Scouting Europe or Coaching in the Sweet 16?

After knocking off the Georgetown Hoyas to advance to the Sweet 16, the Davidson Wildcats and star guard Stephen Curry will face the Wisconsin Badgers tonight in Detroit. Few expected the Wildcats to be at this point or Curry to join the company of Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. Davidson head coach Bob McKillop, apparently, didn't expect this from his team.

McKillop planned on conducting a basketball camp in Germany on Tuesday. Of course, those plans were put on hold.

McKillop has worked to build a program capable of making a deep tournament run. In doing so, he has focused his recruiting on foreign basketball player. The countries of Nigeria, England, Canada, Turkey, France, and the Congo are currently represented on the Wildcats roster. Only two players, Curry and his own son, are natives of North Carolina and in-state recruits.

While he started working European basketball camps in 1981, McKillop began using his connections to recruit new players when he was named the head coach at Davidson.

“We saw a niche in the foreign market when I first came to Davidson in 1989,” said McKillop, who has been conducting clinics in Europe since 1981 and has had numerous foreigners on his squad over the years. “Davidson is attractive to international students. It’s a welcoming community for international students. And I find that the international players, they love dreams. They’re coming to America living a dream.”

Similarly, Davidson will be living their dream tonight, with a chance at the Elite 8 on the line.