like to donate a Gift Membership for:

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Telephone: _________________________________________________________

Email Address: ______________________________________________________

Additional Donation: $ _______________

2

Q & Awith

Brendan McKillop

Gerry Born

7Jerry Kroll

Boris Meno

6 3

Wildcat Fan Forum

If you have been a faithful reader of this segment of TWR, youknow that the Davidson players and coaches have to be very well-informed about the NCAA’s rules and regulations and that they mustbe vigilant at all times about following all compliance guidelines.These rules govern members 365 days a year, but one especiallyimportant time—with very specific rules—is the July recruiting peri-od. For 20 days in July, college basketball coaches are permitted towatch high school student-athletes play in sanctioned events all overthe country. Because the coaches, players and parents are in confinedspaces like high school gymnasiums and small arenas, there are spe-cific guidelines restricting what is and is not allowed. Therefore, thequestion for this month is, what type of contact, if any, is allowedbetween college coaches and players and their parents?

This question is answered in the very helpful “Rules Primer” thatthe NCAA and Southern Conference provided coaches in June:

“Any face-to-face contact by a Division I coach will constitutean impermissible contact during the July evaluation period if theencounter is prearranged or if the coach positions himself in alocation where contact is possible (e.g., near gym entrances, desig-nated paths for prospects, etc.). A coach, who is innocentlyapproached by a prospect, parent or someone associated with theprospect, will not be charged with a violation of the contact ruleprovided the encounter is not prearranged, the coach does notengage in any dialogue in excess of a greeting and the coach takesappropriate steps to immediately end the encounter.”

This guideline is succinctly stated and easy to understand.Coaches used to position themselves underneath baskets when play-ers and teams were warming up, or by doors when they were arrivingor departing. This practice, clearly stated above, is no longer allowed.One issue that sometimes arises: parents and players do not alwaysknow, or abide by, this rule. College coaches are therefore sometimesforced to rather forcefully break off contact and walk away. It mayseem rude at times, but it is what has to be done to make sure theyare following the rule, which is in everyone’s best interest to do inorder to uphold fair play and an even playing field.

If you have any specific compliance questions, please contact ourcoaches or our director of compliance, Katy McNay.

The Wildcat Fan Forum is back for another round! In this edition, headcoach Bob McKillop answers questions from faithful Davidsonbasketball fans Greg Johnson and Jim Smith.

Greg Johnson: What motivates you to get up andgo to work every day?

Bob Mckillop: I get up each morning veryexcited about the responsibility and the opportu-nity to serve as our head basketball coach. Forso many years, I have had a love affair withDavidson College and Davidson College basket-ball. I understand the mission. I understand thechallenges. I have a deep rooted affection for ourever growing Davidson family. To quote the 13thcentury scholar, St. Thomas Aquinas, “We onlydo well that which we do with joy.”

Twenty-one years is a long tenure. It culti-vates consistency. It encourages endurance. Iknow I’m not the way I was when I came herein 1989. In a sense, my Davidson experiencecontinues to be a remarkable education. Each day is an opportunity toget better, have fun, and serve the Davidson community. What a greatway to greet each day!

I am so thankful to my family of players past and present, alums,and supporters who have trusted me with this opportunity. It is certain-ly always a great day to be a Wildcat.

Jim Smith: Are coaches assigned a specific task with regards torecruiting, game preparation, and scouting?

Bob Mckillop: Our coaching staff is a team, a very cohesive team.Their loyalty is unsurpassed. They wear Davidson and our basketballprogram on their hearts. Their commitment of time and energy issuperb. Trust, Commitment, Care. They know our Code well. They’veembraced it with passion. I count myself as very lucky to be on a teamwith Jim, Landry, Matt, Terrell, and Susan.

Each staff member is given a very detailed job description. Just asour players have abilities that put them in position to be our point guardor a power forward or our best defender, so too does each staff memberhave responsibilities that are crafted to fully capitalize on their individ-ual strengths. In giving them assignments, I hope to nurture and culti-vate the skills and abilities that give our coaches the opportunity to bevery well prepared for a future as a head coach. I’m strongly convincedthat providing experiences that foster versatility should be a significantpart of their job responsibility. Every one of them becomes involved inrecruiting, practice and practice planning, player relations, programdevelopment, scouting and game planning, as well as public relations.

As an example, in the area of recruiting, Jim, Landry, and Matt areassigned specifically to either high school seniors, juniors, sophomoresor freshmen. Each of them will then coordinate all of the activities rela-tive to the recruitment of that particular class. Generally, the coordinat-ing coach for the senior class will have to schedule home visits and offi-cial visits as well as being certain that the prospect completes the collegeadmission process along with the NCAA eligibility process. Some areasof responsibility for junior recruitment would be securing transcripts,watching DVD’s of prospects, the scheduling of unofficial visits, anddeveloping the calendar of summer recruiting activities. Every coachlends support in all areas insuring that no detail slips through thecracks. We do not have specific designations as Coordinator of Scoutingor Recruiting Coordinator or even Defensive or Offensive Coordinator.I’m convinced that versatility provides the best foundation upon whichto structure the coaching careers of our guys.

Each staff member is challenged by a full plate of responsibilities,and I clearly define my own expectations for them and challenge themto demonstrate leadership and creativity as they work to make our pro-gram the best it can be. We all truly believe that we represent our alums,our college community, and all of our fans and friends.

Compliance Questionof the Month

TWr CreditsContributors: Landry Kosmalski, Jim Smith, Greg JohnsonPhotos: Tim Cowie, Bill Giduz, FIBA, Angelika Novak, SportsInformation Archiveslayout / Design editor: Mark BrumbaughPrinter: Powerhouse Color

Wildcats Summer RecapFans may remember that in last September’s edition, TWR had much

to say about the team’s much-heralded trip to Europe. At the presenttime, NCAA rules allow teams to make such international trips onceevery four years. The Wildcats are still waiting for the day when teamsare allowed to travel once every year; alas, that day may never come.Until then, the Davidson players and coaches continue to find ways tomake the summers productive, successful and enjoyable. And as closeobservers probably know, the success of Jake, Ali and Chris in theEuropean under-20 championships was not the only bright spot of thesummer for the Davidson basketball program.

One of the more pleasurable staples of the summer takes place everyyear in mid to late June. At that time, a horde of youngsters descends onthe Davidson campus for two weeks of the Bob McKillop basketballcamp. The 230+ boys that attended this summer were coached by a staffof counselors that consisted of high school and college coaches, as well ascurrent and former college players. In long days that both started andended at 9:00, the campers participated in drills, contests and games, andgleaned insight from the very knowledgeable staff. Needless to say,camp was a demanding, yet extremely enjoyable experience for campersand coaches alike.

The Davidson basketball family had their fun each night after camp.Current, future and former Wildcat players took the court for intense andcompetitive 5-on-5 pickup games. Members of the 2010-2011 team thatwere in town for camp included Brendan McKillop, Ben Allison, AJAtkinson, Will Reigel, Frank Ben-Eze, Clint Mann, JP Kuhlman, NikCochran, Jordan Downing, De’Mon Brooks and Tom Droney. Formerplayers Andrew Lovedale, Logan Kosmalski, Will Archambault andStephen Curry likewise participated in the action. Also in town, but notparticipating in camp pickup games, were former players Jason Richards,Ben Ebong, Michael Bree, Chris Pearson, Brendan Winters and ConorGrace. While the two weeks of camp served as an exciting time forcampers, it was also a very special experience for different generations ofDavidson players to come together and continue to improve upon analready strong and loyal familial bond.

After camp ends each year the Davidson players return home to con-tinue their workouts while the coaching staff heads out on the recruitingtrail for most of July. This year, however, provided an exciting twist tothe normal routine: throughout July and August, Wildcat fans closely fol-lowed Davidson great Stephen Curry’s bid to make the top team in thecountry: the USA Dream Team. Stephen gained national team experienceback in 2007 with the US under-19 team, which competed in Belgrade,Serbia. This time, however, the stakes were higher as he was competingfor a spot on the team against some of the best players in the world.

Timing is sometimesa wonderful thing, andit was especially fortu-itous for Bob McKillopand assistant coachLandry Kosmalski inJuly. The coaches, intown to recruit at AAUtournaments, were ableto attend a nationalteam practice in LasVegas. There they wereable to see Stephen and18 other men’s teammembers in action.Basketball fans far andwide know that NBAplayers are some of themost talented athletesin the world—this factis especially clear whenthey are seen up closeand personal. Theirspeed, quickness, lengthand athleticism makethe court look small and

the college players thatthey practiced againstfelt the full brunt oftheir talent and tenacity.

A few days later theteam held their first ofmany scrimmages—thisone of the intra-squadvariety—aptly called the2010 USA BasketballShowcase. In his firstlive action as a men’snational team player,Stephen had 14 pointsand six rebounds in 20minutes of action.While that was a verysuccessful debut for the22-year old, the bestnews came a few dayslater as the team madecuts and Stephen foundout that he had madethe 15 man roster.

After a short breakthe team reconvened inearly August in NewYork City for practicesand more exhibition games. In a US win in a scrimmage against China,Stephen tallied seven points and three assists in 13 minutes and had fourpoints in 12 minutes the very next day as the Americans thrashed Franceby 30 points. The team, and Stephen in particular, received strong sup-port versus the French squad from a contingency of Davidson well-wish-ers. Bob McKillop and Jim Fox represented the Davidson coaching staff,while a Wildcat players’ fraternity of Brandon Williams, Chris Clunie,Kenny Grant, and ex-teammate Steve Rossiter were on hand as well tocheer him on. Before the France game even tipped off Stephen receivedmore good news, as he learned that he had made the 13 man roster. Theteam ultimately kept 12 players, but he would not find out his final fateuntil after the team’s final exhibition games in Europe

Stephen’s surprising success on the team (surprising to all non-Davidson fans, that is!) began to garner attention from the national press.Within a few days, he was featured in lengthy articles in the New YorkTimes and CBSsports.com. Both articles expressed deep admiration forhis showing during the tryouts and portrayed the humble Stephen thatWildcat fans know and love: "Nothing can beat this experience of beingaround these guys and learning as we go through this," he said. "No mat-ter how much I play, how well I play in Spain, whether I make the teamor I don't, either way I'm still going to benefit a lot from this whole jour-ney."

Following their short stay in New York, the team boarded a plane fora flight to Madrid for more exhibition games. Once there, Stephen unfor-tunately faced some adversity: in a practice on Wednesday, August 18, hesprained his ankle and was forced to miss practice on Thursday. Herebounded quite nicely that weekend, however, and played well in USwins versus Lithuania and Spain, including scoring seven points in sevenminutes in a close one-point victory against the Spaniards.

Two days later Stephen received the news he had been hoping for: hemade the final twelve man roster! At the time TWR went to press, theteam was competing at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey. The USwas off to a strong start with a 4-0 record in their first four pool games.Hopefully, by the time you are reading this article, the team has reachedtheir goal of winning a gold medal.

The experience has undoubtedly been a positive and happy one forStephen, and yet another source of pride for Wildcat fans. The youngman who showed up on Davidson’s campus as a skinny, baby-facedfreshman just four short years ago lived out his dreams on the biggeststage in the world.

Breaking New$

The Davidson Athletic foundation (DAf) recentlyannounced a change in financial policy:

Davidson Athletic Foundation donors may designatetheir gifts to any of Davidson’s 21 NCAA Division I ath-letic programs.

Many fans have asked about the guidelines in the past, soTWr wanted to alert everyone to this significant shift in DAfpolicy.

for more information, please call the Davidson Athleticfoundation at 704-894-2396.

Stephen Curry continues to grab headlines.

With only numbers 4 through 15 available as per FIBArules, No. 30 will wear No. 11 during the World

Baskeball Championships

4 5

Wildcats Make Mark In Austria, from Page 1

Scotland’s oldest national team is the under-18 squad, but Ali tookadvantage of the Scottish-British connection to try-out for, and ulti-mately make, the under-20 Great Britain team (according to both BenAllison and Ali, this team is simply called “GB” by anyone “in theknow”).

So, in mid-June of 2010, the Wildcat coaching staff looked aroundat each other with dazed looks and said, “Wow, we are going to havethree guys playing in the European under-20 tournament in July.” Itall came together so abruptly—with Jake’s somewhat unexpectedaddition to another country’s team and Ali’s late Davidson commit-ment—but the surprise was a pleasant one. Even more satisfyingwas the fact that Chris and Sweden would be tipping off the tourna-ment against Jake and the Israelis—a fact which caused an immediateescalation to the flow of Facebook trash talk.

When the tournament kicked off on July 14, Sweden versus Israelwas the first game of the tournament and Davidson head man BobMcKillop was front and center (side note: McKillop turned 60 the pre-vious day. Jake had dutifully prepared his teammates, so whenCoach attended his practice that day he and his teammates sang him“Happy Birthday” in...wait for it…Hebrew). McKillop saw a greatgame, one in which there were many lead changes before the Swedesultimately prevailed, 71-67. Jake got the best of the individualmatchup, with 16 points and nine rebounds to Chris’s nine pointsand four rebounds, but Chris and the Swedes continued their hotstreak and earned the win. In the late game of the day, Great Britaindefeated Denmark, 79-65. Despite it being his first game ever withthe GBs, Ali played very well and impressed McKillop by scoring sixpoints and pulling down five rebounds in 20 strong minutes of play.

At the end of the first round all three teams advanced to the nextround of pool play with records of 2-1. Now, here is where things gettricky to the casual American observer: Sweden and Israel both fin-ished the second round of pool play with records of 2-1; however, forreasons too complicated to explain in this short article, Swedenadvanced to the semifinals and Israel did not. An even more convo-luted explanation is needed to explain the following: the GB side

went 3-0 in the secondround of pool play but,because of a loss in thefirst round of pool play,they lost a tie-breakerbased on point differ-ential. Follow that?Needless to say, Aliand his teammateswere nearly apoplecticover this seeminglyunjust outcome.Regardless of the rea-sons, when the dustfinally settled theSwedes advanced tothe critical semifinalsand the Israelis andBritish did not.

There was, howev-er, good news from aDavidson perspective.Despite their disap-pointment at notadvancing, Jake andAli were pleased to seethat their teams wouldbe facing each other in

the fifth place game.

With their spirits buoyed, the trash talk resumed. In a good-naturedemail to assistant coach Landry Kosmalski, Jake stated, “This gamemeans a lot, I would have bragging rights over Ben and Ali for a longtime to come, plus it means a 5th place finish” (ah, the beauty offriendly rivalry). Much to Ali’s chagrin, the Israelis earned the victo-ry in a shootout, 103-92, and Jake led his team with 23 points andnine rebounds.

Now, the even better news: in European tournaments the twofinalists—regardless of whether they win or lose—automaticallyadvance to the “A” group for the next year. Therefore, a semifinalvictory by the Swedes meant that Chris would again lead his team tothis prestigious advancement. As alluded to earlier, he did just that.With their 79-69 semifinal victory over Poland, the Swedes advancedto the “A” group for only the second time in their basketball history.This time, Chris will get to reap the rewards of his hard work as hewill again play for the under-20 team next summer. Maybe a littleoverly pleased with their advancement, Sweden lost in a meaninglessfinal game to the Austrian home team, 71-66.

The strong showing by the Wildcat players garnered quite a bit ofmedia interest. With averages of 20 points and eight rebounds, Jakefinished as the tournament’s leading scorer and 8th leading rebound-er—and one of its media darlings. The Jewish Journal’s “The GreatRabbino” blog featured him in an interview titled, maybe a touchimpulsively, “Jake Cohen Takes Over for Stephen Curry.” The Jewishnewspaper Haaretz published an article as well, with the clever titleof “Shooting Star ofDavid(son).” SportsIllustrated also got inon the act: in anonline article, writerLuke Winn wroteabout Jake and thenwent on to includehim, Chris and Ali inhis top 20 ranking ofplayers participatingin both the “A” and“B” division tourna-ments…high praise,indeed. The threeyoung men earnedthe attention andexposure with theirhard work and strongshowings in the tour-nament. Their per-formances spiced upthe summer andshould excite allWildcat fans aboutthe future ofDavidson basketball.

Davidson College unveiled its new spirit marks during Meet theWildcats Fan Day on the Davidson Town Green, Saturday, Aug. 14.

Davidson put together a campus committee comprised of students,staff, alumni and coaches who teamed with SME, Inc., a branding com-pany out of New York City. A yearlong process of creative design andmarket testing produced primary, secondary and tertiary marks, ayouth mark and a new font, specifically designed for Davidson.

The new spirit marks are for use campus wide but will not replaceDavidson’s institutional mark, which is the word “Davidson” with abar and diamond underneath it.

“Through the process, we found that our students, alumni and fansreally have an affinity for and identify with our current logo, the catwith the diamond behind it, so we opted to continue along that evolu-tionary track to get our primary mark,” said Director of Athletics JimMurphy. “I’m extremely happy with the results, and I think it will helpus capitalize on the equity we have already built in our current brand.We also added a secondary mark, tertiary mark and youth mark to giveus variety.”

The secondary mark is a “D” with claw marks through it, and thetertiary mark is a paw print in the shape of a “D.” All three marksalong with the words, “Davidson,” “Davidson College” and “Wildcats”allow for a myriad of design options for Davidson’s 21 varsity athleticprograms.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people—locally, nationally,and all over the world—who care deeply about Davidson and who fol-low news about the college,” said Davidson President Tom Ross.“Thanks to a number of things, including The Davidson Trust and thesuccess of our student athletes, the college has achieved a new level ofvisibility in recent years. The college’s commitment to honor, integrityand excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena is strongerthan ever. We hope that our new fans as well as those who have lovedDavidson for years will embrace and enjoy the new spirit marks.”

Davidson teams will be sporting the logo this fall on their practiceand travel gear and will phase the new marks in on competition uni-forms over the next two to three years as the need to purchase new uni-forms arises.

“I’m thrilled with the look of our new spirit marks,” said coach BobMcKillop. “They are clean, crisp, bright and exciting, and they holdtrue to the identity of Davidson. Our fans and alumni have such astrong connection to Davidson, and I think the new marks will furtherstrengthen that bond.”

The new spirit mark is the ninth Davidson has used since becomingknown as the Wildcats following a football game at Auburn in 1917.The most recent before today’s launch had been in use since 1994.Pictures of Davidson’s previous logos, as well as a full gallery of thenew logos, are available online at DavidsonWildcats.com.

Apparel bearing the new look for Davidson basketball is on sale inCats on Main, located at 131 Main Street, and the college’s on-campusbookstore.

NEW LOOK FOR WILDCATS

The new primary mark

The new secondary mark

The new, stylized paw

Additional Logo Info- Where can i see the new logos in full color?On the very back of this edition of TWR is the new wildcat head. Notethat it is sporting a black diamond on the red background. In mostother applications, the diamond is red. Otherwise, you can view agallery of the new logos online or pick up some new Wildcats gear atCats on Main.- What about the basketball court?The new marks are indeed on the floor at Belk Arena. We coulddescribe the changes here, but why ruin the surprise? Let’s just say itis a little darker and a bit more menacing to our opponents. We won’thave to remind you to take notice when the ‘Cats return to action.

News & Notes Continued . . .Another Davidson great, this one a Bob

McKillop-era player, was seen on campus recently.Janko Narat ’93 was in town for a special DavidsonCollege event: the retirement of Spanish professorand devoted Wildcat fan, Dr. Alberto Hernandez-Chiroldes. Janko’s daughters, Naomi and Leah,were with their father on his short visit back to cam-pus…The Wildcat Report is now offered in an elec-tronic version. If you would like to receive this e-version, please s hoot us an email and let us know(sumercer@davidson.edu). Likewise, if you aremoving, please email us your new address.

Janko Narat

Jake Cohen for IsraelChris Czerapowicz for Sweden