To have a good time SLAM’s thirtieth anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential males’s school 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 cloth.
For the subsequent 30 days—Monday by means of Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve additionally bought an unique retro collegiate assortment, out now, that pays homage to every squad’s threads. Shop here.
It’s exhausting to win a convention championship if you solely have two gamers who common in double figures, not to mention stepping into the NCAA Event and making a deep run. Effectively, something is feasible when a type of gamers is on his approach to changing into one of the best shooter in basketball historical past.
Until you had been a university hoops junkie and somebody who adopted the mid-majors, there’s an excellent likelihood you by no means even heard of Davidson School earlier than March of ‘08–a liberal arts school 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 exterior of Charlotte.
Davidson was recent off a profitable season during which they gained the SoCon (Southern Convention) common season and the SoCon Event. Regardless of a disappointing loss within the first spherical of the NCAA Event, they had been onto one thing particular. With just a bit extra time and synergy, perhaps they might 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 neglected his total life as much as that time. He had simply come off a season the place he earned SoCon Freshman of the 12 months however was hardly talked about when folks mentioned the highest gamers in school 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 enjoying a virtually unimaginable non-conference schedule was the easiest way to earn that respect. Not solely would this put the nation and NCAA committee on discover, but when all went properly, making it by means of their non-conference schedule alive could be simply the self-assurance Davidson wanted to know they might compete with anybody within the discipline.
They had been very aggressive in opposition to the high-majors on their schedule however struggled to drag 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 usually shake the arrogance of younger groups, however that Davidson squad noticed the silver lining. They had been knocking on the door.
Since Davidson didn’t have any signature wins on their resume, they’d need to run by means of the SoCon and win the convention event to earn a spot within the Huge Dance. They did precisely that, going a powerful 20-0 within the convention and securing a 10-seed. For many mid-major packages, this alone would represent the season successful.
Their celebrity, Stephen, had a spectacular season that included a few 40-point performances, a bunch of 30 items and too many 20-point outbursts to depend. He was named SoCon Participant of the 12 months, 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 performed but. In some way, he was nonetheless flying beneath the radar. May he do it in opposition to stronger and longer athletes? May his fashion of play translate within the NCAA Event?
No person exterior of that program may have envisioned what would occur subsequent. Heck, most individuals inside this system in all probability couldn’t have envisioned it.
In three NCAA Event 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 taking pictures prowess was like nothing we’d seen earlier than, and undoubtedly not on the school degree. The truth that he did all of this whereas sporting a crimson Davidson jersey and never considered one of blueblood’s makes it rather more vital. They’d ultimately 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 12 months; let’s be clear, although–no one, and I imply no one, makes it to the Elite Eight accidentally. 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 sport than Stephen and completed as the highest help man in school basketball that season. They had been a balanced crew; everybody purchased into no matter it took to get the job performed. No egos, no selfishness, no ulterior motives. Add a future hall-of-famer to the combo, and it’s a no brainer that they had been in a position to obtain greatness.
At the moment, Stephen is acknowledged as one of many best 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 school basketball groups ever.
