To have fun SLAM’s thirtieth anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential males’s faculty groups from our previous 30 years. Stats, data and chips aren’t the primary issue right here, it’s all about their contribution to the sport’s cultural material.
For the subsequent 30 days—Monday by means of Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full checklist right here. We’ve additionally bought an unique retro collegiate assortment, out now, that pays homage to every squad’s threads. Store right here.
It’s exhausting to win a convention championship if you solely have two gamers who common in double figures, not to mention entering into the NCAA Match and making a deep run. Nicely, something is feasible when a kind of gamers is on his technique to turning into the most effective shooter in basketball historical past.
Except you have been a university hoops junkie and somebody who adopted the mid-majors, there’s a superb likelihood you by no means even heard of Davidson Faculty earlier than March of ‘08–a liberal arts faculty with an enrollment of lower than 2,000 college students. A Cinderella story was being crafted all season lengthy in Davidson, North Carolina, a small city outdoors of Charlotte.
Davidson was recent off a profitable season wherein they gained the SoCon (Southern Convention) common season and the SoCon Match. Regardless of a disappointing loss within the first spherical of the NCAA Match, they have been onto one thing particular. With just a bit extra time and synergy, perhaps they may shock the world.
Any success they’d dream about having for the ‘08 marketing campaign was depending on Stephen Curry, the baby-faced murderer, their returning level guard, a thin 6-2 sophomore who’d been missed his total life as much as that time. He had simply come off a season the place he earned SoCon Freshman of the Yr however was hardly talked about when individuals mentioned the highest gamers in faculty basketball. As a small mid-major within the shadows of their fellow Carolina foes like Duke, UNC, NC State and others, Davidson and their gamers confronted an uphill battle to earn their warranted respect.
Their teaching workers figured taking part in a virtually unattainable non-conference schedule was one of the simplest ways to earn that respect. Not solely would this put the nation and NCAA committee on discover, but when all went effectively, making it by means of their non-conference schedule alive can be simply the self-assurance Davidson wanted to know they may compete with anybody within the discipline.
They have been very aggressive in opposition to the high-majors on their schedule however struggled to tug out wins in opposition to them. They misplaced shut video games to No. 1 UNC, No. 7 Duke, No. 7 UCLA and NC State. Losses like these typically shake the arrogance of younger groups, however that Davidson squad noticed the silver lining. They have been knocking on the door.
Since Davidson didn’t have any signature wins on their resume, they’d must run by means of the SoCon and win the convention match to earn a spot within the Massive Dance. They did precisely that, going a formidable 20-0 within the convention and securing a 10-seed. For many mid-major applications, this alone would represent the season successful.
Their famous person, Stephen, had a spectacular season that included a few 40-point performances, a bunch of 30 items and too many 20-point outbursts to rely. He was named SoCon Participant of the Yr, First-team All-SoCon and AP second-team All-American, amongst many different accolades. However he nonetheless had larger fish to fry; he wasn’t finished but. One way or the other, he was nonetheless flying underneath the radar. May he do it in opposition to stronger and longer athletes? May his type of play translate within the NCAA Match?
No person outdoors of that program might have envisioned what would occur subsequent. Heck, most individuals inside this system in all probability couldn’t have envisioned it.
In three NCAA Match wins, Stephen scorched Gonzaga for 40 factors, erupted for 30 in opposition to Georgetown and blazed Wisconsin for 33. And these weren’t quiet performances; his capturing prowess was like nothing we’d seen earlier than, and undoubtedly not on the faculty degree. The truth that he did all of this whereas sporting a crimson Davidson jersey and never one in every of blueblood’s makes it rather more vital. They’d finally lose a heartbreaker by two factors within the Elite Eight to Kansas, who in the end gained the entire thing.
Stephen was clearly the primary ingredient to Davidson’s success that yr; let’s be clear, although–no person, and I imply no person, makes it to the Elite Eight by chance. There might not have been one other family title on that roster, however Stephen’s supporting solid confirmed up when it mattered most. Specifically, their senior level guard Jason Richards was the one participant to common extra minutes per recreation than Stephen and completed as the highest help man in faculty basketball that season. They have been a balanced crew; everybody purchased into no matter it took to get the job finished. No egos, no selfishness, no ulterior motives. Add a future hall-of-famer to the combo, and it’s a no brainer that they have been capable of obtain greatness.
At the moment, Stephen is acknowledged as one of many biggest basketball gamers within the historical past of the sport. His ‘08 season at Davidson was the start of the way forward for basketball. Inevitably, the ‘08 Davidson Wildcats go down as one of the impactful faculty basketball groups ever.
