Davidson fans should root for Cougars

One of Davidson's biggest rivals in the Southern Conference has been the College of Charleston, but Wildcat fans would be wise to cheer for the Cougars Saturday.

Charleston hosts Furman, and a win would guarantee the Cougars at least the No.7 seed in the Southern Conference tournament.

That's important for Davidson for two reasons.

1. It means Davidson, the No.1 seed, wouldn't have to play Charleston until the finals. It might not be a big deal anyway - Davidson dominated the Cougars in both previous meetings, winning by at least 18 points in both games. But, Charleston is the only Southern Conference team that can create a home-court advantage against the Wildcats in the tournament, and the rest of the league is floundering. Georgia Southern is the only other team besides Davidson to have a winning record in its last 10 games.

2. By avoiding Charleston, Davidson will get a favorable tournament schedule. The Southern Conference allows tournament hosts such as Charleston to dictate the schedule - or at least be guaranteed the slots that will bring in the highest attendance. Charleston is going to play during the night session March 7 and 8 (Davidson has a bye until the 8th). So, if Davidson is on the other side of the bracket, the Wildcats would play at 2 p.m. Saturday and get the maximum rest it needs. If not, Davidson would face a later game, and have less rest than teams that finished below the Wildcats in the standings.

-- Kevin Cary