Davidson College Dropping Student Loans
by Elaine Korry

Davidson College, a liberal arts school near Charlotte, N.C., is adjusting its need-based financial aid programs to eliminate student loans.

Instead, the school plans to pump up its endowment and offer students who need financial help more grants and jobs.

President Robert Vagt wants to make a Davidson education accessible to more students whose parents don't have $120,000 saved for their educations.

"When they look at the price, they don't even apply," Vagt said. "And what this will mean is that students will begin applying to Davidson who in the past had thought, 'there's no way my family can do $40,000 a year.'"

At Davidson, 26 percent of the school's 1,700 students received loans to help pay the more than $38,000 it costs for tuition, room, board and books.

In 2004/2005, the most recent figures available from the U.S. Department of Education, their debt burden averaged more than $8,000 a year.

Nationwide, 65 percent of college graduates made it through without taking out any student loans, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Davidson had previously taken steps toward easing the potential for high student debt. In this school year, student loans were limited to $3,000 a year.

Vagt said the decision may have started as a moral choice, but it wouldn't have succeeded without support from the Board of Trustees.

"Commitments by the trustees themselves to help fund this over the interim period, and they adopted a plan which will raise the endowment over the next four years, to permanently finance it," Vagt said.

Princeton University and Columbia University have implemented similar policies. Some major public colleges, such as the University of North Carolina, have done so for students from families with modest incomes. Davidson is the first small, liberal arts school to take this step.

Terry Hartle, with the American Council on Education, says it's a welcome step for parents, but it's also a smart business decision.

"This is a terrific marketing move," Hartle said. "Davidson is a very highly respected private college, but it's not necessarily well-known outside the Southeast. This will give it a great deal of national attention, and I would suspect that next year they will see thousands more applicants than they are seeing this year."

Hartle says many small liberal arts colleges would love to follow Davidson's lead, but few have the financial wherewithal to pull it off.

Terrible news for Davidson Basketball fan and alum, Tony Snow
Tony Snow's Cancer Spreads To Liver
HANG IN THERE, TONY!
YOU CAN BEAT IT!!

Davidson vs. Maryland: Highlights from CBS

CBS's broadcast highlights from the Davidson/Maryland game in the NCAA Tournament:

Steph for 3 against Maryland

Here's the shot that Steph hit from way downtown, right in front of Maryland Head Coach, Gary Williams.

My Vote for NCAA Coach of the Year

SoCon Regular Season Champs, SoCon Tournament Champ, a record of 29-5.......all after losing 7 seniors and almost all of the offense from last year. Amazing, absolutely amazing.

One heck of a job, Coach. Yes, the end of the season hurts, but we can't wait until next year. Even greater things are on the way. We are so close, oh so close...

Tony Snow gives Davidson and this blog some press in the NY Times

Tony: Thanks for apparently mentioning this website in your interview. It's good to know you are keeping up with the Wildcats.

Davidson Fills West Wing With Pride

By Thayer Evans

The White House press secretary and Davidson alum Tony Snow didn’t get to watch all of the 13th-seeded Wildcats’ 82-70 loss to No. 4 seed Maryland on Thursday, but he saw the game’s most entertaining action.

“I only got to see the brief spell in the second half where they got out to an 8-point lead,” Snow said in a telephone interview. “That made me proud of the alma mater.”

Snow, who has been White House press secretary since April , graduated from Davidson in 1977 with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. The 1,700-student liberal arts college in North Carolina, which has an enrollment with an average S.A.T. score of 1359, is one of the smallest schools to field an N.C.A.A. Division I basketball team.

An avid fan of the Wildcats, Snow often listens to their games over the Internet, including the postgame show with Coach Bob McKillop and John Kilgo, and follows them on a blog.

“I love it,” Snow said. “It’s a well-coached team with good players. It’s a good program.”
Despite Davidson’s defeat Thursday, its second consecutive first-round loss in the N.C.A.A. tournament, Snow is already talking about next season.

“It’s the third-youngest team in the country this year,” he said. “All the starters are back.”
Snow is just as optimistic about Davidson eventually winning its first game in the N.C.A.A. tournament since1969 when it reached the Round of 8 under Lefty Driesell.

“I sure hope it happens,” he said. “It’d make my heart glad and proud.”

Tony Snow also mentions the Wildcats in a White House Press Briefing

Press Briefing by Tony Snow and Dan Fisk

Holiday Inn

Mérida, Mexico

PARTICIPANTS: Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary Dan Fisk, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs
5:38 P.M. (Local)

Q It's the last night of the trip, would you like to say anything about the Venezuelan President? (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: I am actually looking forward to tomorrow, when the valiant Davidson Wildcats take on the Maryland Terrapins. That is of keen interest.

Q -- no Chavez? (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: But thank you for trying.

END 6:12 P.M. (Local)

Photos from Charlotte.com

Photo Credit: LAYNE BAILEY, Staff

From The Observer

Curry shows nation his game
TOM SORENSEN

BUFFALO, N.Y. --We saw Stephen Curry beat up on UNC Greensboro, Chattanooga and Furman. The country's second-leading freshman scorer proved he could handle the Southern Conference.

Curry was a mid-major star.

Let's reassess, because there is nothing mid-major about Curry's game. Davidson introduced him to Maryland on Thursday, and CBS introduced him to the world.

In his first NCAA basketball tournament game, Curry scored 30 points, grabbed five rebounds and added three assists and three steals. On one steal, he reached around 7-foot-1 Will Bowers, slapped the ball out of his hands and, as it was about to go out of bounds, leaped to deftly bounce it off the big man's foot.

The Terrapins finally wore down the Wildcats, scoring the last seven points to win 82-70. But, it is Curry who fans will remember.

"I told him he could play anywhere," Maryland coach Gary Williams says. Williams adds, almost as quickly as Curry made his steal, that he is not recruiting him.

Some fans will proclaim Curry is too good for Davidson. They'll be wrong.

As good as Curry is, Davidson coach Bob McKillop makes him better.

The multiple picks through which a defender must run to stay with him don't just occur. The sweet passes from point guard Jason Richards don't just happen.

And, some say Davidson can give you a decent education.

No wonder Williams likes Curry. You see the 3-pointer he hit in the first half? Curry hit the thing on a fast break practically from the tips of Williams' black shoes. The shot came so fast, and from so far, it was almost disdainful.

Of course Curry can shoot; he's Dell Curry's kid. But Dell had, like, seven assists in his career (high school, college and the NBA combined). Stephen, meanwhile, threw a full-speed, fast-break bounce pass to Max Paulhus Gosselin, who hit a reverse layup, to give the Wildcats a 52-44 lead.

"I thought we were in control," Curry says.

They were, until the bigger and broader Terps took it away and refused to give it back. Maryland stuck defensive ace D.J. Strawberry, a 6-5 senior, on the slender Curry.

Curry played as if he didn't notice.

"You saw Steph today," teammate Thomas Sander says. "He was the best player on that court by far. If he didn't prove he's one of the best players in the country, then I don't know what else to say."

He better say something else, because Curry won't. Asked to talk about his season, Curry talks about the team's. When a reporter pushes him to talk about his work, Curry says:

"I know I had a good season statistically or whatever. But what I do on the court (is of) no importance (when) the team doesn't win."

When Curry fouled out with 21 seconds left, the Maryland fans that understand basketball, which was almost all of them, rewarded him with a standing ovation.

They knew what they had seen. Fans of Davidson expect to see more of it.

"He's a fresh-man!" they chanted.

He's also big time.

He's a major star.

From the Observer

McKillop-Curry is a good collaboration
KEVIN CARY

With his team's season in the balance, Davidson coach Bob McKillop pointed to Stephen Curry.

"Be strong, Steph," he said.

Curry had been an anchor, scoring 28 points and keeping Davidson within four, 67-63.

McKillop wanted to milk a final 3 minutes of magic. McKillop, 56, maximizes what he gets from Curry by knowing when to challenge and when to comfort.

"He makes you get better every time you are around him," said Curry, a 19-year-old freshman.

McKillop put his arm around Curry after he had missed four of his first five shots. "Relax," McKillop said.

When he came back in, Curry cooked. He made his last four shots of the half, but McKillop was proudest of Curry's assist on an Andrew Lovedale layup.

"He doesn't want to do everything," McKillop said. "This is not all about him. He doesn't put himself on a pedestal; he puts his team on a pedestal."

He can't help but try to take over sometimes. McKillop pulled Curry briefly with 7 minutes left, after his star had an offensive foul, two turnovers and poor shots.

Curry agreed with the move, but he couldn't regain his touch even after McKillop's final message. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after Curry fouled out, but Curry tossed a towel in frustration as he walked off the court after the game.

Like his coach, Curry knows he can still do better.

From The Observer

Davidson runs out of gas
Curry, Wildcats stay with Terrapins most of way before falling
KEVIN CARY

Maryland's 82-70 win against Davidson in the NCAA tournament Thursday didn't create remorse in the Wildcats' locker room.

It created resolve.

Davidson has all 11 scholarship players returning next season. But those players weren't emotional when they said that Thursday's loss won't linger, even though the Wildcats had chances for a landmark win.

They realize there's a lot to look forward to, especially freshman guard Stephen Curry.
He scored 30 points with a variety of drives, 3-point shots and leaners. Curry is the anchor of the young wave of Wildcats -- seven freshmen and sophomores are key contributors for Davidson.

"Wow," Maryland guard Mike Jones said when told of Davidson's returning lineup. "I knew they were young, but they could play in (the ACC). Next year, they'll probably win their league and beat somebody here."

To do that, the Wildcats will have to learn the lessons from Thursday.

Davidson's offense faded in the final seven minutes, and the Wildcats allowed the Terrapins to outmuscle them for rebounds. Maryland had 19 more rebounds than Davidson and held the Wildcats to 34 percent shooting.

Davidson had its chances. The Wildcats led by eight early in the second half and trailed by four with seven minutes left.

"How do you want to feel this summer?" coach Bob McKillop asked his team during the 67-63 deficit. "How do you want to remember this?"

Curry continued his memorable game, making a 3-pointer and layup, and the Wildcats inched to within 71-68 with three minutes left.

"This is right where we want them," McKillop said.

McKillop knew a close game might melt Maryland's poise, but the Terps never let Davidson take control. Jones hit a 3-pointer with one second left on the shot clock to give Maryland a 75-68 lead with two minutes left, and the Terps held Davidson without a field goal after McKillop's pep talk. Thursday's disappointment hit Davidson's coach the hardest. He went for a solitary walk 30 minutes after the game, but offered this before he left.

"We were 10 minutes away last year (in a tournament loss to Ohio State) and four minutes away this year," McKillop said. "This is an ongoing process, but we took another step forward."

Breakdown

WHAT IT MEANS FOR MARYLAND (25-8): The Terrapins shook off sloppy play to advance into the second round of the tournament.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR DAVIDSON (29-5): The Wildcats' gritty loss ended their season, but could help earn Davidson some votes in the preseason Top 25 next year.

Key Moments

• Davidson used a 9-0 run to take a 52-44 lead with 17 minutes left, but the Wildcats couldn't maintain. Davidson missed 3-pointers on three straight possessions, and had three points in the next six minutes.

• D.J. Strawberry shifted over to Curry full time after Davidson's second-half run. Curry had seven points on 2-of-10 shooting after that.

Observations

McKillop realized his team needed a good start. He told his players "Be ready -- be tough," before the game, and yelled "Get in there!" as point guard Jason Richards shot a 3-pointer. It did, giving Davidson a 5-2 lead.

• Davidson will have to work on execution against full-court pressure. Maryland's trapping, frenetic strategy helped create 17 turnovers.

• Richards learned a hard lesson Thursday. One of his top moves is driving to the basket and throwing up bank shots. He's not used to facing a team as tall as Maryland, and three of his shots were altered or blocked.

• Maryland will struggle in later rounds of the tournament unless guard Mike Jones is hitting. The Terrapins don't have another consistent outside threat.

From Charlotte.com: Above The Rim blog

Watch out for Davidson next year
Kevin Cary

Davidson’s 82-70 loss to Maryland ended the Wildcats’ season, but the lessons learned from the defeat could carry into next year.

The Wildcats created a bit of a buzz with their performance, which included a second-half lead against one of the best teams in the ACC. Here’s a few things to watch out for next season:

- Stephen Curry will become a national name. Curry had been a hidden treasure for most of the season, but his 30-point outing Thursday will likely vault him onto some preseason All-America lists. One thing to watch: reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year Kyle Hines of UNC Greensboro returns, but Curry might be the preseason pick to win that award.

- Davidson’s scheduling could get stronger. The Wildcats have nine nonconference games next season, and six of them are already slotted. Assistant coach Matt Matheny coordinates the Wildcats schedule, and said the team wants to play in a preseason tournament (three games that only count as two per NCAA rules) and one other game. Davidson could get an invite to a prestigious tournament now, such as the Preseason NIT, but the Wildcats might struggle to get a big name in their final available game. Schools from major conferences will likely avoid Davidson, so the Wildcats might have to turn to another mid-major school.

- Davidson hasn’t been nationally ranked since 1970, but the Wildcats could sneak into the preseason poll next year. All 11 scholarship players return, and Thursday’s game may have helped their cause.

- Heightened expectations. Davidson’s 29-5 season was a pleasant surprise this season, since the team lost seven seniors. But next season, anything less than a Southern Conference championship and a NCAA tournament victory will be considered a disappointment.

Nothing more to be said at this point...

LET'S GO WILDCATS!!

Time to bring home a HUGE win!

Gametime: 12:20 pm Thursday

WNIT: Lady Wildcats play @UAB Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

Follow the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Official Website has a ton of information on the tournament.

Picking the upsets

The Big Dance Begins
By: Ryan Grim

"It's all about the players and the coach, not the name of the college," says Yoni Cohen, press secretary for Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif. and recently declared non-theist) and founder of the first major college basketball blog, yocohoops.com.

Last year, the top five upsets that Cohen predicted came true. Here are his Top Five upsets for this year's tournament, plus a bonus:

-- Take Davidson over Maryland. Davidson's a great rebounding team, and it has the 10th most prolific scorer in the nation and the fifth most prodigious passer. "There's not a lot to like about Maryland," says Cohen, citing inconsistency, poor shooting behind the arc, weak rebounding and lack of spunk.

-- Stanford, an 11 seed, will knock off Louisville, a six. Stanford ought to be higher but its best player, Anthony Goods, now back, has been gone for some crucial games.

-- Creighton, a 10 seed, is taking down Nevada.

-- In the second round, Notre Dame will upset Oregon and Duke will knock off Pitt.

-- Deeper in, Texas will take out North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen.

A few photos from practice in Buffalo

Davidson coach Bob McKillop runs his team through drills during practice for the NCAA Midwest regional basketball tournament Wednesday, March 14, 2007, in Buffalo, N.Y. Davidson faces Maryland in a first round basketball game in the Midwest Regional on Thursday. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

Davidson's Stephen Curry shoots during practice at the NCAA regional tournament Wednesday, March 14, 2007, in Buffalo, N.Y. Davidson faces Maryland in a first round Midwest Regional basketball game Thursday. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Davidson's Bryant Barr runs during practice at the NCAA regional tournament Wednesday, March 14, 2007, in Buffalo, N.Y. Davidson faces Maryland in a first round Midwest Regional basketball game Thursday. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

From ESPN.com

Maryland-Davidson matchup features sons of famous fathers: Strawberry and Curry

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- The bloodlines are there: major league baseball and the NBA.

D.J. Strawberry, son of slugger Darryl, and Stephen Curry, son of sharpshooter Dell, have more going for them than famous fathers. They're two of the top guards in the NCAA tournament and they'll be going head-to-head when Maryland meets Davidson in the first round Thursday.

"Having a name of a famous athlete allows people to come at you even more. They want to kind of embarrass you," Maryland's Strawberry said. "You just can't back down."

Curry received some advice from his Dad.

"Play the way I've been playing all season," the son said. "Not to change anything."

Click here for entire article.

From The Observer

Davidson can be darling of tournament
TOM SORENSEN

BUFFALO, N.Y. --Everybody notices Wednesday when Maryland sweeps into the HSBC Arena. The Terrapins are big. Every starter is at least 6-foot-5, four reserves are at least 6-7 and one is 7-1. They also are big-time. They come from the ACC, college basketball's most publicized conference, and five years ago they won the national championship.

What if Davidson beats them today?

"The kids in Charlotte," says Wildcats forward Thomas Sander, "might finally say, `I know where Davidson is' instead of, `where's Davidson?' "

What else?

"They might have to build another bar in Davidson," he says.

What else?

"We might start to see some arrogance," says Sander, a junior. "That would be kind of cool because you don't usually think of Davidson people as arrogant."

Are you kidding me? Davidson people believe that if you didn't graduate from their school, you didn't graduate.

"Athletic arrogance," he says.

The NCAA tournament starts at 12:20 p.m. today, and Davidson and Maryland open it. The Terps, a No. 4 seed to Davidson's No. 13, are 61/2-point favorites.

But, the beauty of the tournament is that every season a team that is not supposed to win insists on winning. When it does, the player who hits the big basket, a player you've never heard of who looks 15, suddenly gets more air time than Anna Nicole.

If the school has only 1,700 students, which Davidson does, and the town around it is lovable and appears quaint, which Davidson does, the whole country wants to rub its head.

If the Wildcats win, they lead, or at least are included in each of the 3,500 telecasts ESPN will offer before Davidson's second-round game, the Wildcats immediately become the country's favorite mid-major, supplanting George Mason of '06.

If the Wildcats win, ground is broken Friday on the bar of which Sander speaks. Davidson basketball becomes a movement for the fans watching on campus at Vail Commons and the student union, and off campus on Main Street at the First Charter Bank.

Unexpected victories always feel like a reward. Fans around the country are filled with envy: Davidson did it, why can't we? The Davidson professors who allow students to skip class so they can watch the legendary victory become legends themselves.

That is good of them, I tell point guard Jason Richards.

"It's great of them," he says.

Davidson becomes the rare Southern Conference basketball team that attracts national attention without taking out a newspaper ad.

When the Terps take the court today, they will look like the favorites they are. They bring more size and more experience. What they don't bring is a favorite's sense of entitlement. They lost that last week when they lost in the first round of the ACC tournament to underdog Miami.

The Wildcats counter with youth and athleticism, 13 straight victories and, because of what they've accomplished this season, the right to believe.

By mid-afternoon, perhaps everybody will.

Watch the game online at CBS Sportsline

Can't leave work to watch the game?

Go to CBS Sportsline, register, and watch the game live!!! (It's free.)

GO CATS!!!

Curry Receives Another Honor

Collegehoops.net Names Curry Mid-Major Freshman of the Year

DAVIDSON, N.C. - A week after earning tournament MVP honors and leading the Davidson Wildcats to their second consecutive Southern Conference Championship, Stephen Curry has been selected Mid-Major Freshman of the Year and voted to the Mid-Major All-American Squad by Collegehoops.net. He was also named second-team all-freshman and to the Mid-Major All-Freshman unit by the world's largest independent college basketball site.

Since postseason honors were released last week, Curry has also received the following: SoCon Freshman of the Year (Coaches and Media), All-SoCon (Coaches and Media), SoCon All-Freshman Team (Coaches), SoCon Tournament MVP, SoCon All-Tournament Team, NABC All-District 5 Second Team, SI.com's All-Mid-Major Honorable Mention and CollegeInsiders.com Freshmen All-America.

Mid-Major Top 25

I know we've got bigger fish to fry now in the NCAA Tournament, but it's worth noting that Davidson received 2 votes for #1 in the most recent Mid-Major Top 25 poll. They are 3rd overall in this national poll.

Lady Wildcats: WNIT Bracket

Click here for the full WNIT bracket.

It's Postseason Play for the Lady Wildcats!!!!

Wildcat Women Make First-Ever Postseason Appearance With WNIT Bid

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The 2006-07 season for the Davidson women’s basketball team will go down as one of the best ever in program history, and the Wildcats found out Monday night they will get a chance to continue their historic season. Davidson earned its first-ever trip to postseason play when it earned an at-large bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament as announced on Monday night.

For the first time, each of the nation’s 31 conferences will be represented in the WNIT. The tournament expanded to 48 teams this year to accommodate an automatic berth for each of the conferences.

The Wildcats will take their school-best record of 23-8 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Thursday, Mar. 15 for a first-round matchup against the Blazers. Game times will be announced Tuesday, March 13, by the WNIT. For ticket information, please contact the UAB Athletic Ticket Office at (205) 975-8221.

Davidson and UAB have faced each other just once, which occured during head coach Annette Watts first season on Dec. 16, 2001. The Wildcats had four players score in double figures in the game, but the Blazers prevailed by the score of 97-78.

Davidson is coming off a 1-1 showing at the Southern Conference Tournament after falling to eventual tournament-winner Chattanooga in the semifinals on Friday, Mar. 2.

During one of the most successful seasons ever, Davidson earned the program’s first-ever wins over NCAA Tourney participant Gonzaga, Eastern Washington and Cornell, swept its three Big South contests (NCAA Tourney participant UNC Asheville, High Point, who received a WNIT automatic bid, and Winthrop), and secured five two-game season-series sweeps of its Southern Conference foes.

This year has also been the season of streaks for the Wildcats. They had a school-best 10-game overall winning streak to go along with a school-best nine-game win streak away from Belk Arena. The ’Cats also continued on a 40-game assist streak throughout the year before seeing it snapped, and they currently have a streak of 189 straight games with at least one three-pointer.

The 2006-07 Wildcat squad as a team set numerous new single-season records on the court. They were the second highest scoring team in the SoCon (70.4) on their way to a school-best 2,183 total points for the year, breaking the previous mark of 2,139 set by the 1998-99 team. Helping Davidson reach its points mark is the Wildcats' school-record 805 field goals on a school-best 1,848 attempts.

The 'Cats have also taken advantage of their trips to the charity stripe by netting a new school-record 74.3 percent of its free shots, besting the 73.6 percent set by the 2001-02 team.

Davidson was a very unselfish team this year, dishing out a single-season record 485 assists as a team, topping the 467 set by 2001-02 squad.

Defensively, for the second straight year the Wildcats set a new single-season mark for steals with 378, pocketing 42 more than the 336 from the 2005-06 campaign. Nationally, the Wildcats are seventh with an average of 12.2 steals per game as of March 11. Davidson even matched the single-game high of 26 steals, set back on Jan. 29, 1994, when they swiped that many against Emory on Dec. 2.

UAB advanced to the semifinals in the Conference USA Tournament, before falling to eventual tournament champion East Carolina, 85-81. The Blazers, who were the number two seed in the C-USA tournament, finished the season 18-12 overall and 12-4 in league play. They were just 6-8 against non-conference foes and sported a 9-6 home record. After starting the year 0-6, UAB used a five-game and two four-game winning streaks the remainder of the season to close it out at 18-6.

C-USA Player of the Year Carmen Guzman leads the Blazers as she is one of two players pouring in over 15 points a game. The senior ranks second in the conference with a 21.5 average, which is also good for 10th in the nation. Guzman was recently named one of the 52 finalists for the Kodak/WBCA All-American Women's Basketball Team. She was also honored with a nod on the C-USA all-tournament team after scoring 54 points in UAB's two tournament games.

With a win over UAB, the Wildcats would travel to Auburn (19-12), who earned a first-round bye, on Sunday, Mar. 18 at 2 p.m. It would mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Davidson Women make Postseason!

Charlotte, Davidson make WNIT

Charlotte and Davidson received bids Monday night to the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The 49ers (18-12), who finished fourth in the Atlantic 10 this season, will host High Point (18-11), the Big South Conference regular-season champion, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner will play at Virginia.

Davidson (23-8), which finished third in the Southern Conference, will play at 8 p.m. Thursday at Alabama-Birmingham (18-12). The winner will play at Auburn in the second round.
Times for second-round games have not been determined.

Dick Sanderson article from The Observer

Davidson players are his big fans
NCAA-bound Wildcats gain inspiration
KEVIN CARY

DAVIDSON --Dick Sanderson's widening eyes show his appreciation for the Davidson Wildcats.

That subtle movement is one of the only ways the Davidson resident can express himself. Sanderson, 55, has ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurological condition that has immobilized him and made him unable to speak.

He can't get to Buffalo, where Davidson will play Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday, though he'd be there if he could. He made every Davidson home game this season and even took the three-hour trip to Charleston to see Davidson win the Southern Conference championship this month.

The disease that has ravaged his body couldn't stop that. Sanderson breathes through a ventilator and uses a computer keyboard on his wheelchair to communicate. He guides a laser light from his forehead to the keyboard to slowly type how much the team has meant to him:

They are my arms and my legs. I live vicariously through them. They make this disease a little more tolerable.

And, with one gesture in Charleston, the Wildcats showed Sanderson how much he's inspired them, too.

Their bond began eight years ago, when Sanderson met coach Bob McKillop. The two coached their sons together in a coach-pitch Little League baseball program in Davidson. Soon after, Sanderson became a season-ticket holder. He always had been involved in local sports, coaching son Trey and daughters Amy and Melissa in sports such as softball and soccer.

He coached them all in basketball and also liked to play the sport. Sanderson became a fixture in pickup games in Belk Arena almost every day.

That changed in May 2004, when he first felt a twinge in his left shoulder. Four months later, doctors determined he had ALS, a disease that pushed Sanderson, a 6-foot-2 man who once played Division II college basketball in West Virginia, into a wheelchair within a year.

"My dad has always been a big inspiration because he is a strong person," Melissa Sanderson said. "He handles everything so well. When he was first diagnosed, he pulled all of us kids aside one-on-one to talk about it. He didn't want us to be scared about what was ahead."

Sanderson has not been able to speak in more than a year, and last summer his wife, Dawn, was afraid she would have to put him in hospice care.

The Wildcats' unexpected success this season has inspired her husband to fight. Davidson lost nearly all its top players from last season, but has won 25 of its past 26 games.

"That's one of the things he really looks forward to," Melissa Sanderson said. "When there is a game coming up, you can see him get excited."

Bond grew stronger

The Wildcats dedicated a win to Sanderson a few months after his diagnosis, but their bond with him has grown stronger this season. The team briefly visited his home in December, giving him souvenir programs, a T-shirt and an autographed basketball. Since then, they have become more comfortable around him, joking with him and often hugging Sanderson when they see him."For someone like Dick to have so much taken away, and yet to be such a light of courage and inspiration, that sends a powerful message to everyone," McKillop said.

`We're fighting for him, too'

That resonated at the Southern Conference championship game March 3 in Charleston. Davidson forward Thomas Sander peeked up into the stands during warmups and was stunned to see Sanderson.

"You see a guy like that fighting to overcome what he has to be there for your team, and you think `I can't be tired,' Sander said. "That just meant so much to us."

The Wildcats rallied from a second-half deficit to win 72-65. After the game, Davidson players cut down one of the nets in North Charleston Coliseum in a traditional championship celebration.

What came next was unconventional, but also unforgettable. Sander hustled over to the other net and cut it down, and the Wildcats knew where it was going.

"He's always fighting for us, and we wanted to show we were fighting for him, too," guard Jason Richards said.

Davidson players ran up two flights of steps and placed the net in Sanderson's lap.

When the players ran up the steps I about lost it. It is a good thing I had a ventilator, because that team took my breath away.

It was a bright moment in a dark fight. No one is sure what the future will bring, but his family is optimistic.

They said Sanderson has things to look forward to after this season ends. Trey will graduate from North Mecklenburg High in June, and the Davidson team will start practice again in October. Next season's team could be better than this year's, because all of Davidson's scholarship players will return.

But the focus for now is Thursday's game. Sanderson gave a faint yet unmistakable smile when asked about the Wildcats' NCAA tournament prospects.

An improbable triumph? He can see it.

How to help

The Sanderson family hosts a golf tournament each April that helps raise funds for ALS research. This year's tournament will be April 26 at River Run Country Club in Davidson. For more information, visit www.dicksandersondriving4life.org

Article on Jason Richards from an Illinois paper

Barrington grad Richards is Davidson’s helping hand
By Adam Rittenberg
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2007

When prodded about his personal exploits, Jason Richards reacts much like he does on the basketball court.

He passes it along.

Instead of taking credit, the 2004 Barrington High School product bounce-passes to his point guard lineage, outlets to his clued-in coaches and alley-oops to his Davidson College predecessor, Kenny Grant. Leave it to Richards’ dad to truly pin down the source of his success.

“Jay, since he’s been a little boy,” Tom Richards said, “has always had an instinctive grasp of how to play the game the right way.”

Instinct, more than anything, has allowed Richards to guide Davidson to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The 13th-seeded Wildcats face No. 4 seed Maryland in a first-round Midwest regional clash Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y.

Few pegged Davidson — a small liberal arts college located 19 miles north of Charlotte, N.C. — to return to the bracket this year. The Wildcats had lost Grant, Ian Johnson, Brendan Winters and four other seniors. The returning players had combined for only 30 starts.

But Richards’ instinct gave him hope for this young team.

“I knew we had the potential to be great,” he said.

Davidson followed through, winning a school-record 29 games, including the last 13. Richards ranks second nationally in assists (242) and assists per game (7.3), with many of his darts finding freshman guard Stephen Curry, who ranks 10th nationally in scoring (21.2 ppg) and set a Division I freshman record with 117 3-pointers.

Richards’ first connection with Curry happened long before the season. When Curry was a high school senior, Richards joined a Davidson assistant coach to watch one of Curry’s games at Charlotte Christian School.

“I went to see what his tendencies were,” Richards said. “I was kind of like a coach, being in the stands.”

Had Davidson’s recruiting budget allowed it, Richards would have trekked to Quebec and Maine to scout two other incoming freshmen (William Archambault and Bryant Barr). During a trip home he found time to play ball with Dan Nelms — an incoming freshman from Lake Forest — at the Joy of the Game Center in Deerfield.

When all four freshmen arrived at Davidson last summer, Richards was waiting for them.

“Playing pickup with them, talking with them, seeing what type of game styles they had, it really helped me as a point guard,” Richards said. “That’s what college basketball’s all about, adapting to new teammates and new teams.”

Richards knew plenty about the college game — and the ins and outs of his position — long before setting foot on Davidson’s campus.

His dad starred at point guard for Pittsburgh, leading the team in assists (98) in 1973-74 as the Panthers reached their first NCAA Elite Eight. His mother, Mary Beth, also played at Pitt, lettering in 1974 and 1975.

Older sister Lindsay was a McDonald’s All-American and the Daily Herald’s Cook County Player of the Year as a senior point guard for Barrington High. After claiming 11 school records, including scoring (2,182) and assists (347), Lindsay went on to Iowa, where she played only two seasons after tearing the ACL in her right knee three times.

“My whole family is point guards, so my sister knew that role, my dad knew that role,” Jason said. “What my dad knew, he passed on to my sister, and she passed it to me.”

Their approach started with intensive skills training, and Jason and Lindsay spent hours polishing their dribbling, passing, shooting and footwork. They didn’t neglect the intangibles, either.

“It’s a leadership role,” said Lindsay, 23, now working for a public-relations firm in Chicago. “It’s bringing people in huddles and making sure people know where they’re going. He (Tom) always used to tell me the point guard is an extension of your coach.”

Added Tom Richards: “You can’t be thinking about things out there. They have to be instinctive to you.”

Instinct was never Jason’s problem. Size was.

As a freshman at Barrington, he checked in generously at 5-feet-6 and 120 pounds (he’s now 6-2 and 190 pounds). But he still made the varsity squad.

“When we look at pictures of him starting as a freshman, you say to yourself, ‘How did he do that?’æ” Tom said. “But he always found a way to compete.”

Growing up with a star older sister, Jason had to. Their backyard battles were, as Lindsay puts it, “interesting.” Eventually, they couldn’t play unless dad was there to referee.

“It ended up helping both of us a great deal,” Lindsay said. “There wasn’t any girl in high school that I was going to come up against who was quicker or more physical or more talented than Jason.”

Ouch.

So, who usually won?

Lindsay dominated the clashes in elementary school and middle school. Then Jason began to fill out his frame.

“The tables turned drastically,” Lindsay admitted, laughing. “I still have bragging rights for a portion of his life.”

Jason ended up breaking 12 school records at Barrington, including scoring and assists, but he couldn’t escape the tag of being Lindsay’s little brother. While major-conference schools recruited Lindsay, Jason went to Davidson, which has a smaller enrollment (1,700) than Barrington High (2,784).

Even Jason’s Davidson teammates are aware of his basketball roots.

“I get the jokes all the time from guys on my team,” Jason said. “Both parents played at Pitt and my sister’s a McDonald’s All-American. They say I’m the worst one of the family.

“I beg to differ.”

Richards will be the first member of the family to appear in two NCAA Tournaments (Lindsay played with Iowa in 2004 and Tom with Pitt in 1974). His style of play also makes him stand out.

“People always say, ‘He doesn’t play anything like you,’æ” said his dad, a natural scorer who once hit a 45-foot buzzer-beater to extend Pitt’s home winning streak to 27 games. “When everybody asks about all the assists, (Jason) says, ‘I’m just making up for all the ones my dad never had.’

“He kind of carved out his own world.”

Having returned to March Madness, it’s a wonderful one.

“You never know where you’re going to end up in college,” Jason said. “Here I am, living my dream. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

A couple of searches you may want to check

Click here for a Google search of any blogs mentioning Davidson and Maryland.

Click here for a Google search of any recent news articles mentioning Davidson and Maryland.

Picking the Wildcats

Most likely upset

It's one of the great stats of the NCAA Tournament:

At least one No. 12 seed has upset a No. 5 seed in 17 of the past 18 years. And for six years in a row, the No. 12 seeds have combined for at least two victories.

So, you will pick a 12th seed, or two, in your bracket.

For a truer upset, we're digging deeper and going with No. 13 Davidson over No. 4 Maryland in the Midwest region.

Davidson won 29 games, is ticked it didn't get a better seed, and is a young, aggressive team that won't be awed by the Terps.

Davidson's Stephen Curry, the son of former NBAer Dell Curry, is the second-highest scoring freshman in the country at 21.2 points per game.

Article about Davidson from Maryland student paper

Just who are the Davidson Wildcats?
Stephen Whyno

For just about everybody in and around the Terrapin men's basketball program, this week will be a time to learn about the Davidson Wildcats, the Terps' first-round opponent in the NCAA tournament.

That includes coach Gary Williams, who did not profess to be an expert on Davidson shortly after the pairings were announced. A reporter asked Williams if he "had a chance to look at tape from Davidson yet."

"Yeah, I just looked at two games," Williams jokingly said. "Come on, I just found out like 15 minutes ago."

Of course it was ridiculous to think Williams had already mastered Davidson's offensive and defensive sets, but there is merit to the question of, "Who is this team that the Terps will play Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y.?" Welcome to a crash course on the Davidson Wildcats.

Davidson (29-4) was the Southern Conference tournament champion and won the league's South division regular season title with a 17-1 record. The Wildcats have won 25 of their last 26 games, with the only loss coming to Appalachian State - a team that beat Virginia on a neutral court in December.

Outside of the No. 1 seeds and Memphis, Davidson has the most wins in the rest of the tournament field. Davidson boasts the No. 41 Ratings Percentage Index ranking but also the No. 195 toughest schedule. Coach Bob McKillop told reporters in North Carolina he expected a higher seed and said he saw a No. 12-seed as "maybe the worst-case scenario."

Williams' knowledge about the Wildcats comes from when the Terps beat Davidson in the NIT in 2005.

"They run a lot of really good stuff, shoot a lot of threes usually. [It] is the way they like to play - spread the court," Williams said. "NCAA is always interesting 'cause you get styles that you haven't seen in a while, maybe in your league, no matter what your league is. So you gotta make some adjustments quickly in a lot of those games. We're looking forward to it."

Williams admitted not knowing too much about Davidson's stellar freshman guard Stephen Curry, son of former NBA swingman Dell Curry. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound Stephen Curry is the No. 2 freshman-scorer in the nation (21.2 points per game) behind only Texas' Kevin Durant.

Davidson gives up some athleticism and talent when compared to the Terps, but it has hit almost 10 3-pointers per game, good for No. 5 in the country. The Wildcats slow the tempo, while the Terps like to run and gun.

In fact, there are really only two links between the two programs. The first is Charles "Lefty" Driesell, who coached at Davidson before being hired to coach the Terps in 1969. But the more recent connection is between Terp freshman guard Greivis Vasquez and Curry.

"I played against him a couple times over this past summer," Vasquez said, admitting he didn't know the point guard's name but would easily recognize him after playing with him. "He's a pretty underrated guard. I give him some respect."

Even with Vasquez's experience, Davidson still represents an unknown entity. But senior guard D.J. Strawberry said there is a positive element to not knowing a lot about an opponent.

"We're gonna have to be focused on us and how we play," Strawberry said. "That's how we got down to that seven-game winning streak at the end of the season. We really weren't focused too much on anybody else. We were focused on what we can do to win games and what we can do to improve as a basketball team. I think that's gonna help us a lot going into the tournament."

A few more articles (links only)

Davidson's star freshman point guard is the son of former Jazzman Dell Curry

Terps happy to be back in tournament

Terps to face Davidson in NCAA opening round

'It is what it is'

No. 4-seeded Terps to play first-round match against No. 13 Davidson in Buffalo

Terps Earn a 4th Seed to Play Davidson

Davidson/Maryland Game Preview

Davidson - Maryland Preview
By The Associated Press
March 13, 2007

Maryland's chances for an NCAA tournament bid seemed bleak after a midseason slump, but the resiliency it showed is one of the reasons coach Gary Williams is so optimistic.

Williams again needs his team to display that grit, with the Terrapins looking to recover from an abrupt departure from the ACC tournament as they face Davidson on Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Regional in Buffalo, N.Y.

Maryland (24-8) was given a No. 4 seed despite closing its season with a 67-62 upset loss to last-place Miami last Thursday in the opening round of the conference tournament.

That setback came after the Terrapins had won seven straight, including a victory over North Carolina and two against Duke. The win streak followed a stretch in which the team lost five of eight games to open the bulk of its ACC schedule, falling to 17-7 overall.

"I have felt good with this team all year in terms of their work ethic even in January when we did not have a good record,'' Williams said. "To go from there to the seed we got is very gratifying for our program and for our guys that have worked hard.''

Maryland still has to overcome a lackluster loss in which it shot 38 percent from the floor (22-for-57), 17 percent (3-for-18) from 3-point range and 57 percent (15-for-26) from the free-throw line. The Terrapins matched their second-lowest point total of the season in falling to a Miami team which had won just four league games all season.

The Terps hope to avoid the same kinds of mistakes against the Wildcats (29-4), who set a team record for wins and boast one of the nation's top freshmen in Stephen Curry.

"We know that we can't look past anyone,'' said Maryland forward Ekene Ibekwe, who leads the team with 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. "Davidson is another team like us that wants to win some games and go far in this tournament, so we can't think about what might come next. The tournament is all about effort. If we come out and play our game, we'll be alright.''

The Terrapins are led by D.J. Strawberry, who is averaging a team-high 15.2 points and 2.1 steals. He shot 4-of-12 from the field and had 13 points against the Hurricanes. The senior guard has shot 33 percent while averaging 10.9 points in Maryland??s eight losses.

The Terps were second in the ACC with 79.5 points per game and fourth in scoring defense, allowing 67.6.

The 13th-seeded Wildcats, who won both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Southern Conference, enter their second straight NCAA tournament having won 13 straight and 25 of 26. Davidson's losses were to then-No. 9 Duke, Michigan, Missouri and league rival Appalachian State, a 22-game winner which nearly made the tournament.

Davidson coach Bob McKillop feels his Wildcats should have been seeded higher than No. 13 or 14, usually reserved for the Southern Conference champion.

"How many teams have won 29 games? Put us on the same line with teams that have won 25 of their last 26 games,'' McKillop said. "Put us in the same range with teams that have only lost one game since Nov. 25.''

Curry scored 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds and took 24 of the Wildcats' 67 shots in a 72-65 win over College of Charleston in the conference tournament title game. It was the culmination of a surprising season for Davidson, which was picked to finish fourth in the league's Southern Division in the preseason after losing seven seniors from last year's team.

Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, is 10th in the nation with 21.2 points per game - the second-highest average among freshmen behind Texas' Kevin Durant. He has made a freshman Division I record 117 3-pointers.

Curry is joined in the backcourt by point guard Jason Richards, who is second in the nation with 7.3 assists per game.

Davidson is 5-9 over eight previous NCAA tournament appearances. The Wildcats lost to Ohio State in the first round last season.

This is Maryland's 22nd appearance and first since 2004, when it lost to Syracuse in the second round. The Terrapins are 35-20 all-time, and have won seven straight first-round games.

Maryland leads the all-time series with Davidson 7-3. The teams last met in the second round of the NIT on March 23, 2005, when the Terrapins won 78-63.

Thursday's winner will face either fifth-seeded Butler or 12th-seeded Old Dominion in the second round Saturday.

Article from Baltimore Sun

Curry finds perfect fit at Davidson
Wildcats' guard thriving in first year after not being recruited by major programs
By Heather A. Dinich
Sun Reporter

Stephen Curry grew up playing basketball in North Carolina, the heart of the Atlantic Coast Conference, where he was raised by NBA sharp shooter Dell Curry and trained with a long-time NBA strength and conditioning coach. He learned the game from his father, a first-round draft pick, and played pick-up with stars like Muggsy Bogues.

None of it mattered.

Because at 5 feet 9, 140 pounds, the baby-faced Curry was a self-described "scrawny little short kid" -- a lanky point guard who couldn't get the attention of major colleges no matter who his father was. Virginia Tech -- where his father was an All-American and his mother, Sonya, played volleyball -- was the only high-major that showed interest, but the best Seth Greenberg could offer was a spot as a walk-on.

"Everything happens for a reason," Curry said.

He chose Davidson, a liberal arts college with about 1,700 students, located roughly 30 minutes away from his parents' home in Charlotte, N.C. It was at this small school that big things finally started to happen.

Curry broke five school records, set the NCAA freshman record for most three-pointers in a season, and led the small Southern Conference school to a record 29 wins and the NCAA tournament. Now Curry has the attention of at least one more ACC school -- Maryland. The Terps will face Davidson at 12:20 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Region in Buffalo, N.Y.

"I knew he was a good player and I knew he'd have big games, but I didn't think he'd be this consistent," said Dell Curry, who is now Director of Player Development for the Charlotte Bobcats. "Throughout the course of the season I was waiting for him to hit that freshman wall. He exceeded not only the Davidson coaches' expectations, but myself and probably him, too.

"But it's a blessing in that he is at Davidson," Curry said. "It gave him all the opportunity to prove people wrong that they missed this one and gave him the opportunity to break those records and play a significant role on the team so they won the conference tournament and got to the NCAA tournament. With everything that's happened, he's definitely at the right place."

Curry leads the Southern Conference with an average of 21.2 points per game. The only other first-year player in the NCAA to average more points in his collegiate debut is Kevin Durant, of Texas. Curry's 117 three-pointers are the most by a Division I freshman, and have been integral to a team that graduated seven seniors.

"He can shoot the three, but he can also get to the rim," said Davidson coach Bob McKillop. "He's got an in-between game, but he doesn't sacrifice defensive rebounds, or team play to pad his offensive numbers. He's got very good feet defensively, and he's got terrific basketball IQ."

Curry scored 1,440 points in high school, the most ever at Charlotte Christian School -- a feat he accomplished in three seasons because his first year was spent on junior varsity.

"Even in 10th grade he looked like he was 12 years old," said Charlotte Christian coach Shonn Brown. "I think some people thought maybe he looked a little small. He may not be the strongest kid, but as his coach, I would tell a lot of the schools, 'If you look at his basketball IQ and you look at his skill level, he has a lot of intangibles.'

"Right now I think he's at a very good place," Brown said. "He's at a place where he has a license to take charge on the floor within the context of whatever Coach McKillop needs him to do."

Opponents have tried everything to stop Curry -- double team, putting a taller defender on him, shadowing him -- but he has still scored in double figures in 32 games (the Wildcats have played only 33).

"I knew I was capable of playing on any level," Curry said. "Coach just gave me the opportunity and he trusted me to go out there and do whatever he needed.

"I knew I could do it," he said. "We have a great team surrounding me, that could help me to do it. I'm very happy with the situation I'm in right now at Davidson."

Curry profiled on MSNBC.com

Steph is featured alongside Kevin Durant, Greg Oden and others.

Top Freshmen in NCAA Tournament
Stephen Curry, Davidson

He gives Davidson a chance against Maryland. The guard can shoot it and it is fitting he gets a chance to do it against an ACC school because the big boys didn’t think he was good enough for their league. Curry dropped 32 on Michigan and has scored at least 23 points a game in 12 of the last 13 games. He is the main threat in a wide-open attack. The Terps better be careful if Curry and Davidson have their stroke.

From The Washington Post

Freshman Shooting Sensation At Davidson Is a Son of a Gun
By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Stephen Curry was well positioned to succeed in basketball. He competed in high school in Charlotte amid the statewide shadows of a college basketball Mecca. His dad, Dell, was one of the best shooters in NBA history.

But a slender build allowed Curry to slip, almost literally, through the cracks of the recruiting world to become the prospect the ACC forgot. After receiving no scholarship offers from ACC schools, Curry enrolled at a less heralded Southern Conference school, Davidson, and became an emerging freshman that no one in basketball circles can ignore.

In a fitting turn of events, Curry will make his NCAA tournament debut Thursday against favored Maryland, a team from a conference few said he was capable of competing in just a few years ago.

"It's going to be nice to get on the court with them," Curry said, "and show them that I actually can play with them."

Curry has wowed coaches and fans by leading Davidson to a school-record 29 victories and averaging 21.2 points per game, which ranks 10th nationally and second among freshmen.

While he may never become the player his father was, some believe he has already displayed a more versatile offensive repertoire than the elder Curry, who enjoyed a 16-year NBA career. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard also has exhibited an on-court competitiveness that belies his boyish facial features.

Said Wofford Coach Mike Young: "He looks like he is 13. He scores like he is 28."

Young, who watched tape of at least 13 of Davidson's games this season in preparation for two contests against the Wildcats, said, "You're scratching your head thinking, 'What the hell is this kid doing playing like that?' He could play anywhere in America, and I mean anywhere in America. I believe that as strongly as I believe anything. He would make Maryland better right now."

Curry has established himself as one of the nation's best freshmen guards in a class loaded with them. His play also has raised questions why a talented player with a strong pedigree could be overlooked in the recruiting process.

"Who the hell knows?" College of Charleston Coach Bobby Cremins said. "Maybe people thought he was going to Virginia Tech. When I see Seth Greenberg, I've got to ask why he didn't take him."

Curry had grown up dreaming of going to Virginia Tech because he had watched so much tape of his father playing for the Hokies. Curry said Tech wanted him to walk on and redshirt his first season, with the possibility that he would receive a scholarship his second season. Curry considered the scenario too big a risk.

Some college coaches and recruiting analysts understood Tech's decision because Curry was a work in progress. To understand Curry's evolution, consider the perspective of national recruiting analyst Dave Telep, who saw Curry as a freshman in high school. Telep's first thought: "Boy, that's not his dad."

Curry stood 5 feet 4, weighed 120 pounds, released his jump shot from his waist and didn't "resemble a Division I player any more than you or I did," Telep said. "If you didn't know him as a freshman, you wouldn't have been able to appreciate where he came from. He needed more time to cook. When you're a top ACC coach getting $1.5 million, it's easier to take a known commodity rather than take someone you have to wait on. We live in an instant gratification world."

Young watched at least a dozen of Curry's summer league games later in his high school career, thinking that he would be a terrific player in the Southern Conference or Patriot League but would be "overwhelmed" initially in the ACC.

"The ACC did the right thing at the time," he said.

Matt Matheny, a Davidson assistant coach, began watching Curry as a high school junior. Each time he saw him, Curry gradually got stronger, gradually became more confident. Curry, meantime, felt comfortable with Davidson in part because the school was only a half-hour drive from his home.

That set the stage for a Friday meeting in the fall of 2005 in Curry's living room, where Matheny and Coach Bob McKillop planned to give the Davidson "spiel." Curry, though, decided to surprise everyone, including his parents, by committing to the school.

"Coach just stared at me for a couple seconds then got up and gave me a big hug," Curry recalled. "Coach Matheny was clapping and really happy."

McKillop, now in his 18th season, recalled the moment with glee yesterday, saying, "I think I danced all the way home."

McKillop knew as early as this fall what he had on campus because he told everyone around that Curry was destined to be a "special" player. But he acknowledged that he did not anticipate this level of success from a freshman who continues to improve.

"When I see his shot, I see Dell," McKillop said.

Dell is 14th in NBA history in three-point shots. The younger Curry set an NCAA freshman record this season for most three-pointers in a season.

Using that outside shot, Curry accomplished something last week that he will long remember. He beat his father in a game of H-O-R-S-E for the first time, unleashing 35-foot shots that his father failed to match.

"He has beaten me plenty of times before," Curry said. "To get my first win, it was pretty good."

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GO CATS!!!

From NBC Sports

Who will be this year's Cinderella?

Jim Carty

Davidson, Southern Conference

You want upset ingredients? How about a team ranked sixth in Division I in scoring, built around one of the game's best outside shooters, riding a 13-game win streak?

That would be Davidson (29-4), which also shares the ball, rebounds well for its size and shoots the three with anybody. Freshman guard Stephen Curry -- son of former NBA guard Dell Curry -- averages 21.2 points, shoots 41.1 percent from 3-point range and 84.8 percent from the line.

The Wildcats have a double-threat point guard in Jason Richards (13.6 ppg, 7.3 apg), and two solid forwards in Thomas Sander (13.5 ppg) and Boris Meno (11 ppg, 8.1 rpg). Watch the 3-point arc, where Davidson averages 9.6 bombs per game. If they’re falling, the Wildcats can beat anyone in the Midwest bracket except Florida.

From Yahoo Sports

Let the games begin
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports

Cinderellas (13 seed or worse that are capable of an upset)

Davidson (vs. Maryland) – Bob McKillop is as good of an X's and O's coach as there is in America. With a 29-4 club, this may be his best team at the small, academically competitive North Carolina school, which means it will play smart, deliberate and quite efficiently.

From The Baltimore Sun

BEST PLAYER YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

Stephen Curry of Davidson.

Dell Curry, who played for 16 seasons in the NBA and was a star at Virginia Tech, obviously passed down his silky jumper to his son, Stephen. Stephen Curry badly wanted to follow in his father's footsteps in Blacksburg, Va., but the Hokies weren't interested, so Stephen ended up at Davidson, where he led the Southern Conference in scoring (22.1).

Brief Sporting News preview

MARYLAND (4) vs. Davidson (13) -- The Terrapins' loss to Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament snapped a seven-game winning streak that included two wins over Duke and one over North Carolina. D.J. Strawberry is a lockdown defender who should make life tough for Davidson's Stephen Curry, the second-leading freshman scorer in the country (21.2) to Texas' Kevin Durant.

From WCNC.com

Davidson fans gearing up for the 'Big Dance'

By JANELLE MARTINEZ / WCNC

When it comes to Davidson College basketball, 79-year-old Kenneth Norton is a living history book.

He has been cutting hair at a small barber shop across from the school on Main Street for decades. He remembers when Davidson College not only went to the Big Dance, but actually won a few games.

“They defeated Ohio State early on in the 60s,” Norton said. “They always played well against those big schools.”

In 1969, Davidson made it to the Elite 8, but since then, the Wildcats have not won a single game during the NCAA Tournament.

“Davidson has grown over the years, but not as much as those big schools,” Norton said.
Monday, on the campus of Davidson College, most students said this year’s team was the perfect team to break that loosing streak. “There’s always that David vs. Goliath thing, and there’s always that seed of hope that we’re going to win,” said senior Neil Andrews.

The Wildcats will play No. 17 Maryland in Buffalo, N.Y., on Thursday.

Click here for the video.