Latest chapter of Gonzaga-Davidson series to unfold in fifth-place game at Battle 4 Atlantis
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Davidson coach Matt McKillop divvied up scouting duties to his assistants this week at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
The way things shook out, game one against No. 24 Arizona fell to Matt Matheny, the longest-tenured assistant on Davidson’s staff at 19 seasons.
Matheny’s next assignment? Putting together a game plan for No. 3 Gonzaga, one of two potential opponents for Davidson on day three in the Bahamas, while another staff member prepared a game plan for Indiana.
After the Bulldogs cruised to an 89-73 win over the Hoosiers on Thursday afternoon, McKillop asked Matheny for a CliffsNotes style rundown on Davidson’s next foe, anticipating some crossover between the Arizona team coached by Tommy Lloyd and the Gonzaga one led by Lloyd’s longtime boss, Mark Few.
“I was walking back with a pregame meal with him and I said, ‘How’s Gonzaga? Do they play exactly the same way as Arizona?’” McKillop said. “And he said, they’re different in their frontcourt and they use them in different ways, but they’re equally as talented and it’s going to be just as difficult.”
A fifth-place game between Gonzaga (6-1) and Davidson (5-1) – two mid-major programs who’ve had success at the highest level of the sport – will tip off at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday at Imperial Arena.
Davidson limited Providence to 18 first-half points during Thursday’s nightcap and held on for a 69-58 victory over the Friars, who were receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25. Providence made just 18 of 58 shots from the field and finished 10 of 37 from inside the 3-point line.
On the offensive end, the Wildcats were paced by Connor Kochera, who had 22 points on 7 of 10 from the field and 8 of 11 from the free throw line, and Bobby Durkin, who shot 4 of 8 from the 3-point line and scored 20 points.
Davidson will lean on Matheny’s scouting report over the next 24 hours while preparing for Gonzaga, but Durkin might also be a valuable asset for the Wildcats.
The sophomore forward, who’s averaging 16.4 points on nearly 53% shooting from the 3-point line, was a high school teammate of Gonzaga forward Braden Huff, who’s averaging 14.8 points off the bench for Few’s squad. The two attended Glenbard West in the Chicago area, helping the school capture an Illinois state championship in 2022.
Still close friends, Durkin and Huff began trading text messages when the Battle 4 Atlantis bracket was released, and caught up again earlier this week when their teams arrived in the Bahamas.
“That was something I thought would be super fun, playing with him in high school, getting to match up in college at Atlantis would be a really cool experience,” Durkin said. “… I’ll probably have to send him a text later tonight or something.”
Durkin expanded on his experience playing with Huff in high school – “if teams were pressing, it was just throw Braden the ball and let him do it,” he said – and mentioned he watched Gonzaga’s season opener against Baylor, a game that aired nationally on ESPN. Huff had 14 points in 16 minutes off the bench against the Bears.
“The one thing that stood out to me is his touch is incredible around the rim,” Durkin said. “It feels like every time he gets the ball, it’s almost for sure going in. That’s not necessarily something I’m not expecting, but I think it’s cool to see it at such a high level and doing it so consistently.”
Familiarity between Gonzaga and Davidson goes beyond the Huff-Durkin connection.
McKillop, the son of longtime Davidson coach Bob McKillop, who retired in 2022 after 33 years at the school, was in attendance when the Wildcats drew the Zags in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
Matt McKillop, then an assistant coach at Division III Emory University, sat in Davidson’s fan section and watched Steph Curry erupt for eight 3-pointers and 40 points, eliminating Gonzaga with an 82-76 victory.
The Zags haven’t lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game since.
“I can tell you play for play that game probably,” McKillop said. “… And it was amazing, you’re just watching Steph Curry, things that people saw every day in practice, you saw him do it against the biggest and the best.”
By the next time the schools met, McKillop had earned an assistant coaching position on his dad’s bench. Elias Harris, Rob Sacre and Demetri Goodson each scored at least 22 points in a 103-91 Gonzaga win at the Battle in Seattle.
In 2013, a Gonzaga team with Przemek Karnowski and Kevin Pangos handed Davidson an 81-67 loss at the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
“I have memories as an assistant coach, I have memories as a fan of watching Davidson play Gonzaga,” McKillop said. “I hope it’s more 2008-like tomorrow night.”