Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Live Blog: Davidson 57 Kansas 59
I apologize for getting the live blog going so late. The Elite 8 is not the time for computer trouble. Let's hope we are past it now.
Davidson definitely won that first round as they got several defensive stops on two steals and a block as Kansas' huge offense got a little cocky and forced things that weren't there.
Davidson is getting single coverage on their forwards down low so they are working the ball to them, but Kansas has stopped the Wildcat attack well.
Curry is now 0-2 with two rimouts but the rest of the Wildcats are fighting strong.
14:20 D 2 K 4
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Curry leads Davidson's rebounders now which is good...it means that the bigs are taking Kansas' forwards out of the equation.
But Davidson can't get anything offensively. Kansas has arms all over the perimeter and bodies are flying in the post.
Thankfully, Kansas is shooting a low percentage and the Jayhawks are picking up fouls left and right. But with every Wildcat shot that rims out, you feel like it's a missed opportunity for the Final Four. And that you are just waiting for Kansas to turn it on.
Wow...another huge block on Sander inside. The pump fake doesn't work here. Curry still off.
In case you can't tell on TV, this place is so pro-Davidson it's not even funny.
Sander with a big three and Davidson has a one-point lead...Richards all the way and this place is hype.
Lovedale picks up his first foul in commanding fashion sending Jackson to the line and to the floor.
Kansas is currently shooting 3-13 while Davidson is 4-15. The Jayhawks have edges in blocks (3-1) and rebounds (12-8) as expected. Two rounds in and the Wildcats probably have Kansas a little surprised with their defensive athleticism. This isn't a team from the Big East...this is the Southern Conference champion, they are good.
11:03 D 9 K 6
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J-Rich launches a shot at the end of the shot clock and Boris tips the rebound away from Andrew...tough tough break. Kansas ties at the other end and Robinson continues to do a good job on Curry...
Lucky karma as Curry hits his first three of the game. That's the NCAA record for Stephen Curry.
Curry in the lane...Curry in the corner...Curry, Curry, Curry.
Rossiter in and he knocks away an inbound. Curry gives this team a confidence that no other challenger to a one seed has.
Three rounds in...Wildcats have it so far. Pressure is starting to squeeze on Kansas. This isn't as easy as they thought it would be.
7:56 D 17 K 16
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What a spectacle right in front of me as the Kansas cheerleaders are nearly pleading with the crowd to get loud. They get no response whatsoever. Who'd have thunk that Davidson would have a home-court advantage in Detroit too?
Curry in the lane and he has 10 points.
Chalmers hits a big three to pull Kansas even but Davidson is out running again. And Richards in the lane for two.
Chalmers again. He's got a really nice touch fading away. Of course, so does Stephen Curry...back and forth, back and forth.
Bryant Barr is not on tonight with two pretty bad misses. Those big forwards flying at him clearly messes with him a ton. Like to see Will get a shot out there on the wing. His pump and penetration could slow down their closeouts.
4:59 D 23 K 23
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Davidson's double team does great work again forcing another timeout. Kansas only has three left for the whole game. How many times do we have to tell you that you are going to get double-teamed on the low block (hint: I know how to beat it, but I won't tell you).
Meno with a huge play, sacrificing his body to save the ball as the shot clock wound down. Before Kansas could recover it, whistles blew for a violation.
Richards airballs from the top of the key with another long arm flying at him. But Davidson's defense continues to be the story of this team...it is so underrated and unheralded, but it is the reason that Kansas hasn't stomped on Davidson yet. Heck, they aren't even beating them at this point. Gregg Doyel has practically said that Davidson would win the game if it got to this point.
Davidson's mini pressure doesn't work that time as Kansas' forward doesn't have to shoot a floater but goes right over Lovedale in the lane. This strategy worked against Georgetown because their forward stopped to shoot. Not here.
Davidson misses again and Kansas gets to the line...their free throws have been pretty bad thus far, but Davidson has seven team fouls.
Curry gets fouled on a three-point attempt...he was thinking and thinking and thinking about it and Kansas knew it, but they still fouled his arm. Curry having a great half.
Before the game, I talked about the block-to-charge ratio. I thought that if Davidson won it, they could win this game. Right now Davidson has taken two charges and been called for one block on nearly identical plays. Looking good.
1:17 D 28 K 28
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3 charges to 1 block.
Kansas with a nice play to end the half as they sensed the double team and dished to the baseline. I sometimes wonder why these teams don't do that on every play. You look at that and wonder how they are only up by two at the half.
Davidson is killed on the boards, but they are playing strong on their 50-50 balls. Not much foul trouble either. Call me crazy, but I think that Davidson is going to win this game. The Wildcats have outscored their oppponents by large margins in every second half of this NCAA Tournament. They will only have to score three more points than Kansas to win this one. That's one Stephen Curry three-pointer from the corner. I think it's going to happen.
Halftime D 28 K 30
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Curry...what a release...I have no idea how he got that three off. Kansas' inside game vs. Curry. Davidson needs a couple more jumpshots from everyone else.
Monster pass from Richards to Sander for the layup and the foul.
The newspaper writers from the Daily Kansan ask me if Curry will be the first Davidson player to leave early for the NBA. I pause and stare at him before I break out Mike Maloy.
Kansas plays size ball as Kahn gets an alley-oop and Kansas rebounds the free throw.
Lovedale now has three fouls. They are going right at him. Thankfully, Kansas can't hit free throws...that's 2-7 for the game.
The Wildcats really need to get some jumpers from people other than Curry. MPG skies for the rebound and Kahn picks up his third foul.
First round of the second half done and Davidson won it by 2.
15:51 D 35 K 35
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Lovedale with a monster rebound and sticks it back. Holy cow...he's playing with three fouls and a lot of time. But God knows we need him.
Kansas athleticism coming into play with a big steal and getting hands on Rossiter's outlet pass. What an up and down game. Kansas is not playing that well but they have kept Curry out of it in the last few minutes.
Lovedale barely misses another tough shot...and the fouls are mounting on Davidson as Kansas gets to the bucket.
Kansas is going to go on runs but you have to limit it and not create permanent damage (a la major foul trouble). Curry is getting pushed to halfcourt.
Kansas drives on Barr and gets the shot and the foul. And the free throws are starting to go down.
Kansas' bench right in front of me has energy for the first time tonight.
Round two to Kansas.
11:59 D 38 K 43
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Bryant Barr hits from the corner but Curry turns it over and Kansas dunks. And Barr again. Two huge threes to cut it to 1.
And Lovedale scores and is fouled. Crowd erupts as Davidson takes back the lead. This is the Sweet Caroline round and Davidson wants to go into it with momentum...two and a half more minutes.
Every empty Kansas possession causes raucous cheers from the crowd. Bryant BARR!!!!! Three huge ones.
And Curry stops on a dime and hits mid-range. Max goes flying out of bounds and comes screaming back into the play.
Kansas uses a timeout and Davidson emphatically wins that round. I don't half mind Curry at the point. It opens up alot.
7:30 D 51 K 47
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Kansas with a mini-run off a bad J-Rich turnover and a big Kansas three. Sweet Caroline could have been better thirty seconds before.
Curry had a little too much adrenaline on that three as he has a capella Sweet Caroline echoing.
Bryant Barr with his 11th point underneath. But Kansas is eating Davidson alive in the paint.
Dangerous time right here with Davidson down three on defense. Get the stop and Meno saves a bad pass, but Richards turns it over. Cmon buddy.
Final round and Davidson trails by three. This is it. No more turnovers.
3:31 D 53 K 56
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Lovedale gets an o-rebound but didn't get the foul call as went back up. He then picks up a frustration one and then gets his fifth on the other end. He's done....what a standing ovation. Let's go Rossiter.
Kahn at the line and Kansas looks to be in the driver's seat. Barr almost turns it over. And Curry just can't get a shot.
Kansas ball and we are getting close to being cooked.
Richards steals and Curry has the chance...but the miracle isn't there.
Kansas on the line up four ...1:15 left. Up five. Davidson needs a few miracles now. Down six.
Curry misses another good look. It feels like we've dried up of the big shots here in the end. Time is ticking, and it looks like the Elite 8 curse might still be in effect.
59.8 sec D 53 K 59
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Sander has the layup but gets fouled and misses it. On the line...hits the first. Do you play it out or foul? Misses the second and Kansas tips it out of bounds. Davidson ball, down 5.
Curry for a long three! And timeout. Davidson down 2. Miracles...miracles...miracles...need one or two more...what is that about shooters need to keep shooting?
Kansas misses and Davidson gets the ball, down 2. Need a miracle. Who's going to shoot it? My money is on Bryant Barr...Curry is going to get all of the attention.
16 sec D 57 K 59
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Richards gets the look at the top of the key and misses left. Davidson came so close. Oh so close.
All 1 seeds advance for the first time ever, but I bet your money wasn't on a 10 seed to have a shot to win at the end.
Davidson's miracle season ends one shot from the Final Four once again.
For the illustrious careers of Thomas Sander, Boris Meno and Jason Richards...we thank you.
Final D 57 K 59
Friday, March 28, 2008
Davidson blows out Wisconsin, advances to Elite 8
After the biggest win of Davidson's program in the last forty years, there was no mobbing at center court. The locker room was not being torn apart and there were only two media members talking to players other than Stephen Curry and Jason Richards.
Davidson's 73-56 win over third-seeded Wisconsin in the Midwest region semifinals was not a miracle of epic proportions. Davidson didn't need a last second three-pointer from Stephen Curry to cap off a big comeback. Instead, Davidson handed the champions of the Big Ten a good, ol-fashioned whupping.
After being tied at the half, Davidson went on a tear in the second stanza as Curry scored 22 second-half points to finish with 33 for the game. His high-flying show of dagger three-pointers and insane reverse layups was accentuated by Jason Richards' superb 11-point, 13-assist, 0-turnover performance. Andrew Lovedale continued to put up big numbers in the NCAA Tournament as he scored 12 points on 5-5 shooting.
By the end of the contest, not only had Davidson advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1969 and won three straight NCAA tournament games for the first time ever, but they also continued to put their mark in the Davidson record book for years to come. Richards' 13 assists put him in first place all-time as Davidson's assist leader, while Curry's six three-pointers helped him tie the NCAA record for three-pointers in a season. Davidson's 29 wins ties last year's mark as the most all-time in Davidson's history.
After a first half where the Wildcats and Badgers exchanged punches from the three-point line and on the glass, Davidson was able to run away through the strength of their defense. The Wildcats forced seven second-half turnovers and held Wisconsin to 23% from the field. More importantly, Davidson was able to get in the open court and create open looks against one of the best defenses in the country.
"Michael Flowers is a great defender, but I was able to find a lot of open spots in transition," Curry said afterwards. "Our defense helped create those opportunities and that's one of our biggest strengths as a team."
Although many writers thought that Wisconsin's size and game plan would slow down the Wildcats and force a grind-out affair, it was actually Davidson's defense and their team speed that took center stage.
"We love playing in the open court," Jason Richards said. "We are a team that plays fast. That's just what we do at Davidson."
And so as Davidson becomes the ever rare double digit seed to make the Elite 8, objective observers can't help but notice that this team does not fit the mold of your typical "cinderella."
In the post-game, a New York Post reporter asked Jason Richards how "teeny Davidson" seemed to out-physical the mighty Badgers.
"We won't back down from everyone."
The Wildcats actually outscored the taller Wisconsin squad 22-18 in the paint and won the rebounding battle in the second half.
Not only are these Wildcats strong and physical, they have a star player that belongs on the biggest stage. They have a player that Cinderella mid-majors aren't supposed to get their hands on. And on this biggest stage, Curry put on a show for the world and for one of the best players of that even bigger stage of the NBA, LeBron James.
"It is really cool for a guy like Lebron to come out and support us," Curry said. James was on his feet at several points in the second half, awe-struck with the moves of Curry.
But after you add up Davidson's strength and star power, you are left with a very glaring reality on this Friday night. These Wildcats played to win from the opening tip, and after rolling through the Big Ten champions, they acted like they had been here before.
"At the beginning of this season, I told John Kilgo that I wanted to win the National Championship," Andrew Lovedale said. "I wasn't joking."
Live Blog: Davidson 73 Wisconsin 56
Welcome to the Live Blog of the Sweet Sixteen in Detroit, MI. I came up here virtue of Davidson's trustees who payed for over four hundred students to come Detroit for a free weekend. As I mentioned in that previous post, this city has embraced Davidson and if the Wildcats pull out a win tonight, it will be a fun weekend of revelry with tons of new friends and Wildcat fans.
That being said, we all need to pay attention to the platforms of our major political candidates because the poor economy has really hit Detroit hard. Over half of all the buildings in the middle of downtown seemed to be boarded up. This city needs some life back.
But on to basketball. Ford Field is as huge as advertised and they added a couple of feet of soft padding on the edge of the court all the way around so we still hope that no one goes flying off the three foot drop. It will be interesting to watch substitutions on the fly as bench players have to climb onto the court to run over to the scorers table. I also feel like the noise won't be much of a factor either way here. The band sound is hooked up to the complex's speaker system and the crowd seems very faint way back behind me.
Alright Davidson taking the court now. No nerves here, Ms. Biggers from View from Press Row says she's nervous, but I don't see any reason to be. The players are relaxed, the coaching staff is prepared and the stage is set for something special tonight.
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Curry with a steal and feed to Lovedale for the game's first basket. Wisconsin doesn't look scary but they aren't bad. Lovedale picks up his first foul just a minute in, which isn't good. It looked like a clean block.
Long rebound that Lovedale chases but has to let go. If that is in Raleigh he flies out of bounds to save it.
Butch with a three and Curry answers. It is so quiet on the court. I am floored by this. How can you have such a big event and have it sound like a funeral.
Bad possession for Davidson as Richards takes too long to get things going, but Max gets a steal and then gets points underneath. Wisconsin answers by hitting the side of the backboard. Wow.
Davidson's defense is the story right now with two steals while Wisconsin hasn't been able to deny open shots for the Wildcats.
15:34 D 7 W 5
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Davidson comes out of the media with the same lineup. Five minutes in and no subs yet.
Outside shooting is sketchy and it's no mystery why. They shouldn't be playing basketball in this place.
Offensive foul on Lovedale and the Wildcats are in trouble. That's two for him just like against Georgetown. Meno will have to play very confidently to sky for some rebounds. Rossiter and Archambault see their first looks...Curry has only hit one shot so far.
Make that two. Flowers got through the first screen but the second one tripped him up.
Flowers goes after a loose one and is the first to leave the court right in front of me.
Richards with a huge three with an expiring shot clock and Davidson takes the lead back. The Wildcats have nine of their thirteen from three point range and they will probably keep shooting out there because of what happened on Archambault's last drive to the hoop. He got packed.
11:56 D 13 W 10
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Badger guard Trevon Hughes is getting some wrapping on his right ankle right in front of me.
The Badgers continue to swing the ball well and are getting their three-point looks. Archambault with a huge three-pointer from the corner and then Sander gets a basket before Wisconsin can set up.
Refs are calling hand checks on Davidson's big men on the perimeter. That isn't good, especially because they haven't been called on Davidson at all before in this tournament.
Wisconsin is using their rebounding to some advantage now as they get some second-chance looks and knock down threes only because of their height advantage.
But Curry is having an explosive half himself with three threes...and then Flowers hits a three. The outside shooting has come alive.
They just showed a replay of Curry's last j and he definitely picked up his pivot foot. The Wisconsin fans are trying to show disapproval but you just can't hear them. It's almost boring down here.
6:02 D 25 W 28
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Richards for three. Barr for three. I remember this team now. And then Lovedale with a huge baseline J and Wisconsin burns a timeout. Davidson with a five point lead.
And Jason Richards has just tied Ali Ton's mark for most career assists in a Wildcat uniform.
Word on the street is that Lebron James is sitting behind Davidson's Joey Beeler. Maybe Joey will get on TV. Again.
Wisconsin's big men are much "bigger" than either Georgetown's or Gonzaga's. They use their height to block shots, sky for rebounds and hit easy layups. This was what was supposed to happen to Davidson last weekend.
Brian Butch got poked in the eye on that last play where Meno interfered with the ball in the cylinder. We will see if it affects him.
2:43 D 33 W 33
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Offensive rebounds are the story of this game right now. Wisconsin has an 8-2 edge. But then Davidson has shot 8-14 from three point land so that's why we're so even.
Oooh...tough foul call with no time left on the shot clock and four second left in the half. Davidson has played very tough defensively, but Wisconsin has a real big size advantage (15-5 on second chance points, 17-7 on rebounds).
But Davidson has not turned the ball over much and have a 4:1 assist ratio. They have pretty much played the best offensive half in a long time and yet they still had a few shots rim out that could have dropped. Nearly sixty percent from three does not happen every day. Jason Richards' six first-half assists are enough to pass Ali Ton for tops all-time. Davidson's all-time assist leader is Jason Richards with 647 and counting.
It is really hard to judge momentum right now. Wisconsin has shown that they can score in an easier fashion (layups being easier than threes), but they have also demonstrated that they can't shut down Davidson's outside game. In a smaller arena, I'd give the Wildcats the edge since they should have the crowd on their side in the second half, but that really doesn't seem to matter here.
Half D 36 W 36
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We open the half with a very ugly Curry three-pointer followed by another miss on the next possession. But two defensive stops turning into transition opps renders four points and two Wisconsin fouls.
Three Curry defensive stops now. And this is how Davidson does it. You have to hit your shots or Davidson will run you to death.
Wow...five fouls on Wisconsin now just three minutes into this half. No individual is in trouble but Davidson will be shooting free throws soon.
Andrew Lovedale with a huge dunk! And Davidson has a six-point lead.
And Curry is fouled going into the media. Round 1 of the second half goes unequivocally to Davidson. Everyone, including myself, repeatedly overlooks Davidson's defense and that has been the driving force behind this little run.
But the Wildcats now have to do what they did last weekend and not last year. You don't win the game with 16 minutes remaining. They have to keep winning the rounds.
15:57 D 44 W 38
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So the media get food service here on press court at Ford Field. They have some ladies that go around with snack trays and I have been killing some Skittles.
Wisconsin picks up their seventh foul blocking out on free throws and Davidson is going to the line from here on out.
Wow...whistles are going nuts. Two quick ones on Davidson that possession off the ball. Lovedale, Sander and Richards have two.
And a third on that possession and Sander has three. Bo Ryan has been in their ear. Four fouls. Same possession. This is freaking ridiculous.
Sander and Lovedale both have three fouls and are still in the game.
And Curry pumps...sends a Badger flying...and hits his second straight three. The crowd is mesmerized by this kid. Twenty three points for Curry and twelve in the second half. Lebron is on his feet.
13:01 D 54 W 45
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Lebron James makes the big screen and the Detroit Pistons fan boo.
Flowers and Curry go up for an inbound and Flowers comes down hard. Instead of going for the loose ball, Curry stands next to Flowers to see if he's alright. Wow.
Richards for three! And the barrage continues. Meno with a steal. Davidson misses on two shots and a Wildcat three that is launched a second after the shot clock isn't counted as it banks in. Fans go nuts...what is happening in front of us? Davidson up 12 with 11 minutes remaining. Wisconsin is shell-shocked.
Curry with a crossover and a three. Lebron goes nuts (I love how we are measuring this by his reactions now). Curry has 26.
Flop action by Wisconsin and Curry picks up a charge on the perimeter. Fans didn't like that one. The Badgers have a hard time scoring.
Flowers gets fouled underneath and Curry goes to help him out...Flowers will have none of it as he jumps straight to his feet. Don't diss Stephen Curry.
What'd I tell you. All the way to the hoop and the foul on the reverse layup. Don't mess with Stephen Curry.
A huge minute for Davidson. If they can get another basket into the Sweet Caroline...this place will burst. Dangit as Sander misses underneath.
But Lovedale does get a punctuation mark with a dunk and a foul and the students want Sweet Caroline.
7:57 D 65 W 48
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Davidson has to keep pushing their advantage right now. Thankfully Wisconsin is still missing threes...but Davidson can't just try to run out the clock. That's not what got them here. They have to keep scoring.
Andrew Lovedale to the line and the arena burts out with boos...but it's not because of Andrew. Lebron James just exited through the media tunnel and the fans rained down their hate.
Wisconsin is ice-cold from three right now. The Davidson fans can feel it as Curry gives Davidson a 21-point lead.
Wisconsin gets an easy layup, and calls a quick timeout to try to refocus. But I don't think that it is lack of focus that is giving Stephen Curry 31 points...
The Badgers cannot hit shots. I'm starting to do the math now...four minutes, 35 second possessions, 18 point lead.
Four minutes...cmon Cats. Pull off another miracle.
The students are going nuts up in their section. You can't hear them down here, but it looks like they are having fun.
3:49 D 69 W 51
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Davidson has been slack offensively, but the defense is keeping the pressure on. Tick tick tick.
Wisconsin getting to the line through some cheap calls but they aren't converting. If the Badgers had been trying this banger thing about 10 minutes ago, I would have been scared. But they shot themselves out of it by missing threes.
Tick tick tick.
From the student writers for Kansas: "I mean why would he have wanted to go to Virginia Tech. Davidson has a better basketball tradition now."
Cmon Cats. Put this one away with substance, don't walk to the finish.
I don't even feel all that giddy. Davidson is a better team. This isn't miraculous at all anymore. Davidson is in the Elite 8. There. I said it. Wow, that felt good.
1:15 D 73 W 56
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Never thought we would see Civi Time in the NCAA Tournament. What planet is this? And Mike Schmitt checks in. He didn't get PT against Furman! Now it's sinking in...Davidson is one of the best eight teams in the country in my book. Now miracles...pure talent.
Let's keep the dream alive, Cats! This is a statement to the rest of college basketball. 2008 is the year of the Cat!
Final Davidson 73 Wisconsin 56
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Good Times Never Seemed So Good
Davidson was just supposed to come into this NCAA Tournament and play to win. They were supposed to get better. And they were supposed to have fun. Everything else was deemed gravy. I'm not sure if the Wildcats can stomach this much gravy.
Davidson overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half to come back and beat the Hoyas from Georgetown, 74-70. With the win, the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 in Detroit to face the third-seeded Wisconsin Badgers.
The Wildcats looked dead in the water at several instances as stud sophomore Stephen Curry got in foul trouble and only scored five points in the first half.
As he did against Gonzaga on Friday, Jason Richards kept the Wildcats in the game by attacking the gigantic Georgetown forwards and getting them in foul trouble. Richards finished with 20 points and five assists.
The CBS Highlights will once again show several Stephen Curry shots from late in the game as helped give Davidson a lead it would never relinquish, scoring 30 points including a 9-10 performance from the line. But the story of this comeback was Davidson's defense.
The Wildcats forced 20 Georgetown turnovers and they converted those into 20 points on the other end. Those turnovers were crucial to Davidson being able to overcome Georgetown's 63% shooting mark from the field.
"At halftime, we made a slight adjustment with our pressure," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. "And that put them out of rhythm. It all started with that."
With the momentum from big defensive stops, Davidson was able to bring the crowd back in the game and force Georgetown into a pressured mental state. The Hoyas keyed on Curry and he found Wildcat forwards for easy layups.
"They were swamping me everywhere," Curry said. "But Jason took advantage of that. Our big guys did a heck of a job down low."
Andrew Lovedale, Boris Meno, Steve Rossiter, and Thomas Sander had the games of their lives as they continued to battle with Georgetown's big forwards, forcing DaJuan Summers and Roy Hibbert to commit eight turnovers and only hit seven field goals.
Sander's play was particularly awe-inspiring as he battled through an injured thumb to record eight points and bring down six rebounds. He put his body on the line constantly, taking the brunt of Roy Hibbert and drawing several offensive fouls on the Hoyas. He earned a standing ovation when he fouled out at the end of the game.
But ultimately, this game won't be remembered for the stat lines or any particular "Pontiac Game Changing Moment."
Davidson fans will remember this one forever because the Cats overcame so much when the threes weren't falling. They fought even when the shots weren't going in. Even when the crowd of North Carolina faithful stopped cheering, the Wildcats didn't give in.
"There was never a moment when we thought that we couldn't win this game," Jason Richards said. "You can't think you're not going to win the game. Instead I told Steph just to keep with it and keep shooting."
Eventually, the defensive pressure led to two-pointers. Then the twos begat threes, and the crowd was back in it for Davidson's signature Sweet Caroline moment.
"That's our anthem," Richards said. "When the whole stadium started singing it and we felt it inside of us, it was just so much fun. If you aren't having fun in the NCAA Tournament, then there is something wrong with you."
By the time I made it to the Davidson locker room, the media crowd has disassembled and the players were left to eat their sandwiches and field text messages. And as the national media gets a whole other week to revel in the uniqueness of Davidson basketball, I fielded some of the most important questions on the minds of these incredible individuals.
"Do you think our professors will be OK with us skipping class this week?"
You know what? I think they will.
Live Blog: Davidson 74 Georgetown 70
Welcome to the Davidson Live Blog...Part II. Press Row is a little less crowded today as the Zags, Hoosiers, UMBC and Mount Saint Mary's headed home. Dining in the media buffet and in some tailgates out in the parking lot, there was definitely a sense of pure enjoyment without all that nervousness we felt on Friday. Davidson certainly wants to win today and go to the Sweet 16, but let's face it, the Wildcats are playing with house money and the pressure is firmly on the Hoyas from Georgetown. We get to be the underdog again! I'm not sweating on my computer keyboard as much today.
The dark blue and grey of the Georgetown Hoyas fills in the sections behind their bench and the rest of the arena is filled with Wildcat red, black and sky blue. These Carolina fans had plenty of reason to cheer for Davidson against Gonzaga. Now they have plenty of reason to cheer against Georgetown as well after the Hoyas knocked them out of the tournament last year.
Thomas Sander is out on the court in shootaround with a big wrap on his right thumb. He will start as far as I know and we will see how effective he can be.
Lefty Driesell is here in the third row behind me and the rest of Friday's crew has returned to their seats for an encore. Michael Kruse is over here now with me and more lucky gum is being chewed in honor of Lauren Biggers who is stuck back in D-Town working the baseball game.
A few statistical notes before we get started:
-Jason Richards is now 10 assists behind Ali Ton for most all-time in a Davidson career. Ali is in attendance here today and probably wouldn't mind if Richards got 11 or 12 dishes.
-With his 8 three-pointers Friday, Stephen Curry moved into first all-time for most three-pointers in a Davidson career with 269, surpassing Brendan Winters. Curry is also 8th all-time in scoring, first all-time in free throw percentage, and seventh all-time in steals.
-The Wildcats are five-point underdogs today and if they pull off the victory, Sander, Richards and Meno will have 100 career victories over the course of the last four years.
And the Wildcats take the court to Welcome to the Jungle...no nerves today. Let's go Cats!
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Georgetown fans are really not loud at all in the intros. But then again, the UNC fans aren't helping out yet. I doubt they will expend too much energy unless Davidson can keep it close and keep it exciting. But then every game we have played against a "big" opponent this year, we have hoped to keep it close and we always have.
Lovedale wins the tip against Hibbert and knocks home the first shot of the game. Pressure is on Georgetown. Lovedale again! In Hibbert's face and the foul.
Davidson is not scared of Georgetown's interior guys as Lovedale and Richards attack the paint although unsuccessfully. The rimouts are an early statement, but the passing miscues don't look good so far.
It is really remarkable to watch Sander lean on Hibbert here just 10 feet in front of me.
Hmmm...Lovedale picks up his second foul and Boris will have to step up big on both sides of the floor. That's really bad news about Andrew.
Curry has been shut down pretty well so far as he only has one shot attempt. The perimeter defense on Sander has been pretty tough as well. Give Georgetown some credit that their defense is not overrated. But they are prone to playing too high sometimes...pump fakes leave them looking for big-time blocks and Davidson has gotten under the forwards on several occasions.
15:49 D 4 G 6
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Steve, Boris and Will in the game along with Jason and Steph. Any points from those three right now will be really great. Boris had a great chance but was blocked at the rim. That's a dunk in the SoCon.
Jason for three. Jason for two. And then he gets hit with a piss-poor blocking call.
Barr replaces Archambault after a Will airball and Davidson gets Sander back in. Richards playing out of his mind right now.
Thomas fighting and fighting and fighting with Hibbert and Hibbert gets called for the offensive foul. That's two on him and he's on the bench. A Curry three goes to the bottom of the net and finds a way back out. Wow.
Davidson is playing really hard and well right now. Sander with a tip in and takes a charge. JTIII is beside himself as the refs aren't letting the Georgetown bigs get away with too much.
Two rounds in and the Wildcats are right there. Curry hasn't scored a point yet.
11:32 D 13 G 14
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Georgetown cheerleaders on the court during the media timeout and they left a sign on the court. The refs gave it to Davidson's cheerleaders who are happy with their prize.
Patrick Ewing with a monster dunk on Curry and then he pushes Richards to the deck on the back end of a fast break. Refs having a word with him, but Georgetown is flexing their muscles as Davidson can't get a shot off.
Curry pumps a three and tries to get to the hole but no dice there either. And a couple more fouls piling up on Davidson's bigs off the ball. Thankfully, Gtown can't shoot free throws.
Curry with a real tough shot from the baseline and he's on the board. Steve takes a charge and the Hoyas didn't do their scouting report. Davidson doesn't block you...they take charges when you are out of control. Good work, John Thompson numero tres. Good work.
Ticky tack fouls on both ends as Meno gets tagged with an off the ball o-foul. But J-Rich penetrates and draws one of his own.
The arena has a piss-poor scoreboard and they only ever show points and fouls once every fifteen minutes and they usually aren't updated. Sorry about the lack of accuracy on both teams' foul situations.
Alright, here we go. Two fouls on Sander and Lovedale and two fouls on Hibbert, Summers and Ewing.
7:58 D 15 G 22
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Richards with nine points after two big free throws. Davidson has won that battle so far from the line.
Georgetown missing gimmes but Davidson can't elevate to get the defensive rebounds with Lovedale on the bench.
Archambault can't find it. Man I wish that he would, but he misses two straight threes right off the back iron. They looked pretty decent coming off of his hand, but every wasted offensive possession is very painful at this point as Georgetown as playing at the rim like they should on their side of the ball.
Sander back in and he gets a huge layup and free throw. With him and Lovedale in there, Davidson is a different team on offense and defense. The fouls piling up on both teams now which is advantage to Davidson and their better free throw shooting.
This game has a lot of the same story line as Friday. Davidson looks outmatched, trails most of the half and needs Richards to keep the offense up while Curry can't get it going (this time because of fouls).
Georgetown getting easy layups at this point while Davidson is rotating like mad and trying to draw more and more fouls on the Hoyas. Curry finally back in. He's got to do something offensively to keep the pressure on and keep the crowd from dozing off.
Buckets...buckets...buckets for Georgetown at the front of the rim. And McKillop calls a timeout.
3:45 D 23 G 34
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Curry off again after getting beat up on the perimeter. And Freeman hits a dagger three to make the deficit fourteen.
You have to wonder if all of those dagger three-pointers were exhausted on Friday because Davidson can't get anything to fall right now. As I watched Duke fall to West Virginia yesterday as every Nelson three-pointer rimmed out, I got that feeling that Davidson might look like that tomorrow. Too many threes start rimming out and you lose a lot of your gumption. If Davidson can keep this around 10 at the break, they might be able to use the Hoyas' foul trouble against them if it's close at the end.
Cats need a big defensive stop and they get it as the Hoyas travel with the shot clock winding down. 2 big minutes here...Wildcats need that mojo going into the locker room.
Don't get it there as Jason dribbles around the perimeter and throws up an air ball as the shot clock expires. You can't waste that capital that we built on Friday by flopping now.
Here we go. Curry with a simple screen three, offensive foul on Georgetown and Davidson gets the last shot of the half down 11. Will had the three, but lined drived it. Man...the Wildcats needed him so badly today and he doesn't deliver on three huge missed three-pointers.
Curry finished with five points in the half while Richards had 12 points (including 7-8 from the free throw line). Sapp and Macklin split up the scoring for Georgetown with eight apiece while Hibbert and Ewing both had two.
Wildcat fans can on the one hand consider themselves lucky to be down only 11 with Curry only scoring five, but then again the Hoyas had Hibbert on the bench and their defense was stupendous on Curry throughout the moments that he was in the game. Can't reiterate how key Archambault's three would have been there at the end. Such a tough break and season for him. I hope that he gets one more chance here in the second half and delivers.
Halftime D 27 G 38
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As I turn in my seat to look at all of those familiar faces in red, I see so many things. If I were but a better writer, I could describe all of those things exactly and fully in words. But all I can write is that there is no remorse now...and yet there is no submission to the fate that all of the Carolina fans have seen and recognized and since gone to the concession stand for a hot dog.
Georgetown scores and Curry's first three is short. Wallace's three is dead on and the lead is back to 16. Sobering seriousness.
But hope remains where hearts are large. Richards keeps taking it to the whole. Curry draws a charge. The Hoyas are hitting threes unemotionally and not caring about rebounds any more. They already have their Detroit hotels picked out. Davidson has more heart than that. But the shots won't fall.
Don't give up. Don't give up. Show the world your hearts, boys.
The Hoyas are playing sloppy, poor basketball. But Davidson can't get the shots to fall.
Richards is knocked to the deck with no foul at the end of the shot clock. It wasn't a bad call because they had all ball, but you want to cry foul. It seems wrong not to.
15:38 D 32 G 46
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There is something so musical about Steph's grandmother's pleas to her grandson. "Cmon baby, let's get it together."
Curry for three and he is fouled. Heart has to translate into points now. At the half, I said Steph needed to score 40 this half for Davidson to win. Derek Smith said he would need four point shots to do that. There's one.
A Gtown turnover leads the RBC Center cameras to pan on a silent Patrick Ewing in the stands. Wildcats down 11.
Two missed free throws and J-Rich gets a chance for a three. Lots of anticipation but it rims out. Davidson gets it back on a turnover and they need to get it under 10. Shots won't fall. Shots won't fall. But Davidson keeps getting the ball back.
There it is...Sander with a trash layup and the Carolina fans are into it.
But Gtown responds and Lovedale misses a jumper. So many chances...they were all over the place on that last possession. But now there's only 11:37 left and Davidson can't get the shots to fall. Get the dagger...get it.
As we go into the media timeout, JTIII almost gets a tech as he goes after the ref and the arena moans and screams with disapproval. A bench warning is all that is assessed.
11:37 D 39 G 50
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The threes aren't falling but Davidson is finding room inside. Richards with a layup then Lovedale. Pressure is on the Hoyas and the UNC fans are into it. Offensive foul and the Wildcats are translating it. Translate that heart into production. Davidson in the bonus now.
Curry can't make it fall. Too many misses. Davidson's defense has shut them down but the threes won't fall.
GOT IT!!!
Screw media decorum because I just pumped my fist on that one right in front of me. I want to go to Detroit. Four point game.
If only that would have come a few attempts ago, Davidson would have the lead. Either way, they have the crowd and the Hoyas feel really small right now.
9:18 D 46 G 50
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Hibbert can't pull down an offensive rebound and Steph finds Lovedale on the other end to cut it to two. Georgetown scores and Davidson needs a big shot going into the media timeout. J-Rich does it by drawing the foul.
Sweet Caroline and the band and students are ready. Georgetown fans sit on their hands and can do nothing but watch. Dell Curry and Lefty Driesell watch with half-smiles.
Richards with two huge free throws out of the break and it's a two-point game again. This place is loud.
Curry is fouled on a three-point pump fake and he throws it up anyway. It comes close to going in but they only give him two free throws. Two point game again.
Sander picks up foul number four on a loose ball and they keep him in there. Sapp hits a huge three for Georgetown. But CURRY ANSWERS! He's only got 17 points and the Cats are only down 2?!? Wow.
Timeout Georgetown.
6:22 D 55 G 57
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Huge defensive stop for Davidson and Max gets fouled off the ball. Davidson in the double bonus. And Mad Max ties the game at 57.
OOoohh...so close to a charge but they call a blocking foul on Stephen Curry. Game for the ages right here folks.
Missed the second free throw...and Curry on a backdoor cut, hits the layup and GETS FOULED! The entire blue ocean across from me rises in unison. That's a North Carolina boy right there. And this state is red and black right now. Davidson with a two point lead.
But Curry picks up his fourth foul reaching in. Can't take him out now, but Georgetown knows where to attack.
Curry all the way to the hole. THEY CAN'T STOP YOU!
Watch out Stephen! as he almost fouls a three-point attempt. Davidson ball...up two.
STEPHEN CURRY!!!!! For three!!!
Five point Davidson lead.
2:41 D 65 G 60
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Max forces a Gtown timeout out of the last timeout and I think that we still have a media timeout left. Hearts of Lions!
Georgetown finally gets it in but Thomas Sander picks up his fifth foul. "Give him one more game, Cats!" yells a fan behind me. What a career and what a game with an injured thumb. Gutsiest performance I have ever seen.
And now the Carolina fans boo the Georgetown cheerleaders. I wouldn't go that far. But OK...I'll take it.
Hibbert at the line and he misses the front end. Davidson ball. Those 2 and a half minutes seem like an eternity.
Curry gets his shot blocked but Lovedale picks it up and puts it in.
Georgetown hits a huge three and Davidson needs to score again. And they do as Richards' layup is goal-tended. One more stop.....
Can't get it. Need another basket. One minute.
Max misses a three and Georgetown gets the dunk.
25 sec D 69 G 67
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Georgetown has to foul and Curry is on the line. Have to hit your free throws bud. And have to get one defensive stop.
First one is up...and good. Second one is up...good. Sonya pumps her fists. Need a stop.
Curry gets the ball...gets fouled. And this place is electric.
First is good. Five point lead. Second one is good. 6 points.
But Georgetown hits a big three.
Curry back on the line and it is a little bit quieter. Three point lead with nine seconds.
"You can do it baby" yells the duo of grandmothers.
Oooohhhh...he misses the first. But he gets the second and Lovedale pulls down the rebound
Davidson is going to the SWEET SIXTEEN!!!!
How sweet it is.
Final D 74 G 70
Friday, March 21, 2008
Taking it to Another Level: Wildcats advance in NCAA Tournament
For so many years and through so many lost opportunities, Davidson basketball has had to justify itself. Davidson College has been home to a great basketball tradition that took the country by storm in the 1960's. The Wildcats have set national standards of excellence for succeeding on the court and in the classroom. Davidson has long been the darling of everyone in March...
"You played so hard, it felt like you should have won."
But at the end of the day, the rationalizations and wait-til-next-year talk did not cut it. The Wildcats needed to perform and win on the biggest stage in the country, and on Friday afternoon, they finally did that. And they did it in style.
The 10th seeded Wildcats beat the 7th seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs 82-76 in the NCAA Tournament's First Round.
Despite trailing for all of the first thirty minutes of the ballgame, the Wildcats caught the Bulldogs on a three-pointer from Stephen Curry. Like it's often been all season, Curry's stellar play was the main story across the newslines as the Wildcats won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1969.
The second team All American tied a career high with 40 points, including 30 in the second half, to lead the Wildcats to victory. Curry's biggest shot of the game came with just under a minute to play as he fielded a pass from Andrew Lovedale and knocked home a wide open three-pointer to give Davidson a three-point lead. Curry immediately pointed to his father in the stands and then pointed to the sky.
My father has been there my whole life," Curry said. "I play for God and I give all the glory to Him. That why I point like that. It's kind of my thing now."
Curry's 30 second half points set a new Davidson record while his 40 points on the game ranked fifth all time in NCAA Tournament history and was the most that any player has scored in first round action.
But Davidson could not have advanced in the NCAA Tournament on the efforts of Curry alone.
Andrew Lovedale recorded his first career double-double while Jason Richards tallied nine assists on the game.
"I'm most proud of the way our players played as a team," Davidson's coach Bob McKillop said. "I know that we got better today. We had a lot of fun. And we undoubtedly played to win."
Richards helped provide much of Davidson's offense in the first half, while his leadership directed Davidson's defensive and offensive attack in the second half. As an experienced senior, Richards reminded his teammates of the team's comeback at Greensboro earlier in the season when Curry scored 40 points and Richards hit the game-winning layup.
"We kept our composure and we responded," Richards said. "We knew that we'd been here before and that definitely helped us through."
Andrew Lovedale finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. His maturity and athleticism was crucial in the final minutes of the game as he secured an offensive rebound setting up Curry's go-ahead three-pointer. Then he pulled down a big defensive rebound amongst the taller Bulldog forwards and his subsequent free throws iced the victory for Davidson.
Davidson's victory comes as a landmark achievement for a program that has been knocking on the door for some time now. Detractors will now be hard pressed to criticize the Wildcats for any lack of athleticism, poise, or ability to win the big game. But the season does not end tonight as the Wildcats have to start preparing for the second seeded Georgetown Hoyas who made the Final Four last season.
"We will stop and smell the roses," Richards said. "But we have to get ready to play on Sunday against Georgetown."
Live Blog: Davidson 82 Gonzaga 76
Sitting here at Press Row with a media guy from the Arkansas Traveler and hearing stories about the tornadoes and the SEC Tournament. We have both agreed that when you cover a tournament like the SEC or NCAA, you miss out on the whole perspective of the tournament. I didn't fill out a bracket this year and also did not watch too many of yesterday's games.
The crowd is still pretty sparse here and there are only 15 minutes until tipoff. After all of the clammering for tickets, it makes me feel really sad to see all of these empty seats in the lower deck. Probably Carolina fans who didn't resell and aren't planning on showing up until the Georgetown game.
I am stuck down in the corner with all of the student newspapers and the view of the court is not ideal. Oh well. The Daily Tar Heel is at the very end and that gives me some solace.
The Zags reiterate that this is their time of year as they follow Davidson's fight song with a pep band rendition of the CBS March Madness theme. Jim Nantz and Billy Packer are in place at midcourt for the call.
Just a reminder, I can only post five times during each half and once during halftime. So look for longer posts at the media timeouts.
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Let the epic battle begin.
Wildcat nerves showing early as Sander throws the ball away after the Zags hit a nice drive. Pargo for three and the pressure is already on here in the early going. Curry with a response.
Robert Sacre is a beast unlike anything Davidson has run into this year. Sander is pushing and pushing and pushing. Gonzaga's defense hasn't been that impressive so far as Richards has driven for a layup and Lovedale got a slip-the-screen. They don't apply the type of pressure that UCLA or even Winthrop did. But the size is always there even when the speed is not.
Maybe it's just because I am sitting in the Davidson corner but there definitely sounds like a Davidson advantage in decibel level.
Andrew Lovedale picks up his first foul battling for position as we head into the first media timeout.
I will be putting the score and time at the bottom of these posts to change it up a bit.
15:54 D 8 G 10
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Gonzaga is shooting very well from the floor, especially from three. Davidson isn't often the fast team when they are playing on a stage like this, but they are today. Gonzaga is just using the space and knocking down jump shots from the outside. Davidson's double team worked well on a possession as Lovedale was able to wait for the shot and he blocked it out of the paint.
Let's see if Davidson's three-point shooting can start heating up. Yep. Curry with a big three and his seventh point of the game to tie at 15 and Gonzaga walks. Momentum: Davidson.
Wildcat fans upset after a really close goal tending call on a Richards drive. The ball seemed to be right at the top of the arc and about to hit the backboard. Could have gone either way.
Stephen Curry on the bench and Davidson's offense slows down again. For just a brief moment it felt like all of those other big games (Maryland, Duke, UCLA) where Curry leaves and other teams just start rolling. Pargo is really on today. I read that he can be hot and cold but he seems pretty hot right now. Davidson has to have some production from Archambault and Barr if they are to keep up with this scoring fest. I don't think Davidson has yet scored from a forward getting the ball with his back to the basket. That's not an option today.
11:21 D 15 G 20
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The Wildcats get an easy bucket off an inbounds, but then Gonzaga makes a crucial run. An uncontested Zag tip-in is followed by a Barr air ball and then Steven Gray nails a three-pointer to put the Zags up by eight. McKillop with a timeout and this place is a little quieter.
Gonzaga in a zone that I am just now seeing by looking at the big board. I have no depth perception looking at our side of the court. The Wildcat shooting is just off. The nerves mess with that more than anything else. And Davidson has to be able to hit jump shots to stay in this.
Gonzaga with another three and this one is unraveling. Loose balls around midcourt and Gonzaga's long arms continue to deny Davidson offensively. The Wildcats have to get their nerves and their shooting under control.
7:43 D 17 G 28
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Internet conked out and I just lost most of my post since the 7:43 mark. But coming out of that timeout, McKillop made some adjustments and the Wildcats ran to points on three straight possessions. Crowd is still here and still very partisan. But Davidson's perimeter defense is so tentative because of the fear of Gonzaga's bigs. Gonzaga is winning this game on the perimeter.
3:42 D 27 G 33
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Sorry about the internet issues. We are at halftime here and Davidson folks are less than thrilled. Gonzaga has outrebounded Davidson 19-11, including eight offensive boards. Add Steven Gray's 5-7 3PT shooting to that equation and the Zags look like a better team on the court. Davidson came out strong in second halves against UNC and Duke and made ballgames of those when things were slipping away going into the break. But Davidson didn't win those games. The memory that I hope these guys conjure is that Greensboro game. The offense was sluggish in that game as well and the Wildcats were getting beat by three-point shooters and a dominant post player then. And the Wildcats were without Thomas Sander then...he missed the end of the first half in this one with a hand injury. He's got it wrapped in the shootaround right now but we'll see how effective he is. Curry might need to score 35-40 for Davidson to win. He did say that he worked all year to have the stamina for these twenty minutes. We will find out if it paid off.
Halftime D 36 G 41
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Curry opens the second half with a three. He wants it.
But Steven Gray is so hot. 6 threes now for 18 points. And he's still finding open looks.
Curry wants to play that game. This could be a second half for the ages. Curry with four threes now and 16 points on the game.
Curry is cooling off a little and Meno can't catch the ball. Lovedale and Rossiter in to relieve him and Sander. Gonzaga just keeps coming as Daye and Heytfelt have both the length and touch to control the ball 9 feet off the ground.
The Wildcat energy has turned to pleas as Richards is called for touch fouls on two straight possessions. A no call as Curry is hacked at the rim and now it is anger. Gonzaga back up to an 11-point lead.
Curry hits a tough shot as he is fouled but the Wildcats definitely lost round 1 of the second half. When Davidson trailed Greensboro by so much two months ago, McKillop told his players not to get it all back in one spurt. But Davidson also cannot surrender when a Gonzaga run lengthens a lead. They haven't yet, but then again Gonzaga isn't UNC-Greensboro.
15:23 D 54 G 45
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Gonzaga keeps landing punches. Curry won’t take them as he continues to battle to get to the rim. But they are falling hard everywhere else. The Wildcats are getting called for questionable calls and rebounds are bouncing out of their hands. Frustration is very evident on the court and in the stands. Even the Carolina fans behind the basket are upset for Davidson.
Curry won’t let it go. But the refs aren’t helping Davidson’s cause with ticky-tack fouls away from the basket. They need to start calling it both ways.
The internet is screwing with me so I’m pretty frustrated too. I’m going to keep writing on this word document regardless.
Curry won’t let it go. A big three in front of the Wildcat bench and contact on the other end. Refs like to perpetuate momentum and make up for things. They call it in Davidson’s favor. Lovedale with a free throw and it’s a one-possession game.
Gonzaga responds well to hit some shots on their end. I wish both of these teams could get to the second round.
10:53 D 57 G 62
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Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. Gonzaga has controlled and dominated them today. But Davidson has more heart everywhere else and the calls are beginning to even up.
Curry ties it with a big three from the top of the key and that one is making a highlight video no matter what happens at the end of this one. The entire arena is on its feet because they are seeing one of the best players in college basketball put on a show for them right now.
As far as I'm concerned, the score is back to 0-0. Who can score the most in nine minutes...forget everything else.
Meno is back in the game after a Lovedale foul and he will need to play with everything he's got. No more turnovers. No more nerves.
Back and forth. Back and forth. And there's another collision at the basket as a Wildcat goes down and no foul is called. Davidson seems to be in control right now. As a timeout is called.
Stephen Curry has 34 points and everyone is tuning into this one around the country.
7:01 D 68 G 67
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The Wildcat offense is clicking as all of the attention is paid to Curry. Rossiter finishing big at the basket.
But Gray says I can shoot too, remember? He hits a big three to tie the game for the Zags.
Sweet Caroline blares the arena and the Carolina fans look around and wonder why they don't sing it like we do. The student papers from Arkansas and Georgetown are also impressed.
Cats in foul trouble but Gonzaga can't hit every free throw. This marathon is getting down to its final mile and it is just nerve-wracking as it looks.
MPG stepping up big with a huge three-pointer. Lovedale fouled as he tries to get a rebound and we are in the final round.
This would make a great movie.
3:03 D 73 G 72
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Mad Max with his spider defense forces a Gonzaga timeout. His national exposure has been incredible today. He has played with so much fire and the whole country is getting to see it.
Stephen Curry with a three of his lifetime as the clock goes under a minute and he points right at his father 20 feet away. All of press row looks around to see who it was ... and the arena is on its feet.
Daye misses a three and Lovedale comes down with the rebound that Davidson needed four months ago. 37 seconds and it's all about free throws. Hit the first. Hit the second. Five point lead for Davidson with 37 tics to play. Wildcat fans are beside themselves. The Wildcat just came over and messed up my hair. For the record, I straightened it back too...wait til the final whistle.
Gonzaga misses its first free throw and is called for lane violation on the next one. Curry fouled and is on the line.
"Oh...my....God!!!" yells a Davidson cheerleader.
Curry hits both and this one is over. It's been 39 years since the Wildcats have been in position. And it feels good. I will be coming back on Sunday.
Curry back on the line and he's going to get to that magic number: 40. A long time ago in snowy Greensboro...we witnessed something incredible. Today the Wildcats showed the country their heart. And Stephen Curry just put on the shoes as the best Davidson player of all time.
Final Davidson 82 Gonzaga 76
Davidson pre-game NCAA Tournament
Tipoff minus 1 hour
We are an hour out and my hands can barely steady themselves to type. I spent my morning breakfast in the hotel talking with some comrades about classic movie comedies. As soon as I got to the arena I went straight to the press room and bypassed the floor altogether. And then I opened Michael Kruse's thread on Davidsoncats.com. Dangit, I'm shaking now. No more message board today. Let's switch to some recaps of the last day in Raleigh.
The intrepid Lauren Biggers of View From Press Row fame got a little TV time yesterday as she asked UNC's Roy Williams about the Davidson-Gonzaga matchup. I already posted Williams' favorable response, but what I didn't know at the time was that the press conference was being shown live on ESPNews. By the time she returned to the team hotel, stories had already circulated among the staff and team of the reporter from "davidsonwildcats.com" and her question about the Wildcats.
Another high point of that press conference was my first meeting with CBSSportsline's Gregg Doyel. Doyel decided to shave his hair into a mohawk to distract from his premature bald spot. Coach Williams could not stop chuckling at his expense.
The RBC Center does not have a typical wireless access procedure. All of the media trying to get online have to find their M.A.C. address through some MS-DOS screen and send it in to the NCAA people who then allow their computer onto the network. Many of the media with less computer knowledge are having a tough time right now as we count down to tipoff. In other NCAA peculiarities, everyone has to pour their drink into an officially licensed NCAA cup since you can't see a Coke can sitting on press row during the tournament.
On the way in to the arena we saw some car flags from several cars up ahead of us that had red on them. I was amazed to see as we pulled closer that they were actually Davidson flags. Big-time is when you have car flags and magnetic logos. It's been a long ride Wildcat fans. I welcome all comers now. Hop on the bus.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Media Day at NCAA Tournament
Welcome to Will's World from Raleigh, N.C. We are here on the media day before tomorrow's first round games. Although it doesn't have the same feel as the Super Bowl media day, there are definitely a few nerves among the fans and Davidson's little media contingent. Tomorrow's a big day.
The morning press conference was pretty same-old, same-old as Jason Richards and Stephen Curry fielded most of the questions about the team and themselves. From the age-old VT questions to how great of a leader J-Rich is, we have all heard these before and the players gave the same answers. I will say that this press conference felt a bit tame at the beginning because most of the questions came from regional media like the Observer, the News and Record and the Salisbury Post. Unlike regionals in Dayton and Buffalo, most of the media here have covered Davidson all season and there weren't any new questions from reporters that didn't know anything about the team. As everyone got warmed up, you began to get a feel for each writer's story angle from their questions. There's an "academic NCAA team" story out there, a "Jason as leader" story, a "diversity of team and campus" story, a "Davidson wants to be where Gonzaga is" story, and possibly a "McKillop is still at Davidson--Why?" story.
After the press conference we all convened at the court to watch the Wildcats kick off the practice sessions. Each team has exactly 45 minutes on the court and the Wildcats went through some basic drills before ending in a mini-scrimmage. The players and coaches looked really loose on the court as they were flying around and engaging in lively banter.
The Charlotte news crews were patrolling the stands looking for Wildcat fans to interview for a nightly segment. Poor Trip Cherry...he was one of the only Davidson fans wearing a red t-shirt and everyone descended upon him. Although he makes for a great written interview, Cherry declined to be on TV and the camera crews were left to badger the ball kids in their khakis for a story.
Tomorrow has been declared Davidson Day by the town of Davidson as everyone has been told to wear red throughout the day. Excitement about the Wildcats and Zags is not limited to Mecklenburg county, however. The matchup has already been trumpeted by all of the national media as one of the best matchups of the first round. Even North Carolina's Roy Williams agrees.
"I would not call that a mid-major matchup," Williams said in his press conference this afternoon. "Those are two very exciting and high-powered teams. If I were a plain ol' basketball fan, I would make sure that I watched that game."
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
NCAA Tournament Live Blog: Davidson vs. Gonzaga
It's finally come to that time. On that afternoon last March as I posted a heart-breaking article with a picture of Stephen Curry in tears, I thought that this moment couldn't get here quickly enough. But here we are. Back in the NCAA Tournament...and this time we have a higher seed, a closer location, and an All-American. I'm ready to go.
Like I have done throughout the regular season and the Southern Conference Tournament, I will be live-blogging Davidson's first round game against Gonzaga from the RBC Center in Raleigh. The Wildcats will be tipping off at 12:25 eastern time.
As most of us remember the unfortunate incident when a live-blogger was thrown out of the press box at the College World Series last summer, I have been instructed by the NCAA to follow some detailed guidelines on live-blogging. There will only be five posts per half and one post at halftime. I will try to make these posts more filled with running thoughts and observations and less statistical and play-by-play -ish. Please feel free to comment and leave your own thoughts and your stories about the groups in which you are watching the tournament.
In addition to the live-blog, I hope to be bringing you coverage of tomorrow's practice and pre-game press conference. The team will take the floor of the RBC Center around noon for a practice that is open to the public.
Monday, March 17, 2008
2008 NCAA Tournament Upsets
There is nothing more emblematic of NCAA March Mania/Mayhem/Madness than the bracket and filling it out. And there is nothing that writers love more than these four days when they get to make crazy and outrageous claims with very little consequence. "West Virgina in the Final Four?" Sure, why not. "Belmont upsetting Duke?" Anything's possible in March!
By next Monday, we all get to speak with impunity for all of our bonehead picks and predictions. I'm not really sure how this is fair, but I'm taking advantage of it anyway. Here are some of my thoughts for the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina is very good. But so is Kansas, UCLA, Memphis, Tennessee, Texas, Duke and Georgetown. As all of the controversy stirred on Sunday with Bobby Knight and Jay Bilas claiming that it was unfair to put teams into the NCAA Tournament that can't win a national championship(a la South Alabama), writers all across the country began to express their outrage and defend the mid-majors with the power of their keyboards.
The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan claimed that the fight for the National Championship was not nearly as intriguing as the coming-out parties of the country's smaller schools in the tournament's first weekend. The Star-Ledger's Tom Luicci also commented on the numbers of schools from the Big Six conferences taking up undue amounts of spots in a Tournament that purportedly represents the best basketball in the country.
But, of course the NCAA Tournament represents the best basketball in the country, says Jay Bilas. That basketball is only played in the Big Six conferences anyway, he argues. Mid-major programs need to stop asking for more and be thankful for what you have...hey, look we even matched you up against your mid-major brethren so that at least some of you can win first round games!
But by Monday afternoon, the political power hour is over. Virginia Tech and Arizona State have been shipped off to the NIT and the country's 10th best team was given a 7 seed. Now we all have to deal with it. So here are some of my picks for the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
"Sleeper or SLEEPER"
When we throw around the term of sleeper, I think of two different types of teams. On the one hand, you have a very low seeded team that could knock off someone in the first round with a bit of luck and completely throw off a bracket before getting dropped in the round of 32 or 16. On the other hand, you have a solid team that was not given enough credit in its seeding and has a very viable chance to make an Elite Eight or Final Four run. Teams from the first camp are usually automatic bid low-majors, while the second is filled with underachieving BCS-conference schools and disrespected mid-majors.
My first category sleeper is Siena. Most Davidson folks know that Wildcat forward Steve Rossiter's brother, Ryan, is a member of the Siena Saints. The Saints are led by Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin, and their resume includes a major OOC victory over Stanford back in November. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, is a special case team who has built up some big wins over top programs in their funky arena in Nashville. Unfortunately for the Commodores, the St. Pete Times Forum does not have team benches lined up along the baseline. Look for Siena to pull the upset.
Bonus Upset Pick: Cornell over Stanford.
Since it's way too cliche to talk about Davidson or Butler or Drake or St. Mary's in the second category sleeper, I will throw out two schools that have certainly been noticed but probably overlooked in the grand scheme of their major conferences: Pitt and Clemson.
Both teams will be tired but very battle-tested after advancing to the Championship games of the Big East and ACC tournaments. Pitt was the first team to knock off Duke this season, but their 12/20 OT victory over the then-9th ranked Blue Devils was largely overshadowed by inconsistent play in conference. But Pitt's run in the Big East tournament capped by a huge win championship victory over Georgetown has the Panthers clicking at the right time. As long as they don't get tripped up by Oral Roberts, Pitt could step up big in a possible Sweet 16 game against Memphis in Houston.
Clemson enters the NCAA Tournament with plenty of confidence after pulling off a rare win against Duke and nearly upsetting North Carolina for their first-ever ACC title. This Clemson team is extremely athletic and if they can be disciplined with getting back after a team breaks their press and with hitting free throws (won the game against Duke, lost it against UNC), they can make a run to the Final Four.
Bonus Big Run Sleepers: Davidson, Butler, St. Mary's, Drake.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
No Pressure
The day was March 4, 2005. The sun was setting on yet another beautiful day in Chattanooga, TN. As the afternoon turned to evening and the temperature slipped into a cool chill, I met up with a member of Davidson's ticket office staff in the parking lot adjacent to McKenzie Arena. After slipping a cool $20 into the hands of the Davidson staffer, I got my hands on a beautiful gray t-shirt that featured a new-age Wildcat graphic on the front and the word "UNDEFEATED" on the back. I immediately slipped that shirt on and walked into the arena feeling untouchable. It was my freshman year and my Wildcats were perfect in the Southern Conference regular season. All of us fans had started looking at possible NCAA Tournament sites. The only thing that stood in our way was a few meaningless games against previously vanquished SoCon foes. Victory was expected, and the pressure to keep all SoCon comers at arm's length was high.
The next three hours were agony. Davidson barely led in an ugly match that exposed the Wildcats' weaknesses at every turn. After the final missed shot from the top of the key, Davidson's NCAA dreams were shot. Pressure and expectation were Greensboro's allies, and they helped hand Davidson its first conference loss of the season.
A year later, Coach McKillop returned seven seniors and the reigning Conference Player of the Year. Big things were expected, especially after Davidson knocked off Missouri, UMass and St. Joes in the early season schedule. On January 14 of 2006, Davidson was looking to become the holder of a nation-leading regular season conference winning streak of 27 games. The pressure reared its ugly yet again. The Wildcats lost to Furman and went on to lose four of their next eleven conference games. The Wildcats were seeded third in the Southern Conference Tournament and the prestigious careers of players like Brendan Winters, Ian Johnson and Matt McKillop were in their twilight.
In a February 2005 interview with Coach McKillop, he talked about walking the line and not letting the outside things distract your focus. By 2006, the emphasis had changed ever so slightly. In a February 22 Davidsonian interview that year, McKillop talked about the upcoming tournament and the final games of the careers of seniors that had been so integral to the family of Wildcat basketball.
"I'm thoroughly enjoying this experience, and when you're enjoying an experience like this, you don't start reminiscing or worrying that you're going to lose it. I look at that glass as being half full right now."
Since that day over two years ago, Davidson has only lost one game to a Southern Conference opponent. That would be 47 wins in the last 48 SoCon games.
In that stretch, Davidson has only lost one game by more than 12 points, been ranked in the Top 25 on two separate occasions, won three conference championships, had a player in Jason Richards lead the country in assists, and a player in Stephen Curry set a new freshman three-point record, lead the country in threes this year and earn Second Team All-American from ESPN and Sporting News with the AP still pending. Davidson currently has the nation's longest winning streak and is the only team that is perfect in 2008.
So how have the Wildcats handled that pressure? How did they come back from 20 down on the road at Greensboro with their captain and defensive General on the bench? How did they fight back to have one possession games with North Carolina, Duke and UCLA with a minute to play? How did this team embrace the bulls-eye?
"This team is obsessed with getting better every time they step on the court," Coach McKillop said during the Southern Conference Tournament. "We always focus on playing to win, getting better, and having fun."
For most coaches around the country, those three goals sound like stereotypical coach-speak. When the players echo them to a T in the press conferences, it seems as if they have just been trained very well. But those three things speak volumes about the heart and soul of a Davidson program that has been continually tweaked a little here or there by one of the best coaching staffs in the country.
When the Wildcats have stepped on the court against the big dogs of college basketball, they have not played to lose close. They weren't satisfied with merely sharing the court and a national television audience. They played to win. And nearly did. Again and again. And again. And again.
And this Wildcat squad has not been content to sit on their laurels and watch their SoCon foes bow at their feet. They took their opponents' best shots every night, and they never lost. But it was more than that...they kept getting better. Davidson's performance at Georgia Southern at the end of the season might have been the best team effort I had seen all year. And then I watched the Wildcats top that performance in the Southern Conference quarterfinal win over Wofford. And then I watched Davidson top that performance the next night against Greensboro. These Wildcats are peaking at the right time because they are committed to getting better and better at every opportunity.
But ultimately, Davidson hasn't given into pressure because they are having too much damn fun. Heading into the SoCon championship game against Elon, I was worried that the 'Cats would be too clinical in their dispatching of the Phoenix. I thought that winning the SoCon for the third time wouldn't be that emotional. I was wrong.
As Davidson turned back every Elon run with a dagger shot or defensive stop, their emotions continued to rise ever higher. When Curry's final three dropped in from the top of the key with thirty seconds remaining, there was nothing but pure excitement on everyone's faces as they ran back up the court. They were absolutely enjoying their experience and that was buoying their success.
As Coach McKillop proclaimed right before Davidson learned of its seed in the tournament: "We didn't just embrace the bulls-eye. We married it."
So now Davidson heads to the NCAA Tournament with the outside pressure of the media to "be George Mason." The Wildcats have been tabbed the small team of destiny and there is pressure to advance far. The Wildcats have secured the program's highest seed in decades, and many fans have already looked to potential matchups past the first round.
But we don't have to worry about this team feeling pressure. The pressure is on the millions of Americans with brackets filled out. The pressure is on the Vegas oddsmakers. The pressure is on the referees with national scrutiny. The pressure is on the Gonzaga Bulldogs who will have to play in Davidson's backyard.
Davidson is just going to go out and get better. And play to win. And have fun. Those are all goals that they can and will achieve. And when the final whistle blows on the 2008 season these Wildcats will go down in history as one of the greatest teams in this program's storied history.
