A-10 Media Day Wrap Up: McKillop Pleased with 'Cats' Offseason
11/10/2020 3:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Written By: Justin Parker
Bob McKillop has spent the time between his 31st and 32nd Davidson seasons the way many might expect.
Despite the unprecedented hurdles of the COVID-19 pandemic, he's tackled the daily tasks at hand, learned more about himself and his team and focused on preparing his Wildcats for the 2020-21 season. He's been introspective and analytical, while pushing his players to be better as well.
"Our guys have responded to the challenges and uncertainties that have existed now for seven months, eight months," McKillop said during the A-10's virtual media session Tuesday. "I'm really pleased with our work in the classroom, our work on the basketball court and our work in the community."
The Wildcats are coming off a 16-14 campaign that ended without playing an A-10 Tournament game in Brooklyn, as the pandemic set in during tournament week. Four starters return, including senior guards Kellan Grady and Carter Collins, junior forward Luka Brajkovic and redshirt sophomore guard Michael Jones. Grady is a preseason first-team all-conference selection, who averaged 17.2 points per game a year ago.
Since March, McKillop has seen Grady continue to grow on and off the court and is pleased with his investment in social justice initiatives, academics and leadership within the team.
"I think all of that adds up to a confident Kellan Grady, but a mature Kellan Grady and one who has been challenged to make decisions and is comfortable in his own skin about making decisions," said McKillop. "And that's whether he's bringing the ball up the court in our offense or calling our defense or having a team meeting in the locker room or walking through the community as a very visible representative of Davidson athletics, Davidson basketball and Davidson College."
McKillop covered numerous topics during a 26-minute conversation with the media. Here are some other highlights:
• Brajkovic, a two-year starter, returned to Austria for part of the offseason and often ran with his father, Sladjan, and brother, Filip, through town and on a track. McKillop sees a difference in the 6-foot-10 post man's stamina that he expects will pay off.
"Our frontcourt players have to run end line to base line on every possession," he said. "Then they have to set screens, then they have to fight for rebounds, then they have to play post defense. They have to come inside, they have to come outside. So it requires tremendous stamina. As he analyzed last year, and as he analyzed his freshman year, he realized the need to develop his stamina."
• Class by class and player by player, McKillop chronicled improvement across the board. But sophomore wing Hyunjung Lee might be the most-improved Wildcat of all. A year ago, Lee averaged 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing 20.9 minutes per night and showing his potential. He's expected to be a significant contributor in his second year.
"Everything Hyunjung has, Hyunjung has earned," said McKillop. "That young man has an insatiable work ethic. He's team-oriented. He's got a terrific IQ for basketball."
• The Wildcats have added three freshmen: Sam Mennenga, Emory Lanier and Grant Huffman. A versatile forward, Mennenga joined the team last year and red-shirted. Lanier and Huffman can each handle the ball or play off it. McKillop expects all will contribute.
"They better be ready because they're going to be needed," he said. "They have shown the ability in flashes where they can be pivotal parts of our rotation."
• What kind of team will the Wildcats be? One McKillop believes can be successful. It's already one he's enjoying working with.
"I walk into the practice court every day, and I have no fear of having any kind of problems from those guys relative to their attitude or their effort," he said. "It's a remarkable experience as a coach to go there each day without any apprehension, without any uncertainty, without any fear, with all things pointed at having a joyful experience."
Despite the unprecedented hurdles of the COVID-19 pandemic, he's tackled the daily tasks at hand, learned more about himself and his team and focused on preparing his Wildcats for the 2020-21 season. He's been introspective and analytical, while pushing his players to be better as well.
"Our guys have responded to the challenges and uncertainties that have existed now for seven months, eight months," McKillop said during the A-10's virtual media session Tuesday. "I'm really pleased with our work in the classroom, our work on the basketball court and our work in the community."
The Wildcats are coming off a 16-14 campaign that ended without playing an A-10 Tournament game in Brooklyn, as the pandemic set in during tournament week. Four starters return, including senior guards Kellan Grady and Carter Collins, junior forward Luka Brajkovic and redshirt sophomore guard Michael Jones. Grady is a preseason first-team all-conference selection, who averaged 17.2 points per game a year ago.
Since March, McKillop has seen Grady continue to grow on and off the court and is pleased with his investment in social justice initiatives, academics and leadership within the team.
"I think all of that adds up to a confident Kellan Grady, but a mature Kellan Grady and one who has been challenged to make decisions and is comfortable in his own skin about making decisions," said McKillop. "And that's whether he's bringing the ball up the court in our offense or calling our defense or having a team meeting in the locker room or walking through the community as a very visible representative of Davidson athletics, Davidson basketball and Davidson College."
McKillop covered numerous topics during a 26-minute conversation with the media. Here are some other highlights:
• Brajkovic, a two-year starter, returned to Austria for part of the offseason and often ran with his father, Sladjan, and brother, Filip, through town and on a track. McKillop sees a difference in the 6-foot-10 post man's stamina that he expects will pay off.
"Our frontcourt players have to run end line to base line on every possession," he said. "Then they have to set screens, then they have to fight for rebounds, then they have to play post defense. They have to come inside, they have to come outside. So it requires tremendous stamina. As he analyzed last year, and as he analyzed his freshman year, he realized the need to develop his stamina."
• Class by class and player by player, McKillop chronicled improvement across the board. But sophomore wing Hyunjung Lee might be the most-improved Wildcat of all. A year ago, Lee averaged 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing 20.9 minutes per night and showing his potential. He's expected to be a significant contributor in his second year.
"Everything Hyunjung has, Hyunjung has earned," said McKillop. "That young man has an insatiable work ethic. He's team-oriented. He's got a terrific IQ for basketball."
• The Wildcats have added three freshmen: Sam Mennenga, Emory Lanier and Grant Huffman. A versatile forward, Mennenga joined the team last year and red-shirted. Lanier and Huffman can each handle the ball or play off it. McKillop expects all will contribute.
"They better be ready because they're going to be needed," he said. "They have shown the ability in flashes where they can be pivotal parts of our rotation."
• What kind of team will the Wildcats be? One McKillop believes can be successful. It's already one he's enjoying working with.
"I walk into the practice court every day, and I have no fear of having any kind of problems from those guys relative to their attitude or their effort," he said. "It's a remarkable experience as a coach to go there each day without any apprehension, without any uncertainty, without any fear, with all things pointed at having a joyful experience."
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