Back in 2008, Davidson staged one of the great Cinderella runs in NCAA Tournament history.
As a No. 10 seed, Davidson upset No. 7 seed Gonzaga, No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 3 seed Wisconsin before falling to Kansas, a No. 1 seed, in a 59-57 thriller. Baby-faced guard Stephen Curry won over sports fans everywhere by knocking down one huge long-range shot after another.
“It’s hard to believe it is ten years, because it’s such a vivid, treasured memory,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop said at his Wednesday news conference. “It resonates with us every day, that spirit of that team, of that experience hovers around our campus.
“So for me and for many people that have been part of the program for so long it will never, ever disappear or be such a distant memory.”
Davidson, a No. 12 seed, will try to do it again this March. It is one of the many dangerous underdogs in this tourney.
By winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament with a surprising surge, the Wildcats barged into the bracket at the expense of an at-large hopeful. Now they must face a much different sort of Wildcat, No. 5 seed Kentucky, Thursday night.
McKillop doesn’t have another Curry on this team, but he has many guys who can knock down three-point jumpers. Davidson works for good shots with a deliberate half-court offense, forcing opponents to expend lots of energy on defense.
“I know we’re prepared,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said at his Wednesday news conference. “I know they’re in a great frame of mind. I know I’ve got great kids. But (Davidson) is going to be an unbelievably good execution team. Do we have the discipline to stay in this dance with 25 seconds each time down and talk and move? I don’t know.”
BEWARE OF THE GRIZZLIES
Montana will be another interesting underdog to watch Thursday night. The Grizzlies are a dangerous No. 14 seed matched against Michigan, a team that peaked during its Big Ten Tournament title run.
The Wolverines have had time to cool down, since the Big Ten held its tourney a week early this season. And Michigan can miss free throws. And Montana (26-7) went 16-2 in the Big Sky before sweeping through the league tourney.
“They’re only playing seven people, but I’m telling you those seven are fitting the pieces perfectly,” Michigan coach John Beilein said at his Wednesday news conference. “Really impressed. They remind me, we had two great teams that made the NCAA from Canisius and Richmond. I think Richmond actually was a 14 seed, and we upset South Carolina who was a 3 seed.
“And they really have outstanding guards. They have just the right pieces up front, mix of inside, outside. The style is terrific. And they really guard you. They create turnovers, which is something that is always concerning to a coach.”
LUMBERJACKS BRING THE ‘D’
Another No. 14 seed, Stephen F. Austin, could be a tough out as well. The Lumberjacks will throw tenacious defense at No. 3 seed Texas Tech Thursday night.
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin saw that first hand earlier this season when his Tigers were lucky to edge the Lumberjacks 82-81 at home. Martin went into the Stephen F. Austin locker room after that game and praised his opponent.
“Y’all got just as much talent as we’ve got man,” Martin told the Lumberjacks. “I don’t tell you that to make you feel good . . . I tell you real talk, man. I’ve never done this in my career. Y’all are a hell of a team, hell of a coach.”
So keep an eye on this game, too.
BEWARE OF NEW MEXICO STATE, MURRAY STATE
Friday night, No. 12 seed New Mexico State figures to be a handful for No. 5 seed Clemson. The Aggies have a big, athletic team that scored victories over Miami, Davidson and Illinois outside of the admittedly weak Western Athletic Conference.
Another 12 vs. 5 matchup, Murray State against West Virginia, will also be fun. Murray State brings a 13-game winning streak into this game and the Racers feature outstanding guard play.
As for the Mountaineers, they have driven coach Bob Huggins crazy with their inconsistency all season. So we’re saying there’s a chance.
