Freshman impresses, plus 7 other observations from Davidson’s basketball scrimmage

Observations from Davidson’s preseason Red-Black basketball game Saturday at Belk Arena:

▪ It was only a 20-minute scrimmage with the season opener against Cleveland State still 2½ weeks away, but true freshman Luka Brajkovic made his presence felt. Brajkovic, a 6-foot-11 forward from Austria, scored 15 points and had seven rebounds, leading the Black team to a 39-19 victory. Coach Bob McKillop would like Brajkovic to add 10-15 pounds to his 220-pound frame, but he’s got the skills to contribute immediately. Brajkovic made 7-of-9 shots in 18 minutes, most of them coming on deft inside moves. He also ran the floor well, taking a long pass from Jon Axel Gudmundsson for a layup.

▪ McKillop decided to perhaps stack the Black team with three starters – guards Gudmundsson, KiShawn Pritchett and Luke Frampton – against a Red team featuring sophomore guard Kellan Grady (seven points, four rebounds) and a bunch of freshmen. McKillop wanted to see how his two preseason All-Atlantic 10 selections – Grady and Jon Axel Gudmundsson – played against each other. McKillop also wanted to see how Grady’s leadership skills have progressed, playing with freshmen Mike Jones, David Czerapowicz and Nelson Boachie-Yiadom.

▪ Frampton, a redshirt freshman who missed last season with a knee injury, scored nine points, hitting 3-of-7 shots, all 3-pointers. His outside shooting will be key for the Wildcats.

▪ McKillop said it’s all-clear healthwise for senior center Nathan Ekwu, who missed last season with a knee injury, and Pritchett, who has been troubled with knee problems for much of his career. McKillop said forward Dusan Kovacevic (knee) is almost ready to return to full-contact practice.

▪ A light moment came when the Black team’s Frampton stuck his head in a Red team huddle in the lane after a free throw. Frampton backed out quickly, smiling. Associate head coach Matt McKillop, who had directed Grady to briefly gather the Red team, quickly told Grady that such a huddle is illegal between free throws anyway.

▪ Gudmundsson, who filled the box score on a regular basis last season, did so again Saturday, scoring eight points (albeit on 2-of-11 shooting), grabbing five rebounds and handing out five assists.

▪ The Wildcats will wear Under Armor gear this season, ending a years-long relationship with Nike. The Under Armor deal was facilitated by former Davidson star Stephen Curry, one of the company’s top endorsers.

▪ The Wildcats play a “secret scrimmage” next Saturday at Tennessee. The Wildcats-Vols scrimmage has become an annual affair put together by McKillop and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who were Wildcats assistants together for one season on former coach Eddie Biedenbach’s staff.