NEWS

 

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson men’s basketball program released its 2023-24 non-conference schedule Tuesday afternoon and will open its second season under head coach Matt McKillop on Monday, Nov. 6 against Washington & Lee.

The non-conference slate includes six games inside Belk Arena, a trip to the mountains for the Asheville Championship, the first of two meetings with Saint Mary’s and the Wildcats’ annual visit with the Charlotte 49ers.

“We are very excited for the challenges and opportunities that this year’s schedule brings,” McKillop said. “We have a great mix of home games, neutral site games against notable opponents in great venues and road games that will prepare us for Atlantic 10 play.”

After opening the season in front of their home crowd, the ‘Cats will meet Maryland in game one of the third annual Asheville Championship on Nov. 10, before closing out their eighth-straight MTE with a matchup against either UAB or Clemson on Sunday, Nov. 12.

Five days later, Davidson will renew a rivalry with former SoCon foe East Tennessee State (Nov. 17) before returning home for a meeting with Boston University (Nov. 21) on McKillop Court.

Closing out the month of November with a pair of road games, the Wildcats will head west for a Black Friday matchup with Saint Mary’s on Nov. 24 before squaring off with crosstown rival Charlotte in the annual “Battle for the Hornets’ Nest Trophy” on Nov. 29.

During the 2022-23 campaign, the Gaels won 27 games, were ranked in the top-25 throughout the second half of the season and fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual national champion UConn. A season ago, Davidson and the 49ers battled into overtime as Charlotte’s buzzer-beating three-pointer lifted the 49ers to a 68-66 win over the ‘Cats.

The month of December tips off a four-game homestand for the Wildcats versus Wright State (Dec. 2), Campbell (Dec. 6), Miami of Ohio (Dec. 9) and USC Upstate (Dec. 21).

Davidson will then travel to Cleveland for its final non-league contest, a neutral site game against Ohio. Venue and ticket details for the matchup will be available soon.

“I imagine the easiest games for our fans to circle will be our matchup with Maryland and the field we could face in the Asheville Classic,” McKillop noted. “Similarly, beginning a series with Saint Mary’s will provide us with a great opportunity to go on the road to play against a potential top-ranked team like we’ve done the past two years. We will expect a lot of excitement when we play Wright State and Charlotte, both of whom we faced last year with games that went into overtime and came down to the final seconds.”

The Wildcats are still exploring the opportunity to add an additional game to their non-conference schedule.

“We look forward to utilizing the remaining three weeks of our fall workouts and six weeks of practice to prepare for these challenges ahead,” McKillop added.2023-24 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 6 vs. Washington & Lee (Belk Arena)
Nov. 10 vs. Maryland (Asheville Classic)
Nov. 12 vs. UAB/Clemson (Asheville Classic)
Nov. 17 at East Tennessee State (Johnson City, TN)
Nov. 21 vs. Boston University (Belk Arena)
Nov. 24 at Saint Mary’s (Moraga, CA)
Nov. 29 at Charlotte (Halton Arena)
Dec. 2 vs. Wright State (Belk Arena)
Dec. 6 vs. Campbell (Belk Arena)
Dec. 9 vs. Miami of Ohio (Belk Arena)
Dec. 21 vs. USC Upstate (Belk Arena)
Dec. 30 vs. Ohio (Cleveland, OH)