For Jerome Allen, there’s a certain symmetry in opening the season against Davidson.
Allen’s first game as interim head coach came in Davidson, N.C., last December. When the Wildcats visit the Palestra tomorrow night, it will be his first game as the John R. Rockwell Head Coach of Men’s Basketball.
The matchup didn’t go so well for the Quakers the first time around — Davidson dominated in a 79-50 victory. So Allen is anxious to see the fruits of his labor over the last 11 months.
“I’d be lying to you if I said that result wasn’t in the back of my mind,” Allen said.
In the first half of that game, the Wildcats shot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc and 19-for-32 overall to build an insurmountable 46-19 lead.
Junior point guard Zack Rosen said the biggest difference for this year’s team has been a commitment to a defensive mindset, which should help avoid a repeat of last year’s performance.
“I think our philosophy has changed a little bit in terms of ball pressure and how we want to really attack teams,” Rosen said. “We’re trying to chase guys off the perimeter, while inviting backdoor cuts and drives with help.”
The Quakers will look to slow down senior guard Brendan McKillop — Davidson coach Bob McKillop’s son — who led all Wildcat scorers with 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting in just 26 minutes in the last meeting.
On the offensive side of the ball, Rosen believes the team will have more firepower thanks to Tyler Bernardini’s return from injury, although Rosen implied that junior center Mike Howlett will be out of action tomorrow.
“It’s like putting that last bullet into your gun, so now we’re dealing with a full deck,” Rosen said of Bernardini’s return. “Obviously Mike going down hurts, but we’re going to do what we can with what we’ve got.”
Allen declined to comment on Howlett’s status, though the junior was active in a shoot-around before practice Wednesday.
Considering last year’s demoralizing 0-10 start, Allen said it is important to get off on the right foot this season in order to build some positive momentum.
“The sooner we can have some success, the better it will be in terms of [the players] buying into the process and them believing,” Allen said. “It doesn’t make our job any easier, but it would be great just in terms of building overall team morale and them being rewarded for the hard work that they’ve put in.”
Against a traditionally strong mid-major like Davidson, that might be easier said than done.
“They’re a sound team, and Coach McKillop has been there for a number of years,” Allen said. “I know that we have to respect the opponent because they’ll make you pay for every mistake.”
