For Davidson, A Lesson Learned

Not every class taught at Davidson requires a classroom.
That was the essence of coach Bob McKillop’s message to his Wildcats before they embarked on their NIT experience this week.
Having dealt with the deep disappointment of missing the NCAA tournament a year after their mesmerizing Elite Eight run, McKillop understood his team needed to shift its focus off its frustration.
“I told them this will be the greatest classroom they’ll have in their four years at Davidson,” McKillop said after the Wildcats’ Tuesday night win at South Carolina. “They had gotten worn down. We didn’t live up to the expectations and we didn’t know how to handle that.
“This experience will teach them about leadership, about adversity and about handling success. I told them they need to learn from it.”
Based on the South Carolina game, it appears the Wildcats have redirected their attention to the present rather than the past.
After attending Stephen Curry’s birthday party Friday night, the team went to a Japanese steakhouse together Saturday night, another moment that helped refocus the team.
“It wasn’t going to a restaurant that changed things,” Max Paulhus Gosselin said. “It was a change in our mindset and the way we see the games.”
-- Ron Green Jr.