When Steph said yes, there was a lot of good wine drank that night. Too bad, Davidson’s fairy tale couldn’t have lasted one week longer – as it did two years earlier for George Mason, as it would two years later for Butler. 40 PTS 14-22 FG 8 … And one other thing about Davidson of 10 years ago. Since then, Steph has grown into a global superstar who captured two NBA MVPs and three championships over the next 10 years. The Wildcats made it to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, where Steph’s All-Word performance introduced him to the world. Steph found one of his most trusted teammates for the final shot. Steph is the most important part. Coach McKillop: Some unsavory people in the Div. The Wildcats charged ahead 49-45. However, the Jayhawks went on a run of their own and held a six-point lead with just over a minute to go. Coach McKillop and coach Fox zeroed in on Steph as their top recruit. It’s hard to really describe how it felt. We had maturity. Matt Matheny, who is one of our assistant head coaches, and I sat down in his living room about 4:00 in the afternoon. That summer, he went and played with Team USA. In Sporting News‘ recent oral history breakdown of Curry’s sensational 2008 NCAA tournament, Curry’s former Davidson teammate Thomas Sander said: “I … NCAA Tournament Scores — Mar 28, 2008. An oral history of Steph Curry’s historic run at the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Draymond Green and James Wiseman are back at practice. And one other thing about Davidson of 10 years ago. As a coach, you’re fortunate to have that for one game. But, the way he did things, the way he handled himself, you saw that he exuded confidence. First round, No. Every time he’s been put on the stage in a pivotal role, he has taken that play, that musical, that drama, that comedy, whatever it might be, he has taken it from Podunk Town America to big city America to Broadway. The Wildcats blow them away with a 37-20 second half to win 73-56. Curry that day on the feeling that anything he put up was going in: “I try to have that feeling every time I shoot to ball. “He was put on the national stage because of the competition he had,” McKillop said. Then just a couple of tough shots he hit, you can’t describe that as well. Davidson basketball scores, news, schedule, players, stats, photos, rumors, depth charts on RealGM.com But before he was Steph Curry, he led Davidson to a first-round upset of Gonzaga in the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament. 2008 NCAA Tournament. Steph wound up accepting a scholarship close to home, joining the Davidson Wildcats, a school of just 1,700 students at the time, for the 2006-07 season. He got us in the huddle and just kind of said, “hey, just smile, have fun, because that’s what it’s all about.” I think he kind of lifted a weight off our shoulders at that point to where we started to chip away possession after possession. Take that shot again, and Jason Richards makes it any day of the week. We were sitting on a cloud that entire ride home. I had the experience of going to an alumni luncheon in Charlotte, maybe in October, and boldly proclaim that Steph Curry was going to be one of the greats ever to play basketball at Davidson. And we go out on the first play, and I’ll never forget this. They can take that memory for the rest of their lives, it will be so cherished and so treasured.”. A tiny school, oozing with charm, started cutting down one giant after another in the NCAA Tournament, as the bandwagon filled every seat. Davidson was down six points in the second half with the Jayhawks seemingly taking charge, when a reserve named Bryant Barr came off the bench and hit three 3-pointers in two minutes. Coach McKillop: I remember we went to his house on a midweek afternoon. The Wildcats blow by for an 82-76 win, with 40 points from Curry, 30 in the second half. I was doing the scout for the Kansas game, and I’m watching them beat Villanova by I think 30, so I’m literally scared to death. Not his time. Coach Fox: Before Steph came in, we graduated, I think seven seniors or maybe eight seniors, and I think they scored about 95% of the points. The 2008–09 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College in … His career ended with an NIT second round loss at Saint Mary’s. Davidson went 29-5 overall in Curry’s freshman year and lost in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. He contributed 20 points against Georgetown, 13 assists against Wisconsin. We both understood what he meant to our recruiting. Davidson Wildcats. The official 2008-09 Men's Basketball schedule for the Davidson College Wildcats. But they have a chance to change that Thursday. 1 seed Kansas, 59-57, with the Jayhawks desperately holding on at the end, double-teaming Curry the last possession. ... 2008: DAVIDSON. Coach McKillop: Matt (Matheny) suggested at halftime that we go back to pressuring, which we had not used at all in the first half. Then Bleacher Report senior writer Howard Beck joins … Seven years later, Curry was in his first NBA Finals, beating the superstar who stood and cheered for him that night in Ford Field. 'March Means More': Remembering Stephen Curry's 2008 NCAA Tournament Run Thomas Duffy @ @TJDhoops. The Wildcats trailed by 11 points with less than 15 minutes remaining in … Richards: We went into halftime with Wisconsin tied. Wisconsin vs. Davidson Box Score, March 28, 2008. Those games were in Charlotte, the Duke and North Carolina games, and we were in both for the duration. 1 ranked Jayhawks. Now he’s director of basketball operations at Pittsburgh. I think having the mentality he had is what made him even better. Against Gonzaga, we were down. 3/24/2008 1 “We didn’t think we were outmatched. They were a lot taller than us at every position. We stayed late Friday, just the coaches, to watch Kansas play. That’s something that you don’t see every day as a freshman coming in at the collegiate level. He had led the nation in assists that season, as Robin to Curry’s Batman. It was close through the opening 10 minutes, but the Hoyas began imposing their will over the final eight-and-a-half minutes, taking an 11-point lead into the break. Steph’s confidence just grew even more. They’re back. And he can’t off a last shot. Second round, No. Post-Season NCAA Tournament. The 2008 NCAA tournament was the eighth NCAA tournament with a 65-team bracket, prior to the introduction of the 68-team bracket that featured the First Four in 2011. And as we’re walking off the court after our first warm-up, this guy is in front of me, and he’s doing flips, I mean legitimate flips, that you see gymnasts do as he’s walking into the locker room. It was a close game. Richards: His freshman, my junior year, we went to coach Coach McKillop and said, ‘you know, we want to play a tough schedule. He has covered college basketball for 43 years, including 39 Final Fours. Coach McKillop obliged and set-up non-conference games against powerhouse programs. It’s a skill and mental ability, but that tough-mindedness, I’m convinced, is one of the true tests of greatness. Richards: From Davidson to where he is now, I’d be lying to you If I said we all thought this was going to happen. We knew he was a special talent. The Badgers lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 53 points a game. He was a sponge to coach McKillop; he was a sponge to the rest of us who had been there and played two years of college basketball already. I mean, he’s had a couple of injuries over the past few years. A part in winning those games, we didn ’ t want to hear anything about it, Facebook just... 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