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.