Davidson opened its men’s basketball season with a 76–61 road win over Washington State on Monday, Nov. 2, according to Davidson Athletics.

Sam Brown scored 22 points and Nick Janowski added 21 in his Davidson debut. Josh Scovens had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Ian Platteeuw finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.

The Wildcats never trailed and twice led by 19 at Beasley Coliseum. They shot 54.7% from the field and made 12 of 23 three-point attempts. Brown accounted for six of those threes.

Davidson led 34–22 at halftime. After Washington State cut the margin to nine in the second half, a 9–0 Wildcats run restored control. Jaylen Harrell led the Cougars with 13 points.

A rebuilt roster and a March goal

Fifth-year coach Matt McKillop is trying to return Davidson to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022. In a preseason interview with The Davidsonian, he said the team believed it could end that absence.

The campus newspaper reported that nine players entered the transfer portal in the spring, while captains Scovens and Brown returned. McKillop emphasized late-game execution and free-throw practice, including situational drills and work with former Wildcat Nick Cochran.

The college’s official roster announcement lists four incoming transfers: Janowski from St. Thomas, Jackson Keith from Butler, John Carter Jr. from Navy and Quadri Bashiru from Longwood.

Janowski earned 2026 Summit League Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 16.1 points. Carter played four seasons at Navy before spending four years in the Marine Corps. Bashiru redshirted at Longwood in 2025–26.

The seven-player incoming group also includes freshmen Malik Davis from Australia, Tom Stoiber from Germany and Eetu Heinonen from Finland.

Home opener and schedule

According to Davidson’s current schedule, the Wildcats host Mercer on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. at John M. Belk Arena. Bradley follows Nov. 10 and Howard Nov. 14.

Davidson faces Northern Iowa on Nov. 23 and Tulane on Nov. 25 at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, then travels to Florida Atlantic Nov. 29 and College of Charleston Dec. 6.

Atlantic 10 play begins at Duquesne on Dec. 30, followed by Dayton at home Jan. 2 and VCU on the road Jan. 6.