Davidson vs. Charleston: photos

After the game:
Almost over:

The Bushido makes an appearance in this photo:

Davidson vs. Charleston: videos

Steph takes it to the hole, gets the bucket and 1.


Richards feeds Lovedale for 2 points in the paint.


Steph hits a 3.


Jason hits a free throw late in the game.


Thomas Sander puts back a Jason Richards miss.


Steph goes to the basket drawing a foul.


Killing the clock with the 4 corners.


Steph dribbles out the clock. Time expires, the buzzer sounds, and Davidson wins 73-63.

John Kilgo wraps up the post-game radio show from Charleston

Curry named SoCon Player of Week (again)

From Davidson website:

Curry Earns Third SoCon Honor of 2006-07 Campaign

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- After breaking and tying school marks in Wildcat victories over Chattanooga and College of Charleston, Stephen Curry has been named Southern Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season as announced by the league office Monday afternoon...

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From SoConSports.com:

Davidson's Stephen Curry Named Player of the Week

Davidson’s Stephen Curry was named Southern Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 13. It marks the second time the freshman has earned the honor.

For the week, Curry averaged 23.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals as Davidson stopped Chattanooga, 87-57, on Feb. 6 and beat the College of Charleston, 73-63, on Feb. 12.

From the Above the Rim blog

Davidson's Curry player of year?

Stephen Curry’s hot streak – and another player’s hot temper – might help the Davidson freshman win the Southern Conference Player of the Year award.

Curry, named the conference’s player of the week Tuesday, has averaged 25 points in his past six games – all Davidson wins. Curry, a virtual lock for freshman of the year, wasn’t considered a player of the year candidate until a few weeks ago. Leading candidate Kyle Hines of UNC Greensboro hurt his chances this week.

Hines leads the conference in scoring (21 ppg) and rebounding (9 rpg), but was ejected from Monday’s game against Elon after receiving two technical fouls for disputing a call in the second half, then received a third technical while walking off the court. That ejection also will force him to miss Wednesday’s game against Western Carolina.

Curry trails Hines in scoring by less than a point per game and ranks in the top 20 in the nation in scoring and 10th in 3-pointers made.

UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement said this month that Curry might be the player of the year, but Davidson coach Bob McKillop hasn’t lobbied for the award. It might be hard for voters to pass on Curry, especially because the Wildcats (22-4, 13-1 Southern) could finish their conference schedule 17-1. UNC Greensboro (13-12, 10-5) probably won’t finish among the top three in the conference, and voters might not want to award player of the year to someone who has been suspended.

-- Kevin Cary

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Samford addition likely wouldn't affect Davidson

The Southern Conference might be adding a 12th member by the 2008-09 season, but that isn’t expected to shift Davidson into a new division.

Conference officials have been in negotiations with Samford of the Ohio Valley Conference about joining the league, and could vote on that as early as the conference tournament in two weeks.

If Samford, which is located in Birmingham, Ala., does join the league, it is expected to be placed in the North Division. Davidson would have seemed a logical school to switch -- the Wildcats are the northernmost school in the South Division, and played in the North Division before switching with Chattanooga in 2003.

A switch would have also moved Davidson back in the same division with rival Appalachian State. But Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy said Samford wants to be in the same division as Chattanooga -- Chattanooga is a two-hour drive from Samford -- and said the Wildcats are happy to be in the South, where they are guaranteed two games with College of Charleston.

-- Kevin Cary

From both schools' websites

From Davidson website:
Men's Hoops Bests Charleston, 73-63
Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Stephen Curry scored at least 20 points for the sixth consecutive outing with a game-high 26, and the Davidson Wildcats won their sixth straight with a 73-63 victory over College of Charleston in front of 3,784 fans at John Kresse Arena Monday evening. The win was Davidson's 18th out of their last 19 games as it improves to 22-4 and 13-1 in the SoCon. The Cougars drop to 17-9 overall and three games behind the Wildcats in the South Division with a 10-4 record.

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From Charleston website:
Cougars Suffer Defeat against Davidson, 73-63

Stephen Curry’s game-high 24 points and Thomas Sander’s 12 points and game-high 10 rebounds lifted the Davidson men’s basketball team to a 73-63 victory over the College of Charleston at the John Kresse Arena before 3,784 on Monday. The win improves Davidson to 22-4 overall and 13-1 in the SoCon, while the loss drops CofC to 17-9 and 10-4 in the SoCon.

4 games in 8 days coming up

The Wildcats have a rough schedule leading into the SoCon Tournament. Starting @Western Carolina on Saturday, they have 4 games in 8 days. Luckily, unless I'm mistaken, they will have a bye in the first round of the tournament, which will give them 5 days to rest prior to their first game in the SoCon Tournament.

Davidson receives more Top 25 votes

Week 15:

Things just keep getting better for Davidson Basketball. The Wildcats received 5 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Poll, and 2 votes in the AP Poll.

If I am not mistaken, this is the most votes Davidson has ever received in the McKillop era.

(Incidentally, Duke is no longer in either Top 25 poll. How long has it been since that happened?)

Also:
Mid-Major Top 25: Davidson is ranked 4th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

Observations from The Observer

Observations Brett Honeycutt

• A handful of students wore white, mop-top wigs to resemble College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins.

• Construction of the Cougars' new arena, across the street from John Kresse Arena, is two years from completion. It will be welcomed for two reasons: First, because only 750 of the 11,000 students get tickets to each game in Kresse Arena, which seats 3,052; and second, because each home game has been a sellout since Cremins accepted the job in July.

• A timely column by the (Charleston) Post and Courier's Gene Sapakoff criticized the students for a lack of creativity, interest and noise. As the 750 students were given their tickets, a copy of the column also was given to each one. It worked. A reporter with the paper and a sports information official said the students were "raucous" in the first half.

From The Charlotte Observer

Wildcats' Curry finds better half
Freshman guard scores 21 after halftime
BRETT HONEYCUTT

CHARLESTON - Freshman Stephen Curry said his shot didn't feel right in the first half, but everyone told him to keep shooting.

He did, and he scored 21 of his game-high 24 points after halftime to help Davidson to its 18th victory in 19 games.

The Wildcats (22-4, 13-1 Southern) beat College of Charleston 73-63 Monday night in front of a rowdy, sold-out John Kresse Arena crowd of 3,784 -- more than 700 beyond capacity and the fifth-largest attendance in the 24-year-old arena's history.

Click here for entire article.

From The Charleston Post & Courier

Davidson star shakes off rocky first half
BY ANDREW MILLER

It's a good thing for Davidson that Stephen Curry has such a short memory.

After making just one basket in the first half Monday night against the College of Charleston, the talented freshman guard poured in 21 points after intermission to lead the Wildcats past the Cougars, 73-63, Monday night before a raucous standing-room-only crowd of 3,784 at John Kresse Arena.

The Cougars, who lost to Davidson for the seventh straight time since 2003, dropped to 17-9 overall and 10-4 in the Southern Conference. The Wildcats, winners of 18 of their last 19 games, improved to 22-4 overall and 13-1 and all but assured themselves of a first-round bye in the SoCon Tournament. (Photo credit: WADE SPEES/STAFF)

Click here for entire article.

Road Trip: Siege of Charleston

In a couple of hours, I'm heading down I-26 for the "Siege of Charleston". I've got a ticket, and I'm going to the game. ("Siege" is misspelled on the map...look it up.)

I will have the camera with me, so I'll be sure to post some pictures and video as soon as I can. It's going to be a 420 mile round trip today. I hope that it will be for a big win!

Bilas giving McKillop his due on ESPN.com for National Coach of the Year

"3 POINT SHOTS"

The discussion of which coach should be national coach of the year should not be held unless Davidson's Bob McKillop is at or near the top of the list.

Davidson has become the top team in the Southern Conference and was an NCAA Tournament team last year, giving Ohio State a battle in Dayton before losing in the first round. McKillop had a corps of seniors last year, and the SoCon expected Davidson to be "gettable" this year with a younger, less experienced team.

Wrong. McKillop's troop of three juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen are atop the SoCon again at 21-4 (12-1), and have suffered losses only at Duke, at Missouri, at Michigan and to Appalachian State.

The Wildcats are led on the floor by the scoring prowess of freshman guard Stephen Curry (20.1 ppg) and junior point guard Jason Richards, who is among the nation's leaders in assists (7.6 per game). The true leader of this team, though, is McKillop, whose steely calm and depth of basketball knowledge have kept his program among the nation's best.

McKillop is the real thing, and Davidson is the type of team that should get at-large consideration. If the Wildcats make the NCAA field, at-large or otherwise, opponents had better be ready. So should voters for national coach of the year.

Preview from The Observer

Gameday: Davidson in action tonight

DAVIDSON (21-4, 12-1) at

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (17-8, 10-3)
7 p.m., John Kresse Arena

Davidson can all but wrap up one of the top two seeds in the Southern Conference tournament with a win. Davidson has won 16 of its past 17 games and never trailed in an 81-73 win against the Cougars Jan. 6. College of Charleston guard Dontaye Draper hit eight 3-pointers in an 81-59 win Saturday at UNC Greensboro. -- Kevin Cary

Today's Charleston Post & Courier articles

C of C student fans rank last

BY GENE SAPAKOFF

The College of Charleston basketball team has done its part, winning 14 of its last 16 games...

...While the Cougars have been one of the most respected teams in the SoCon every season since the school joined the league, the non-participating students at John Kresse Arena over the years have established a reputation as the most unorganized, uncreative and apathetic fans in the SoCon.

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Johnson feeling at home with Cougars

By ANDREW MILLER

Jermaine Johnson was about to board a plane back to his hometown of Los Angeles when he got the phone call.

The College of Charleston forward pressed the cell phone to his ear to make sure he'd heard the message correctly. The call came from College of Charleston forward Josh Jackson and at first Johnson thought his fellow front-court teammate was playing a joke on him.

Gregg Marshall had just resigned as the Cougars' head coach...

Game Notes

The College of Charleston has their game notes posted. Davidson's will probably be up tomorrow some time.

C of C message board

Head on over to the CofCFans.com message board and check out what they are saying about the Davidson game. It's actually surprisingly quiet. Register, too, if you want...contribute to the conversation. However, if you do, I beg of you - please do so with some class.

Davidson/Charleston preview: part 1

Charleston is coming off a beat-down of UNC-G in Greensboro on Saturday night. Draper dropped 28 in that game.

Davidson is coming off an open-date on Saturday, following a 30-point beat-down of their own over UTC. Curry put up 24 in that game.

This is shaping up to be a battle of two very good teams, both of which are on rolls right now. Davidson should be well rested. Charleston may possibly be a bit tired from playing 48 hours prior, and from the road trip. However, I would not count on that one bit. The Kresse will be loud and rocking, and the Cougs will be ready to play. This is their last realistic shot at the division. If CofC loses, they will essentially be out of the race for the division title.

Bonus coverage! => Click here for Will Bryan's thoughts on tomorrow night's game.

"Bring on Davidson"

GENE SAPAKOFF , of The Charleston Post & Courier, got a little over-excited about the Cougars' performance against UNC-G, and wrote this in the paper this morning, referring to the game tomorrow night:

"Bring on Davidson."

Gene, I have a small suggestion: Be careful what you ask for...you just might get it.

Charleston begins construction on new arena

The season after next, the Cougars can get out of that small gym where they currently play games (John Kresse Arena), which I believe holds about 3,500. From what I am told, they can't get everybody in that place to watch the games anymore. They new arena is supposed to have a little over 5,000 seats, or so...sounds similar in size to Belk Arena. That should probably be a good fit for the Cougs.

I'd love for them to have 5,000+ present to see Davidson put a beat-down on them in Charleston every year. That would be wonderful!

Curry mentioned by Sporting News

This team full of freshmen could dominate

February 8, 2007

"As you know, this is a rare year for freshmen....

"I'll take USC's Taj Gibson and Davidson gunner Stephen Curry to join Conley on the bench. Gibson may be a bit of a underhanded pick for my freshman team (he's 21), but rules were meant to be exploited, right? Gibson's an energy guy in the post who can give Wright and Oden breathers. And Curry, son of longtime NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, is the only pure shooter on this squad. He's draining 3.3 triples per game, and he has the Wildcats primed for a second consecutive Southern championship. His game is too good for him to just be used solely as a shooter off the bench, but that's how he fits into this picture."

DavidsonCats.com: CofC thread going strong

The C of C pre-game thread on DavidsonCats.com is already 6 pages in length, and still going.

The tone of some of the posts is not exactly what I would call civil, which is a bit disappointing. I enjoy the back-and-forth chatter, but getting personal and attacking others is not the way to go about it.

Head on over to that thread and keep it going. Also, don't forget to check out The Bushido's C of C blog. He'll have some good stuff posted by tomorrow, I'm sure.

Thrilling finishes: Charleston

Yes, I know we've all seen these before, but they are worth another look leading up to the game tomorrow night:

Davidson downs Charleston on last second shot by Jason Morton:

Charleston downs Wofford on last second shot:

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While not a last second shot, still a big win for Davidson earlier this season over Charleston:

The Bushido starts up on Davidson, finally!

A good friend of the Davidson Basketball Blog, The Bushido, has finally started the back-and-forth prior to the Charleston game tomorrow night.

Here's a link to his initial post: click here

Feel free to visit The Bushido's site and leave your thoughts!!

Davidson leading SoCon in attendance

From The Charleston Post & Courier:

"Attendance figures always must be viewed skeptically, but only four SoCon teams report an increase from last season. App State is up 11 percent to 2,274 per game; College of Charleston up 17 percent to 3,197; Davidson up 22.8 percent to a league-best 3,704; and The Citadel up 51.2 percent to 1,787, making the Bulldogs the only SoCon team with a losing record and increased attendance. The Citadel had the lowest attendance in the league last season, but ranks seventh out of 11 teams this season."

Non-basketball article from The Observer

Brother vs. Brother

JULIE YORK COPPENS
Theater Writer

When Jonathon Hubbard was 16 months old, his mother came home from the hospital two days after Christmas with a new baby boy......

......Ryan followed Jonathon to Davidson College. Shared his apartment. Put on the same Wildcats football jersey. Pledged the same fraternity. Gave up a semester abroad so he'd have more time to spend with his big brother before Jonathon's graduation this spring.

Click here for entire article.

There is also a slideshow of pictures: click here to view.

Someone has a sense of humor

From the Stephen Curry entry on Wikipedia:

"Stephen is avergaging 21.2 ppg. He will be the #1 pick in next years NBA draft and is by far the best player in America."

Bob McKillop entry on Wikipedia.com

This is my favorite part of the entry:

Bob McKillop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"...returning to high school ball at Long Island Luitheran High. McKillop compiled a record there of 182-51, winning five New York State Championships. He is now the best coach in all of the NCAA."

That has to be the best line I've ever seen. Gotta love the enthusiasm of the Davidson fan that added that line!!

PS: I'm adding that quote to the sidebar on the right-hand side of the blog, just for fun.

NCAA Tournament mock bracket

From ESPN.com:

Inside look at committee jammed four days into one

By Andy Katz

INDIANAPOLIS -- We were the first guinea pigs: 20 sportswriters tossed into a meeting room in the NCAA headquarters Wednesday, going through a simulated NCAA Tournament mock bracket. We had the same computer system, access to all of the NCAA's information on each team, and the same kinds of chicken, pasta and ice cream the 10-member selection committee will digest over four days at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis next month.

What we discovered over the course of 12½ hours -- before wrapping up at 2 a.m. -- is that this process hardly is a walk in the park.

Click here for entire article.

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Here's where they put Davidson:

Spokane

5 Indiana

12 Davidson

There were a few tweaks with the rest of the seed lines: BC moved over Virginia Tech, which the Eagles crushed; Gonzaga got a nod over BYU; Virginia moved up since the Cavs were in the ACC final against UNC, and Oral Roberts and Davidson, upon further review, were moved up a few spots.

From the C of C message board

Briefly:

Here's an interesting thread about Player of the Year ("POY") candidates posted on the College of Charleston message board. It also wanders into the subject of the Davidson vs. College of Charleston series history.

Curry hits back-to-back 3s against UNC-G

Here's the video of Stephen Curry hitting back-to-back 3 pointers against UNC-Greensboro. At this point in the game, Davidson was up only 6 and the game was pretty tight. Curry went nuts here and, all of a sudden, it was a 12 point Davidson lead. This sequence proved to spur the Wildcats on to the 10 point victory. (Note: This video has no sound.) I was going nuts myself in my den watching this on Saturday.

FoxSports.com - Davidson team page

TEAM REPORT:

The season no one was expecting, at least not this year, has continued into February for Davidson.

The surge continued on Feb. 3 against UNC Greensboro, which entered the game as a co-leader of the North Division. Davidson, anchored by its dynamic underclass backcourt of freshman Stephen Curry (29 points) and junior Jason Richards (17 points), posted a 75-65 win.

"Obviously, it was an outstanding performance by Curry and Richards," UNCG coach Mike Dement said. "They are outstanding players, and it showed today. Curry can play at the next level. If he puts on some weight, I really think he can be a good NBA player."

While Curry is likely to lose out to UNCG junior center Kyle Hines as player of the year in the Southern Conference, he appears to be a lock for runner-up. As a freshman in a mid-major conference, that is unheard of for a freshman. Curry is averaging 19.9 points and is second in the conference in 3-pointers made with 82.

Before the UNCG win, Davidson routed Elon 88-58 on Jan. 30. In the win, the Wildcats grabbed 60 rebounds.

"You have to miss a lot of shots to get 60 rebounds," Wildcats coach Bob McKillop told the Charlotte Observer. "But I was really pleased with our energy. We really came after them."

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NOTES AND QUOTES

--Davidson had won 17 of its last 18 games after is 87-57 rout of Chattanooga on Tuesday.

--Davidson has won 20 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1968-70. This also marks the seventh 20-win season under coach Bob McKillop.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "To have a performance like he did, for 39 minutes, is extraordinary. Within the confines of that performance, there was one of the most magical sequences I've seen as a coach in a long period of team. Having the energy to do that, that was as magical and electric and you can get in college basketball." -- Davidson coach Bob McKillop, to the News-Record, on Stephen Curry's 29-point performance in his team's 75-65 win over UNCG on Feb. 3.

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GAME PREVIEW:

KEYS: The Charleston game can all but clinch the South Division for the Wildcats. The key will be finding other ways to score beside 3-pointers, as the Cougars are likely toforce Davidson inside.

ROSTER REPORT:
G Stephen Curry, a freshman, scored 29 points, making seven 3-pointers, in the win over UNCG on Feb. 3. He put up 25 points against Elon on Jan. 30. He's second in the conference in scoring.
F Boris Meno had 20 points and nine rebounds in the win over UNCG.

Charlotte Observer basketball blog

Charlotte.com has a basketball blog, where Kevin Cary posts additional columns about Davidson. Here are a couple of recent entries:

20-game conference schedule shackles Davidson

Southern Conference teams will be seeing more of each other next season.

Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy said Tuesday night that the conference has approved a 20-game conference schedule for next season, up from 18 games this season. Murphy said the move will be done on a one-year basis, and will be revisited after the 2007-08 season.

Davidson opposed the increase. The move will mean Davidson will have only nine nonconference games next season. The Wildcats are already scheduled to play Duke and North Carolina at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, along with games at Charlotte and Western Michigan. That leaves Davidson with five other spots, and Murphy said the school will schedule at least two, and possibly three, Division III opponents.

A 20-game conference schedule is unusual, but not unheard of. The SEC, ACC and Big 10 all play 16-game conference schedules, but the Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun currently have 20-game schedules.

The move will guarantee two games against every other conference opponent in the 11-team Southern Conference. That will create a balanced schedule, instead of the current format where teams rotate from one to two games against teams outside their division. Davidson and Appalachian State lead their respective divisions, but only played once this season because of the rotation.

-- Kevin Cary

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Davidson's Curry a pro prospect?

Could Davidson freshman Stephen Curry be a future NBA prospect? UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement thinks so.

“We were talking about it at halftime (Saturday) – if he can put on some more weight, he’s got a shot,” Dement said.

Curry is already on the NBA radar, albeit faintly. ESPN.com NBA analyst Chad Ford lists Curry as the No.110 current NBA prospect, but has said Curry could be a future NBA first-round pick.

Curry scored 29 points in Davidson’s 75-65 win against UNC Greensboro Saturday, and is second in the nation among freshman in scoring (19.9 ppg). Texas star Kevin Durant is first, but Curry has a long way to go to become that kind of prospect. He’s too lean to take pro pounding (Curry weighs less than 170 pounds), and he’s not a good enough ballhandler to play point guard in the NBA. Curry has already had two games with at least 10 turnovers this season.

But he can still grow into the role – literally. Curry stands 6-foot-2 now, but has grown six inches in the past three years. His father Dell, a standout with the Charlotte Hornets, also grew two inches in college, so Curry might inch up to 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4.

-- Kevin Cary

Up Next: College of Charleston (away)

Next Monday night, the Wildcats travel to Chuck-town to take on the Cougars of the College of Charleston. This is, once again, a huge game for Davidson. It has developed into what I think is the best rivalry in the Southern Conference....despite the fact that Davidson has won almost every game in recent memory. This game is important, not only for rivalry purposes, but also to be sure that the Wildcats maintain a hold on the #1 seed in the SoCon Tournament, and, at a minimum, an automatic post-season bid.

The Cougars are on a bit of a roll, having won 7 out of their last 8 games. Couple the Cougars recent run along with playing in their place, and we have a very tough game on our hands.

I'm sure that the Bushido will have plenty to say about this game, even though Charleston has another game (UNC-G on Saturday) before we play them.

Postgame interview with Coach McKillop

Click here:

Postgame Audio

From Davidson website

Curry Sets Record as Wildcat Men Cruise to 87-57 Win Over Chattanooga

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Stephen Curry broke the Davidson freshman single-season scoring record and finished with 24 points as the Wildcats cruised by SoCon rival Chattanooga, 87-57, in men’s basketball action Tuesday evening at Belk Arena. With its fifth straight win and 17th out of 18, Davidson improves to 21-4 on the year and 12-1 in league play, while the Mocs fall to 10-15 overall and 3-10 in the league.

A 6-1 shooting guard from nearby Charlotte, N.C., Curry has now scored 502 points in his debut campaign, breaking Chris Dodds mark of 500 set during the 1977-78 season. The Wildcat frosh has now scored at least 23 points in five straight games and gone for 20 or more 12 times. Curry finished the evening 7-of-12 from the floor including four treys and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to run his consecutive makes to 36 straight at home.

Others in double digits for the Wildcats included Jason Richards who had finished with 16 points and eights assists, while Thomas Sander added 13 and William Archambault and Lovedale contributed 11 each off the bench.

Click here for entire article.

From UTC website

Turnovers Doom Mocs at Davidson
Box score

DAVIDSON, N.C.--Freshman Stephen Curry scored 24 points and the Davidson defense forced 30 turnovers as the Wildcats raced to an 87-57 win over Chattanooga at Belk Arena Tuesday night.

The Mocs (10-15, 3-10 SoCon) trailed 43-23 at halftime despite shooting 54.5 percent in the half and out-rebounding Davidson 15-8. The Mocs 21 first-half turnovers led to 28 Davidson points.

Curry, who is second in the nation in scoring by a freshman, was 4-of-7 from behind the arc and perfect from the free throw line in six trips. He also added four steals. Jason Richards chipped in 16 points and eight assists for the Wildcats (21-4, 12-1 SoCon).

Overall, the Mocs committed a season-high 30 turnovers leading to 27 additional field goal attempts for the Wildcats. Davidson converted those extra opportunities into 38 points. The Mocs continued to shoot the ball well, finishing at 50 percent or better for the third consecutive game. Chattanooga held Davidson to two field goals over the last 9:12 and closed the game on a 17-7 run.

Keddric Mays led the Mocs with 13 points, making two treys and all five of his free throw attempts. Rickey Hood was 4-of-5 from the floor, including two triples, and tied a season high with 12 points. Nicchaeus Doaks led all rebounders with eight caroms.

The two teams combined for 47 personal fouls and 51 free throws.

The Mocs will return home to McKenzie Arena this weekend, hosting The Citadel Saturday night. The game will open a stretch of five games in 10 days.

Notes:

Davidson’s 14 steals were a high by a UTC opponent this season.

The last time the Mocs turned the ball over 30 or more times in a game was January 2, 2003 at Cincinnati (31).28 free throw attempts by Davidson were a season-high for a UTC opponent.

The Mocs previous high for turnovers this season was 26 at Florida.

For the second time this season the Mocs started the game at the free throw line. Davidson's Boris Meno was assessed a technical foul for dunking during warm-ups.

Wildcats destroy UTC

From Charlotte Observer:

Wildcats rout Mocs

Davidson's defense rattles Chattanooga into 30 turnovers
KEVIN CARY

DAVIDSON - The student section chanted "That's too easy!" midway through the second half of Davidson's 87-57 win against Chattanooga on Tuesday.

The chant came after a 3-pointer by Jason Richards gave the Wildcats a 30-point lead, and at first glance, the Wildcats' win appeared to be an effortless task.

Chattanooga had 30 turnovers -- 21 in the first half -- and never led after the first minute of the game. Simple, right?

Davidson sophomores Max Paulhus Gosselin and Andrew Lovedale knew better.

The foundation for Tuesday's win came from a defensive approach that never let Chattanooga get comfortable. The Mocs tried to slow the pace, but Paulhus Gosselin and Lovedale wouldn't allow it.

They double-teamed Chattanooga point guards as soon as they received inbounds passes, and scrapped to create turnovers. Paulhus Gosselin denied one inbounds pass to create a five-second call, and Lovedale dove to scoop up a loose ball.

"I know they don't expect me to score 30 points a game," said Paulhus Gosselin, who averages five. "I just always try to bring defensive energy. Those guys knew me and Andrew were always going to be waiting for them."

The duo combined for 13 points and four steals, and forced Chattanooga into a faster pace.

That played into Davidson's hand. Led by freshman guard Stephen Curry, the Wildcats (21-4, 12-1 Southern) had more firepower than the Mocs. He had 24 points in 23 minutes, including 11 during a 15-4 opening run.

"I knew when I came here that coach (Bob) McKillop would give me free license to shoot," said Curry, who broke the freshman season scoring record with 502 points. "That gave me a lot of confidence, and I have just gone from there."

Lovedale said he didn't get his shooting license until two weeks ago. He averages four points, but his quickness and athleticism create trouble for opposing offenses.

"You get one turnover, and then you think `I can do it again,' " Lovedale said. "And then you've got three or four."

That's what happened to Chattanooga (10-15, 3-10), which trailed by as many as 40. The Mocs averaged a turnover a minute for the first 27 minutes.

Observations Chattanooga vs. Davidson

• You can understand why Davidson forward Boris Meno might want to practice dunking -- he's missed more than the rest of his teammates combined. But Meno was called for a technical foul before the opening tip after dunking in warm-ups.

• Stephen Curry is considered an NBA prospect by at least one Southern Conference coach, and maybe by the referees, too. A Davidson freshman, he was permitted two steps after a foul call to complete a layup in the first half, something usually allowed only in the NBA.

• Chattanooga tried to slow Davidson in the first half by going deep into the shot clock on every possession. But the move muzzled the Mocs, who took only two shots and had eight turnovers in the first seven minutes.

• Meno and sophomore forward Andrew Lovedale must hear coach Bob McKillop in their sleep. McKillop constantly encourages them while they play defense, loud enough to be heard across the arena.

SoCon gets props in Sports Illustrated

"Finally, the unsung Southern Conference -- 19th in conference RPI -- may actually have an argument for two bids depending on what happens in its league tournament. Davidson, 11-1 in the league and No. 64 in the RPI, currently fills the league's automatic spot on my bracket, but Appalachian State (9-3, No. 53) actually holds the more impressive resume with neutral court or road wins over not only Davidson, but also Virginia, Vanderbilt and Colonial leader Virginia Commonwealth. The 17-6 Mountaineers' problem is they've also lost to No. 187 UNC-Greensboro, No. 188 Furman and No. 280 Elon."

Davidson receives more Top 25 votes

Davidson received 2 votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week.

Exciting stuff!!!

Another good crowd for Saturday's game

The reported attendance for the game against UNC-G was 4,588, which looked great on TV.

Attendance is up about 25% from last year, according to Kevin Cary's Observations section in The Charlotte Observer.

Great job of getting to the games this year, Davdison fans!

Lady Wildcat Coach: Annette Watts

Here's an interview with Annette Watts, head coach of the Davidson Women's Basketball team, as published by The Davidsonian.

Interview:
A Conversation with Annette Watts

For those of you that don't know, The Davidsonian is now published online.

Thanks to Will Bryan for the link from his blog and for doing the interview.

Article in Chattanooga paper

Fresh stars help SoCon

By David Uchiyama

Staff Writer

Davidson guard Stephen Curry spurned Virginia Tech. Western Carolina forward Nick Aldridge backed off a commitment to the University of Cincinnati after Bob Huggins left.

Their choices have been great for them and bad for the rest of the Southern Conference.

For the first time since Jason Conley and Kevin Martin entered their freshman years, the SoCon has two freshmen carrying huge loads for their teams with efforts that may land them on the allconference team.

"When you get freshmen playing experience and they learn how to win, by the time they’re juniors and seniors they know exactly how to win," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "A lot of freshmen are getting an opportunity to play."

Curry and Aldridge aren’t the only talented SoCon players who needed directions to classrooms a few months ago. Adept freshmen highlight rosters across the league.

There are Tony White Jr. at the College of Charleston, Kendall Toney and Ben Stywall at UNC Greensboro, Kellen Brand at Appalachian State and Junior Salters of Wofford, along with the lesserknown William Archambault at Davidson and Jake Robinson at Western Carolina.

"Each year there has more been good freshmen coming into the league," Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price said. "You’re not going to see any down slide in our league."

Curry has received most of the attention so far this season. The son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry has been featured on ESPN.com, in a long story by the Associated Press and in other media across the South.

He is second in the SoCon in scoring with an average of 19.5 points per game and second also with 75 made 3-pointers.

Unlike most of the rookies who hit the "freshman wall" this time of year because of the extended season compared to high school, Curry has maintained his production.

"He has a 12-month cycle," McKillop said. "I don’t think the length of the season is impacting him. That second wind is something Steph has a great hold on.

"Curry is in a special situation where the Wildcats are maintaining a successful program. Davidson scared Ohio State in the NCAA tournament last season and won Arizona State’s tournament this year.

But Aldridge and Robinson chose Western Carolina because they want to be part of something new. The Catamounts haven’t been in the SoCon tournament final since 1996, when WCU beat Davidson under former coach Phil Hopkins.

"It’s an opportunity to turn things around and get a winning program at Western," said Aldridge, who is fourth in the SoCon with 16.1 points per game and 10th in rebounding at 6.5 per game.

"Lots of guys want to go into a winning program," he said. "You’re remembered more when they haven’t been winning and you start getting the fan base going and campus buzzing.

"That’s more satisfying than being at a program that’s already arrived."

Charlotte Observer article

No worries, thanks to Curry
Wildcats freshman scores 29 points, fuels critical run
KEVIN CARY

DAVIDSON - Stephen Curry threw UNC Greensboro for a loop in Davidson's 75-65 win
Saturday.

The Davidson freshman scored 29 points and hit seven 3-pointers, two during a loop around the court that dazzled his teammates, coach and opponents.

UNC Greensboro standout Kyle Hines' free throw cut Davidson's lead to 57-51 with about 10 minutes left. But the Wildcats hustled the ball up to Curry, who sank a 3-pointer along the right baseline.

"I saw my man leaking out when I took the shot," Curry said. "I knew I had to hustle back."

Curry sprinted to the other end of the court and stole a long bounce pass under the basket to thwart a breakaway lay-up. Curry shifted the ball to his left hand, pushed it up the court and pulled up for a 3-pointer along the left baseline.

The shot fell, and Curry had turned the game in Davidson's favor (20-4, 11-1 Southern) in 12 seconds.

"That's as magical a sequence as I've ever seen," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said.

It gave Davidson a 63-51 lead, and Curry playfully stuck out his tongue to the Davidson student section as he bounced around the court. UNC Greensboro (12-10, 9-3) never got within 10 points after that.

"To be honest with you, Curry is a lock for (conference) freshman of the year, but he might be the player of the year too," UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement said.

That statement came with UNC Greensboro star Kyle Hines, who leads the league in scoring and rebounding, sitting next to his coach. But Hines, who scored 14 points in the first half, helping UNC Greensboro take a four-point halftime lead, faded after that.

Hines scored four points after halftime and struggled to shoot over Davidson forward Boris Meno, who scored 20 points for the Wildcats.

Point guard Jason Richards also stepped up in the second half. Richards had 14 of his 17 points after halftime, and along with Curry, contributed to the decisive run.

Richards had the first eight points of the Wildcats' 17-2 run that gave Davidson a 65-51 lead, but Curry had the final eight, including the spectacular six-point stretch.

"For a freshman to do something like that is just unheard of," Richards said. "But (those plays) really got us going."

Charlotte Observer: Kevin Cary

Observations Kevin Cary
• Davidson junior forward Boris Meno scored 20 points, but he must wonder about the shots that got away. Meno made his first nine shots and would have set a school record with 10 straight field goals if he hadn't missed an uncontested layup. He missed another uncontested layup and finished 9-of-11.

• UNC Greensboro's Ricky Hickman is the kind of streaky player who can frustrate a coach. Hickman averaged 23 points last week and was named Southern Conference player of the week, but went scoreless on three shots Saturday and committed five turnovers.

• Davidson guard Max Paulhus Gosselin plays with abandon on the court, but that fire can be a detriment on offense. He can rush drives to the basket, and often misses layups.

• Davidson point guard Jason Richards will be sore today. He crashed to the floor after a layup in the second half and hobbled with a sore left foot.

• UNC Greensboro freshman Kendall Toney, a former Gaston Day standout, had a forgettable return in front of local fans. He shot 1-of-6, and missed all four 3-point attempts.

• The Belk Arena crowd has swelled this season. Attendance is up 25 percent from last season to almost 3,800 a game.

Article from Greensboro News-Record

Davidson uncommonly good
By Eli Pacheco
Special to the News & Record
DAVIDSON -- Stephen Curry's afternoon?

Definitely uncommon.

His two-series run that depleted UNCG's energy on the road?

His coach called it "magical."

Curry, son of former Charlotte Hornets guard Del Curry, scored 29 points, stepping back and brashly hitting 3-pointers from all around, and Davidson parlayed 22 turnovers into 22 transition points in a 75-65 victory against UNCG on Saturday at Belk Arena.
With Kyle Hines straining to stay involved on offense, Curry pushed Davidson's lead to double digits single-handedly.

Davidson led 60-51 on Curry's 3-pointer from the right wing. Seconds later, Curry stripped Ricky Hickman of the ball, darted to a spot on the left wing and launched another 3. He was already escaping upcourt, wearing a smile for the end-zone student section and tongue flapping, as it fell through the net, giving Davidson a 63-51 lead.

"To have a performance like he did, for 39 minutes, is extraordinary," Wildcats coach Bob McKillop said. "Within the confines of that performance, there was one of the most magical sequences I've seen as a coach in a long period of team. Having the energy to do that, that was as magical and electric and you can get in college basketball."

Click here for entire article.

UNC-G post-game comment

I'm going to pass on the obvious topics from today's game until a little later. I want to comment on the play of a Wildcat that does not get much attention, but is a HUGE part of the success of this team.

"MPG"

Max hustles and busts his tail every minute that he's on the floor. Watching the game on TV today made me really appreciate the little things that he does that contrbuted to the victory. His effort on defense causes confusion and disarray for opponents. At the beginning of the second half, Max tipped the inbounds pass that UNC-G made and almost got a steal. Most players would not have made such an effort for the inbounds pass that opened the second half. He also puts relentless pressure on his man. These plays alone do not win games, but the consistent hustle and making these sort of plays over and over do win games. That's what Max does.

I think most fans appreciate what he does. His hustle just really stood out to me today, and I wanted to give him credit for what he did.

Great hustle today, Max. Keep it up. Your effort is noticed and appreciated. We will need you to continue your outstanding defense in this final stretch of the season.

Article from UNC-G website

Second half surge lifts Davidson past UNCG, 75-65

GREENSBORO, NC – A 17-2 Wildcat run midway through the second half was the difference as Davidson defeated UNC Greensboro, 75-65, in a clash of Southern Conference division leaders Saturday afternoon at Belk Arena.

UNCG (12-10, 9-3 SoCon), which began the day tied atop the SoCon North Division with Appalachian State, had its five-game winning streak snapped with the loss. UNCG had also won six straight conference games.

UNCG was led by Kyle Hines and Mikko Koivisto with 18 points each. Koivisto knocked down six three-pointers on the afternoon.

Click here for entire article.

Article from Davidson website

Davidson Men Secure 75-65 Win in Battle of First Place Teams

Box Score Postgame Audio
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Stephen Curry scored a game-high 29 points including seven treys, and Boris Meno added 20 to lead Davidson to a 75-65 victory over UNC Greensboro in Southern Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon in front of 4,588 fans at Belk Arena. The win was the fourth straight for the Wildcats and 16th in their last 17 as they improved to 20-4 overall and 11-1 in the league. UNCG had its six-game SoCon streak snapped, falling to 12-10 and 9-3.

This afternoon’s triumph marks the third consecutive campaign Davidson has reached 20 wins and seventh time under Head Coach Bob McKillop. The last time the Wildcats strung together three straight 20-win seasons was from 1968-70.

Curry, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C., connected on 11-of-20 from the field to finish with at least 23 points for the fourth consecutive game while reaching 20 for the 11th time this season.

Click here for entire article.

AP article on SportingNews.com

Davidson 75, UNC-Greensboro 65
Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Stephen Curry scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers. to lead Davidson to a 75-65 Southern Conference win Saturday over UNC-Greensboro.

Boris Meno had 20 points and had nine rebounds for the Wildcats (20-4, 11-1) and Jason Richards added 17, for the only other players in double figures.

Kyle Hines and Mikko Koivisto each scored 18 points for the Spartans (12-10, 9-3). Kevin Oleksiak had 12 points. Hines grabbed eight rebounds and tied the school career field goal record with 596.

The loss snapped a a five-game win streak for the Spartans.

CollegeHoopsNet.com almost predicts game

UNC-Greensboro at Davidson (Saturday, 2:00 PM, Regional TV): Two of the best in the Southern Conference go head-to-head. UNC-Greensboro is sitting at 9-2, tied with Appalachian State in the North Division, after winning five in a row, including a win over ASU. Davidson is 10-1 in the conference, and has won 15 of 16.

Prediction: Davidson 78, UNC-Greensboro 71

SoCon a two-bid conference?

Article from the Charleston Post & Courier:

Two-bid SoCon 'not crazy talk'
BY JEFF HARTSELL

The Southern Conference famously has never placed two basketball teams into the NCAA Tournament. But with less than a month to go in the regular season, the SoCon still has a shot at shedding the "one-bid league" tag, at least for one year.

"Two-bid SoCon? It's not crazy talk at this point," ventures ESPN.com's Andy Glockner in his latest "Drive to 65" analysis of potential NCAA teams.

The SoCon's two candidates for at-large status are Appalachian State (17-5, 9-2) and Davidson (19-4, 10-1), which stand No. 45 and No. 65 in the latest RPI rankings, according to realtimerpi.com

While it might not be crazy talk, it's still a long shot. What would have to happen? Something wild, like Davidson and App State going undefeated the rest of the regular season and meeting in the finals of the SoCon Tournament at the North Charleston Coliseum in March. That would pit a 28-4 Davidson squad against a 27-5 App State team.

Click here for entire article.

Preview: UNC-G game

GAME NOTES:

From Davidson website

From UNC-G website

Live Stats:

click here for Davidson's live stats page

click here for UNC-G's live stats page

Audio:

Davidson's radio network will also available on Sirius satelite radio (Channel 147)

Listen via the internet on Davidson's Teamline broadcast: click here

UNC-G preview page

Don't forget that the game is being televised on SportSouth and SoCon TV.

Davidson women beat Charleston

Men, women...I don't care. I just love beating College of Charleston.

Go Cats!!
Davidson 72, College of Charleston 63

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Davidson erased a 15-point halftime deficit with a 19-2 run to start the second half and Tia Washington (Charlotte, N.C.) set a new career-high with 19 points to lead the Wildcats to a come-from-behind 72-63 victory over College of Charleston in Southern Conference women¹s basketball action Wednesday evening at Belk Arena. With the win, the Wildcats improved to 18-4 overall and 9-2 in league competition, while the Cougars fell to 5-6 in league play and 10-12 on the campaign.

Wildcats face UNC-G at 2 pm on Saturday

This game will be televised on SportSouth, formerly Turner South. Check your local listings for availability, which I don't believe to be very widespread.

For those of you that don't get SportSouth, the game will apparently be broadcast on SoCon TV.