Huge arena plays games with depth perception
The vast Ford Field backdrop has been a big topic of conversation, but it didn't seem to bother Davidson on Thursday."We shot the ball better in here than we did in Charleston and Raleigh," coach Bob McKillop said.
Shooting guards Bryant Barr and Stephen Curry repeatedly swished 3-pointers in drills at the complex, which can hold up to 72,000 fans.
"It takes you a minute to get used to the depth perception," said Curry, who hit 6 of 20 practice shots in one stretch.
Wisconsin guard Michael Flowers said his team isn't worried.
"The basket is still 10 feet high," he said.
McKillop big on achievement, but not on goals
McKillop smiled as he answered reporters' questions, and said he is just enjoying the ride.
"I'm so at ease right now," he said. "I'm not overwhelmed by this. We don't set goals with this team. When you set goals, you establish limitations. We know we belong here."
Students up for ride, but short on buses
Davidson is expected to transport about 300 students to Detroit for the tournament at no cost to them, and would take more if it could find more buses."We still have around 500 (more) students who signed up to go," said Bill Giduz, director of media relations at Davidson. "We had four buses originally, and found three more today, but we are reaching the cut-off point."
The seven buses are to leave campus at 5 a.m. today for the 7:10 p.m. tip-off. Students will stay to see Sunday's game if Davidson advances. Students will have their tickets, lodging and transportation provided. Davidson's Board of Trustees is paying the estimated $120,000 (about $400 per student).
Observations
? The court configuration is almost like a boxing ring, so the first few rows of fans are actually lower than the court. Villanova's Dante Cunningham wasn't sure how teammate Malcolm Grant, who's 6 feet, would react.
"I asked him if he could see if he sat down there," Cunningham said. "It was actually kind of funny, because you could only see his head above the court when he's standing there."
? Davidson forward Thomas Sander sat out Thursday's workout, but said he expects to play tonight. He said he's still getting used to becoming a local celebrity since reaching the Sweet 16.
"I got a standing ovation (Wednesday) when I was pumping gas," he said. "It's a little weird. My dad and I went to CVS pharmacy, and I almost didn't go in because I didn't want to cause a scene. But, then, I was like, `How many chances am I going to be like this,' so I went in. This is just great."
The vast Ford Field backdrop has been a big topic of conversation, but it didn't seem to bother Davidson on Thursday."We shot the ball better in here than we did in Charleston and Raleigh," coach Bob McKillop said.
Shooting guards Bryant Barr and Stephen Curry repeatedly swished 3-pointers in drills at the complex, which can hold up to 72,000 fans.
"It takes you a minute to get used to the depth perception," said Curry, who hit 6 of 20 practice shots in one stretch.
Wisconsin guard Michael Flowers said his team isn't worried.
"The basket is still 10 feet high," he said.
McKillop big on achievement, but not on goals
McKillop smiled as he answered reporters' questions, and said he is just enjoying the ride.
"I'm so at ease right now," he said. "I'm not overwhelmed by this. We don't set goals with this team. When you set goals, you establish limitations. We know we belong here."
Students up for ride, but short on buses
Davidson is expected to transport about 300 students to Detroit for the tournament at no cost to them, and would take more if it could find more buses."We still have around 500 (more) students who signed up to go," said Bill Giduz, director of media relations at Davidson. "We had four buses originally, and found three more today, but we are reaching the cut-off point."
The seven buses are to leave campus at 5 a.m. today for the 7:10 p.m. tip-off. Students will stay to see Sunday's game if Davidson advances. Students will have their tickets, lodging and transportation provided. Davidson's Board of Trustees is paying the estimated $120,000 (about $400 per student).
Observations
? The court configuration is almost like a boxing ring, so the first few rows of fans are actually lower than the court. Villanova's Dante Cunningham wasn't sure how teammate Malcolm Grant, who's 6 feet, would react.
"I asked him if he could see if he sat down there," Cunningham said. "It was actually kind of funny, because you could only see his head above the court when he's standing there."
? Davidson forward Thomas Sander sat out Thursday's workout, but said he expects to play tonight. He said he's still getting used to becoming a local celebrity since reaching the Sweet 16.
"I got a standing ovation (Wednesday) when I was pumping gas," he said. "It's a little weird. My dad and I went to CVS pharmacy, and I almost didn't go in because I didn't want to cause a scene. But, then, I was like, `How many chances am I going to be like this,' so I went in. This is just great."
