Davidson Basketball: Looking at life after Jack Gibbs
By Doug Winkey
Davidson basketball will enter next year without a huge part of their identity.
It’s no secret that Jack Gibbs meant a lot to Davidson basketball these past few years. The 6’0″ guard scored over 200 points in four years for the Wildcats and his graduation leaves a huge gap not easily filled.
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Gibbs had a tremendous senior year while helping the team go 17-15. He averaged 22.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He also shot 39 percent from deep and 43 percent overall. Gibbs wasn’t as accurate from the field compared to his junior year, but made up for it from beyond the arc (up from 33 percent). It’s hard enough to replace that level of production, but Davidson will have plenty of options to fill the void.
Forward Peyton Aldridge is the next big thing. He is on pace to surpass 2,000 points in his upcoming senior campaign. Aldridge was second in scoring at 20.5 points and led the Wildcats with 8.2 rebounds per game this past season. He also hit 41 percent from outside on 171 attempts. Look for big things from Aldridge next year. His main help down low is likely Swedish import Will Magarity, who averaged 8.1 points and 1.4 blocks per game.
The perimeter needs a new go-to guy to keep pressure off Aldridge. Guards Rusty Reigel and Jordan Watkins are two options, but Jon Axel Gudmundsson is the name to watch. Gudmundsson averaged 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a highly regarded freshman from Iceland. His totals were actually good for third in points and second in assists among all Wildcats. He just needs to avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump”. Incoming freshman Kellan Grady has hype as a four-star point guard from Massachusetts has a ton of talent.
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It’s hard to imagine life without Gibbs, but Bob McKillop’s team could be more balanced and dangerous spreading the ball around. The A-10 has some serious turnover this offseason, so the Davidson Wildcats could push up the standings if things go their way.