How running in Austria — yes, Austria — could lift Davidson basketball to new heights

The foundation for Davidson College’s possible success in men’s basketball this season might have been laid on the streets of a western Austrian town last summer.

While Wildcat players and their coaches found ways to stay busy during their COVID-forced separation, Luka Brajkovic got a challenge.

“He was pushed by his father and his brother,” Davidson head coach Bob McKillop said Tuesday. “And it will make a difference.’

Davidson has been picked by the media and coaches to finish seventh in the 14-team Atlantic 10 this season. That prediction, along with the selection of senior guard Kellan Grady to the preseason first-team all-conference squad, were announced Tuesday.

But for a team that sometimes struggled in the paint last season en route to a 16-14 record, Brajkovic’s summer regiment could be the big news.

At 6-foot-10, Brajkovic is a key for the Wildcats on the inside.

“I struggled a bit last year when opponents double-teamed me in the post,” said Brajkovic, who averaged 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds a contest in the 2019-20 season.

McKillop said Brajkovic returned home during the summer and worked on stamina. “Home,” in this case, is Feldkirch, Austria.

“His dad (Sladjan) and brother (Filip) pushed Luka to another level,” McKillop said. “They ran and ran and ran with him — on the streets, in the gym.

“I believe it has really changed him, mentally. Since he came back to school, he seems much more confident in his ability to stay fresh and focused in practice. I think you’ll see a change in him this year as a result of that.”

McKillop said Brajkovic “realized he needed to develop more stamina.”

Brajkovic said part of the key to improving his inside play is awareness — learning what to do when he is double-teamed.

“Our coaches have worked hard to help me identify that is happening, and how to react to it,” he said.

McKillop said the offseason also changed Grady, who averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last season. After being what he called “infuriated” by the deaths of Black men George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Grady helped form College Athletes for Respect and Equality (CARE).

“His confidence comes from the effect of his investment in whatever it might be — basketball, social interaction, social justice, academics,” McKillop said.

“I think it all adds up to a confident, mature Kellan Grady — whether he’s bringing the ball up court, or if he’s walking through the community as a representative of Davidson College.”

Cats Picked Seventh: Richmond earned 189 of 28 first-place votes in the poll and was picked to win the Atlantic 10 men’s basketball title. Saint Louis, with seven first-place votes, was second. Dayton, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Rhode Island and Davidson rounded out the top seven.

Trailing were Massachusetts, VCU, George Mason, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s, La Salle and Fordham.

“I believe that, top to bottom, this league is as deep as it’s been since 2014, when we had six (NCAA tournament) bids,” McKillop said.

Staying Healthy: So far, the Wildcats have not reported a case of COVID-19. “We’ve tried to follow rules and wear masks,” said senior forward Bates Jones, of Charlotte Latin. “And the school has done a really good job of helping us with the safety protocols.”

Scheduling Questions: McKillop said Davidson’s nonconference schedule is not finalized yet. The Wildcats will open at home Nov. 25 against High Point, then travel to Asheville for the relocated Maui Invitational. He said the school also has a contract for a game against the Charlotte 49ers, but the rest is a question mark.