Brian Sullivan may not be as tall as his fellow teammates as he runs out of the tunnel to “Tsunami,” but as he walks through the Davidson Student Union, this 5’11” sophomore has presence. Everyone may know who he is, but Sullivan hasn’t let the fame go to his head. When asked about how basketball has shaped his Davidson experience, he still asserts that his life here on campus isn’t that different from that of any other student. This is a welcome change from his first-year experience at Miami University in Ohio, where players are like royalty. “I’m not treated specially,” Sullivan insists. “I still have to go to all my classes, and I don’t get a free pass.” With his sociology major, Sullivan joins the ranks of every other Davidson student with a liberal arts degree that can lead to anything.
The Cats may be regular students in the classroom, but they’ve got some big changes coming on the court. The team is losing several leaders as De’Mon Brooks, Chris Czerapowicz, and Tom Droney graduate in May. To add icing to the cake, Davidson is making the move from its comfortable spot at the top of the Southern Conference to the more competitive Atlantic Ten. Brian Sullivan is ready for the challenge, however, and is preparing himself to take on a leadership role in the wake of the departure of six seniors. Sullivan hopes “to become a more vocal leader” in the upcoming season and step up to the plate to support his teammates and ensure a victorious season for the Wildcats.
Just in case the Davidson student body needs another reason to love this transfer student, Brian Sullivan occasionally listens to Adele before games and, like every other college student during orientation, finds himself completely incapable of thinking of a fun fact about himself (I often went with “I have a pet dog” – possibly the least fun fact of all time). Sullivan is famous for his incredible three-point shots and runs across the court to shouts of “SULLY” from the student section. If somehow you’re still dubious of his celebrity status, however, this student gets to hang out with Coach Bob McKillop, one of the most famous Wildcats of all time (except for perhaps Woodrow Wilson, who couldn’t handle the workload so transferred to an Ivy…). Sullivan even knows McKillop’s darkest secrets, including his unabiding love of cookies. He noted that his coach “eats sweets more than anyone else,” but of course maintains his fitness and his lovability on the elliptical machines in Baker, waving to students on their way to the Wildcat Den.
Davidson’s season is over for this year and fans are waiting for their next chance to sing “Sweet Caroline” at full volume, but the team is already gearing up for its 2014-2015 games, Brian Sullivan leading the way with the perfect arc of a three-pointer.