TEAM: Davidson
REGION: Midwest
LAST WEEKEND: Defeated #7 Gonzaga, defeated #2 Georgetown
Next Game: vs Wisconsin, 7:10 pm Friday
Davidson got here because of: Superior guardplay. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the back of this Wildcats team, and they proved it with their performances so far. Curry had 40 points against the Zags and 30 points against the Hoyas. Fifty-five of his seventy points have come in the second half. Against the Hoyas he nearly single-handedly brought the Wildcats back from 17 points down to win. Richards, the NCAA leader in assists, did not disappoint either, with 35 points and 14 assists playing all but four minutes of the first two games. Finally, this stat shows how important these two players are to Davidson’s success. In the Georgetown game, Curry and Richards, by virtue of either points scored or assists tallied, accounted for 70 of the Cats’ 74 points, including a hand in every field goal made. That is impressive.
What the Sweet 16 really means: The difficult non-conference schedule paid off. They were not fazed by the big stage. While any Davidson fan, player and coach must be absolutely thrilled by what has happened so far, the Wildcats have to believe that they are the next George Mason. They have to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can make the Final Four given the right opportunity.
Chances to Reach San Antonio: Perhaps the third slimmest chance of anyone left in this tournament (the first and second being Western Kentucky and Villanova). But they have to feel good about their chances to make the Elite 8. Wisconsin’s style means the pace will be slow, allowing starters to play close to 40 minutes and the Wildcats to keep it close regardless of the outcome. They'll need more great performances out of Curry and Richards, and Andrew Lovedale needs to stay out foul trouble against the Badgers' frontcourt. In Kansas they may have to face the most talented team of the tournament. Then again, that’s what they said about UConn in 2006.
REGION: Midwest
LAST WEEKEND: Defeated #7 Gonzaga, defeated #2 Georgetown
Next Game: vs Wisconsin, 7:10 pm Friday
Davidson got here because of: Superior guardplay. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the back of this Wildcats team, and they proved it with their performances so far. Curry had 40 points against the Zags and 30 points against the Hoyas. Fifty-five of his seventy points have come in the second half. Against the Hoyas he nearly single-handedly brought the Wildcats back from 17 points down to win. Richards, the NCAA leader in assists, did not disappoint either, with 35 points and 14 assists playing all but four minutes of the first two games. Finally, this stat shows how important these two players are to Davidson’s success. In the Georgetown game, Curry and Richards, by virtue of either points scored or assists tallied, accounted for 70 of the Cats’ 74 points, including a hand in every field goal made. That is impressive.
What the Sweet 16 really means: The difficult non-conference schedule paid off. They were not fazed by the big stage. While any Davidson fan, player and coach must be absolutely thrilled by what has happened so far, the Wildcats have to believe that they are the next George Mason. They have to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can make the Final Four given the right opportunity.
Chances to Reach San Antonio: Perhaps the third slimmest chance of anyone left in this tournament (the first and second being Western Kentucky and Villanova). But they have to feel good about their chances to make the Elite 8. Wisconsin’s style means the pace will be slow, allowing starters to play close to 40 minutes and the Wildcats to keep it close regardless of the outcome. They'll need more great performances out of Curry and Richards, and Andrew Lovedale needs to stay out foul trouble against the Badgers' frontcourt. In Kansas they may have to face the most talented team of the tournament. Then again, that’s what they said about UConn in 2006.
2 comments:
for a great Davidson blog, check out wibryan.blogspot.com
Actually, we just added that blog to our team-specific links on the right side of the page. There are some great photos of the players from the tournament games - check it out.
Post a Comment