For the first time ever Guilford will begin a season as defending Old Dominican Athletic Conference (ODAC) champions. The Guilford men’s basketball team is coming off a triumphant year. The Quakers were not only crowned ODAC champions but they finished with a 24-5 record and were ranked 12th in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.

Guilford returns four of their top seven scorers from last season. Clay Henson (12.9 PPG), George Neville (6.9 PPG), Tyler Sanborn (6.8 PPG), and Rhett Bonner (5.1 PPG) will lead the Quakers into an exhibition game against Davidson College on Nov. 14.

Head Coach Tom Palombo returns for his sixth season as Guilford attempts to repeat as ODAC champions. The two-time ODAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year looks to lead Guilford back to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III tournament for the third consecutive season.

“We had a great season last year,” said Palombo. “We accomplished several of our teams’ goals and won the conference championship. The players who returned are looking to repeat as champions.”

Standing in the way on the Quakers road to prominence will be the Davidson Wildcats. This match-up will begin Davidson’s regular season, but will only be an exhibition game for Guilford.

The Wildcats, members of the Southern Conference (SoCon), had a memorable 2007-08 season as they finished with a 29-7 record. Davidson ultimately lost to the eventual national champions, Kansas Jayhawks 59-57 in the “Elite 8.” In the final USA TODAY/ ESPN Division I Coaches’ Poll Davidson was ranked 9th.

Davidson is coached by the seven-time SoCon Coach of the Year Bob McKillop, who returns for his 20th season. McKillop has won nine SoCon division championships, five league tournament titles, and has made eight postseason appearances to go along with his 337-224 record.

“I have been coaching at Davidson for a long time (19 years), and last year was the most fun for me. As a coach I saw 12 Davidson Wildcats battle the ‘titans’ of college basketball,” said McKillop.

Matt Doherty, former University of North Carolina head basketball coach and now in the same position at Southern Methodist University, played for McKillop at Long Island Lutheran High School. Doherty admires how far along Davidson has come since McKillop has been the head coach.

“What he has done at Davidson is truly remarkable,” Doherty says, according to DavidsonWildcats.com. “He recruits top-flight students for one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges and competes in the demanding Southern Conference along with a ridiculously tough non-conference schedule.”

Other than being top coaches in their respected divisions, Palombo and McKillop are fearless when it comes to whom they schedule.

This season Guilford will play two D3hoops.com Pre-Season “Top 25” teams, conference foes Virginia Wesleyan College (24th) and Randolph-Macon College (14th). Methodist University, the 2007-08 USA South Athletic Conference Champions, and Averett University, the favorites to win this year’s USA South Athletic Conference, will be tough road contests.

“We look forward to playing the best teams every year. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best,” said Palombo. “We are fortunate enough to play a highly ranked team, such as Davidson.”

Within Davidson’s first 11 games they will play Duke University, West Virginia University, Purdue University, and Winthrop University, all of whom made the NCAA Division I Tournament last season. In the Rivals.com Pre-Season “Top 25” Poll, Purdue is ranked 3rd and Duke is ranked 6th.

“We feel that we have corrected the mistakes from last year and eliminated our weaknesses; playing teams like Duke, Purdue, West Virginia, and Winthrop will give us a good idea in terms of how successful we were in correcting those (mistakes),” said McKillop.

The Wildcats return three starters and four of their top six scorers from last year’s team. Stephen Curry, who was the 2007-08 SoCon Player of the Year and 2nd team All-American, looks to mirror last year where he finished 5th nationally in points per game (25.1 PPG).

“When you look at Davidson’s roster you will see a very talented and very successful team,” said Palombo. “Stephen Curry is one of the premier players in the country and he will be a tough match for anyone. We will need to play as a team, as one unit, in order to beat the (22nd ranked) Wildcats.”

The Quakers will make the 86-mile trip to Davidson’s Belk Arena as the season tips off on Nov. 14 at 9 p.m.