More press for Steph

Best Freshman Class Ever? Not Quite
Class Evokes Memory of 1979, 1995 Legends
By JIM LARRANAGA

Who are the best freshmen in the country and how do they compare to past greats?

1. Kevin Durant, Texas
2. Greg Oden, Ohio State
3. Brandan Wright, North Carolina
5. Spencer Hawes, Washington

4. Stephen Curry, Davidson

Hey, I have to have one mid-major player in my top five.

Don't let his size (6-foot, 180 pounds) or school fool you. This son of former NBA shooting star Dell Curry has had just as great an impact on his college team as the other fabulous freshmen.

Stephen is averaging 20.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, with a high of 30 points and 11 rebounds at UT-Chattanooga. He has led the Davidson Wildcats to a 21-4 record and first place in the Southern Conference.

Like his father, he has shot lights out this season, connecting on 41 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent from the foul line, even though teams are focusing more and more of their defensive attention on him. Should Davidson not win the Southern Conference Tournament, this just might be the year the league gets two bids instead of one. Either way, Stephen Curry will be a great addition to the Big Dance. He is not a household name yet but could be come March.

Davidson lost last year in the first round of the NCAA's to Ohio State in Dayton but with Bob McKillop at the helm this group of Wildcats could claw their way into the second round and beyond. Stephen is not as big as Chauncey Billups or quite as versatile as Isiah Thomas was when he led his Indiana Hoosiers to the 1981 title in Philadelphia, but then again Isiah was a sophomore. Let's give this rising star some time.