DAVIDSON The talent, depth and versatility of the 2011-2012 Davidson men's basketball team was on full display Saturday night, as the Wildcats dominated Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, claiming an 81-44 victory against the Bears in a season-opening exhibition in front of 2,304 fans at Belk Arena.

"This year is going to be a journey," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "And this is a step in the right direction."

Four players scored in double figures for the Wildcats, who used an aggressive defense throughout the game, and an aggressive offense in the second half to gain some insight into what type of team and season the Wildcats may have this year.

Initial reactions are encouraging.

Junior guards Nik Cochran and J.P. Kuhlman had 19 and 14 points, respectively, and combined for seven assists and just one turnover. Junior center Jake Cohen added 14 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore swingman Chris Czerapowicz came off the bench to notch 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

A victory - even a victory as lopsided as Saturday's - was not such a revelation for the Wildcats against a Division II club. But some of the highlights of Saturday's game may provide a glimpse of things to come for a team that was picked to finish first in the Southern Conference this season.

Among them:

Nine Wildcats played at least 15 minutes, as McKillop got looks at a club that has five players who can handle the point guard position and enough players with the right mixture of talent that multiple lineup combinations are possible.

Several players excelled in unfamiliar roles, such as Czerapowicz, who saw extended time at the power forward position.

Defensive pressure was a constant for the Wildcats against the Bears. Davidson forced 17 turnovers. Lenoir-Rhyne struggled to get anything going in the second half, connecting on just 6 of 31 shots over the final 20 minutes.

Davidson is still going to be a 3-point shooting team. On Saturday, 25 of the teams' 62 shots came from behind the arc. The Wildcats hit eight long-range shots, while Lenoir-Rhyne made just 1 of 7 3-pointers.

Aggressive play in the second half helped Davidson get to the foul line 22 times in the game's final 20 minutes. One of the stat lines most pleasing to McKillop after the game was the Wildcats' 23-of-29 performance on free throws.