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5 things to know about Kentucky’s first-round opponent in NCAA Tournament
By Chris Wright
Published:
Kentucky’s March already is off to a roaring start, thanks to the Wildcats’ winning their fourth consecutive SEC Tournament title earlier Sunday.
Now the real fun begins.
Kentucky, which last won the NCAA Tournament in 2012, is the No. 5 seed in the South Region. The Wildcats will face No. 12 Davidson in the first round.
Here are 5 things to know about the Davidson Wildcats.
HEADING TO BOISE! Wildcats vs. Wildcats!
Thursday vs. @KentuckyMBB!#CatsAreWild #TCC
— Davidson Basketball (@DavidsonMBB) March 11, 2018
How Davidson got here
Davidson was not going to receive an at-large bid, but it received an automatic bid by virtue of upsetting top-seeded Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Game.
NCAA Tournament history
You can’t mention Davidson without mentioning Steph Curry. The world’s greatest shooter nearly took Davidson to the Final Four in 2008. They fell 59-57 to Kansas in the Elite 8. This is Davison’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance since then, but they haven’t won a game since Curry left.
Team strength
Davidson finished second in the A-10 in scoring (77 points per game) — and nobody in the conference shot it better (48.6 percent).
Davidson can’t compete with Kentucky’s size or athleticism, so they’ll try to do what they do best: shoot the long ball.
Davidson made more than 10 3-pointers per game — hitting 39.3 percent of their attempts. They made 16 3s in their A-10 semifinal win.
It’s like Curry never left.
Must stop: Peyton Aldridge
Aldridge (pictured above), a 6-8 senior forward, leads Davidson in scoring at 21.8 points per game, but he is anything but traditional.
Aldridge also leads Davidson in 3s with 76.
Did you know?
No. 12 seeds are 47-85 against No. 5 seeds since the field expanded in 1985.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
