How Far Can Davidson, Curry Go?

How do you even begin to describe a player like Stephen Curry? Unfortunately we haven’t seen enough of him to truly get a grip on how special he really is, but that’s one of things that makes the tournament so great. Any of the Dickie V cliché’s fit perfectly here - diaper dandy, sensational, awesome with a capital a – take your pick. What How he ended up playing for the third tier North Carolina college, is what truly eludes me. Since the tournament started he is clearly the best player in the nation, shot for shot, minute for minute, play for play. Bar none.

Bigger than Curry is Davidson, and that’s what truly makes him special, he does what he does, but only within the team concept, and that’s why Davidson is so scary right now. So many talented players just don’t get it, Curry does. It took Kobe Bryant several years, and a number switch, before he realized that he could only go so far on his own. As great as a collegian as Michael Beasley was, at times he put his offensive output before the team’s success.

Curry gets his numbers, there’s no doubt about that, but he does so within the flow of the offense. He realizes when it’s time to take over, as evidenced by the 25 points he scored in the second round match-up against Georgetown, and the 30 he point up against Gonzaga, and he knows when it’s time to step back and let his teammates get into the flow of the game.

“..I was just going to be patient and not force the issue,” Curry explained about Sunday’s game, “because I have total confidence in my teammates to make plays, and so that showed in the first half.”.

A lot of people have been quick to compare them to George Mason, in reference to the Final Four run the Patriots made in 2006, though it is flattering, and it takes something away from what this team has accomplished. George Mason’s run was a fluke; so many circumstances had to fall into place for them to succeed. Davidson is just realizing their destiny, they were meant to be here.

Another misconception is that it’s Curry versus the world, which is so far from the truth. Davidson isn’t, well, David. If they’re current 24-game winning streak and 20-0 conference record doesn’t legitimize them, doesn’t do it for you, then I don’t know what will. Maybe the fact that along with Curry, who scored 70 points in the opening weekend, they also have the nation’s most prolific point guard in Jason Richards, who leads all comers in assists.

Bob McKillop, Davidson’s coach, put it best after the Georgetown win.

“This is a very, very, special group in that they’re accustomed to winning, and when you’re accustomed to winning, it’s a fire that rages,” McKillop said. “Steph is a torch on one end; Jason Richards is the torch on the other end. You light that torch and as the fire burns, it also keeps that torch burning. Your two catalysts, their torch is constantly being replenished by the fire they established.”

We know that this team is for real, and that Curry is one of the nation’s premier players, so the question now is whether or not they can continue their run, and how far they can go. In a previous article I hinted that Davidson had a chance to get to this point, but I didn’t come right out and say it. This time I won’t make the same mistake. Granted, it’s a lot easier, not to mention safer, but after getting past Roy Hibbert and Georgetown, I feel like the sky’s the limit for this team.

It’s not going to be easy for them. They basically ran Georgetown off the court during the last ten minutes of Sunday’s game, that isn’t going to happen against Wisconsin. They match-up very well, and their styles of play are very similar. So it may come down to the lost attribute: experience.

IWS college basketball expert Jeff Truitt echoed these sentiments earlier today in our podcast (be on the lookout for it later this week).

“Davidson has been riding the horse too long, it might be time for them fall off. These teams match-up great, the only difference is that Davidson has the star power. Wisconsin is more of a team, they’ve been there, they aren’t going to get shaken up by the bright lights. If Stephen Curry and company come out of the gates with a hitch in their step, it’s over. I think that’s exactly what is going to happen, you can’t teach the elements you need once you get to this level.”

Even with experience on their side, I have to go against my partner here and say yes, Davidson will persevere. They’ve been through the fire against Georgetown, and they came out prestine. This thing could go either way, we’re still finding out who Davidson is. Wisconsin is the safe pick, but playing it safe killed me in my brackets, and I’m not willing to make that same mistake again.

There’s just something special about this team, about Curry, and right now I feel like he’s that his talent and drive won’t let him fail. He’s putting together a performance for the ages, how can you pick against that?