Returning Players

In total, the Cats lost and added 13 players. That level of turnover may seem high, and it is, but the Cats do still have multiple returning players to talk about; six in fact! Let's jump in.

Sean Logan, Sr

the 6'10 center from New Jersey started 10 games last season before tearing his ACL early in the Temple game and subsequently missing the remainder of the year. Many thought that moment could be a turning point in Davidson's season. According to T-Rank it was, the Cats were the 95th best team in the country before the injury and and the 155th afterwards. However, that drop-off cannot be explained by defense alone, Logan's specialty, as Davidson fielded the 179th best defense with Logan and the 181st without him. Rather, it seems like Davidson's vast drop-off in shooting and step-up in competition are the main culprits. Regardless, having an experienced, 4th year center who excels on the defensive end is always a positive. I expect Logan to be brought back slowly, leaving Vanderbilt transfer JQ Roberts and Spanish Freshman Ian Plautteeuw to form a platoon at center early on. Once Logan is fully back, he should provide solid minutes and depth at the center position. Him being healthy also gives the staff more room to play 2 big lineups with 2 of Plautteeuw/Logan/Roberts sharing the court at once.

Roberts Blums, So

Blums, or Bobs as we like to call him, came in with lofty expectations after wracking up a laundry list of accomplishments internationally, including champions league minutes and a U-18 FIBA Euros MVP. More realistically, Blums looked largely like most freshman guards do. He had moments where he sparked but struggled with consistency, especially shooting the ball, which led got him stuck in Matt McKillop's dog house at times. That said, the 6'4 CG's effort never wavered and his athleticism made him an asset as an on-ball defender. That athletic on-ball defense coupled with shot-making that closer matches his impressive CV, could make him a dangerous weapon for the Cats this season. Do not be surprised if Bobs makes a major leap as Davidson's 6th man this season, and his shooting could be a key to how good this team is on offense.

Manie Joses, So

Fans were CLAMORING for more Manie minutes last year, as the uber-athletic 6'7 wing absolutely jumped off the screen when playing last season. The hype reached a fever pitch against Duquesne when his insertion as the head of the 1-3-1 zone felt like it singlehandedly won the Cats a huge comeback victory. Joses really came on in the second half of last season after dealing with injuries early, playing double digit minutes in 12 of the Cats' last 13 games, including a 12 point (including two 3s), 6 rebound, and 3 stock (steals+blocks) performance against Loyola in February. Manie will be a major weapon defensively for Matt and should be able to add offense through aggressive cutting. He has shown flashes of a 3-point shot throughout his young career, and if it ever develops you're looking at an all-A10 player with the upside for even more. As with Bobs, you're looking at a major breakout candidate.

Hunter Adam, R-Jr

Davidson's favorite Kiwi had an odd season last year. Many expected the 6'7 Wing/Small Ball 4 to play a major role in 2024/25 as a swiss army knife off the bench, but for one reason or another his minutes were erratic. Some games he played 20+ minutes and others he barely played at all (including a perplexing 1 minute appearance against Saint Joe's in January). By the end of the season though, Hunter established his spot in the rotation, averaging 18 minutes per game after the aformentioned Saint Joe's game and starting 6 of the team's last 7 games (only not starting for senior night, as Davidson always starts every senior, including the walk-ons, for that occasion). He even played most of the second half of the team's pillow fight game against Richmond as the center, pulling down 7 rebounds and providing amazing defense. Adam should provide valuable minutes this season as a versatile wing and forward, and his athleticism and effort level make him a plus piece on defense and the boards (as long as he stays away from silly fouls). He also shot 16-40 from 3 last season, good for 40%; if he can maintain that shooting or even level it up a bit he could be a weapon on offense too as he's already a solid cutter.

Joe Hurlburt, Sr Many expected the 6'10 C from North Dakota and P4 transfer to play a larger role than he did last season, especially after Sean Logan went down for the season. For whatever reason that did not materialize, as the big man averaged less than 6 minutes per game and failing to appear in 5 games. There were moments when Hurlburt looked promising and others where the game seemed to be moving just a little too fast for him. At the very least, the Dakotan will be the team's emergency 4th big when Logan returns and could be pressed into action before then. Or maybe it could all click for the skilled big man, something not uncommon for 7 footers when they get to the later stages of their college career.

Nick Coval, R-Fr

The 6'2 point guard from Pennsylvania was a fan favorite before he even stepped on campus, exciting fans with his incredible shooting and scoring ability and his enthusiastic want to be a Cat even without a clear avenue to minutes. People outside the program were big fans too, as one of the 3 Bid League guys picked him for A10 ROY. After redshirting last season, Coval should be fully up to speed physically and on the system. He's likely to compete to be the Cat's backup point guard behind Sam Brown and if last season is any indication, the team may desperately need his 3-point shooting ability (especially in conference play).

There you have it, the Cats return just six scholarship players, from experienced starters to redshirts. All six will have some sort of say in how the 2025/26 season ultimately turns out, and I'm especially excited to see the jumps the 2024/25 freshman class take in their second season donning the Red & Black.