It was announced that Davidson would be participating in the 2016 Puerto Rico Tip-Off the week before Thanksgiving. The annual pre-season tournament features a strong field of teams, and this year is no exception. The Wildcats will meet the Clemson Tigers in the first round on November 17th at 11:30 A.M. before facing either the winner or loser of Xavier and Missouri on November 18th. The Championship game and final consolation games of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off will be played on November 20th. On the other side of the bracket, Northern Iowa will face Arizona State while Tulane faces Oklahoma in the first round.
The @ESPNPRTipOff bracket is now available! Be sure to check out who your team is matching up against! pic.twitter.com/ry2VOFwHlz
— Puerto Rico Tip-Off (@ESPNPRTipOff) July 14, 2016
This Puerto Rico Tip-Off field features 3 NCAA Tournament teams from last season, and Xavier and Oklahoma should both be Top 25 teams next season. Clemson will be a monster of a first round opponent for the Wildcats who will have to find a way to stop possible ACC Player of the Year Jaron Blossomgame. The rising senior chose to forgo the NBA draft after averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. Add in returning double digit scorers Donte Graham and Avry Holmes, and Clemson is one of the better teams in the ACC next season. Davidson, regardless of the outcome, is going to get a great SOS test in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
The Wildcats are expected to be one of the better teams in the A-10 with returning stars Jack Gibbs and Peyton Aldridge at the helm. If Davidson can get hot from three point range and light it up on the offensive end, they could be a dangerous team in this pre-season tournament. The Wildcats already have a solid non-conference schedule as they’ll face Kansas as well before heading into A-10 play.
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