Earlier than establishing himself as a world famous person, Stephen Curry was a scrawny sophomore guard at a mid-major school who turned heads together with his prolific scoring throughout the 2008 NCAA Match.
Davidson Faculty’s magical run to the Elite 8 that spring was a breakout social gathering of kinds for Curry. Spherical after spherical, Tenth-seeded Davidson, led by Curry, captivated the nation because the Wildcats took down three mighty giants on their approach to the Elite 8 and have been a shot away from knocking out the long run NCAA champions.
Fourteen years after the wild journey, Curry’s school basketball legacy can be sealed Wednesday when his jersey is retired at a particular commencement ceremony on the campus in North Carolina. The now four-time NBA champion can even be inducted into Davidson’s Corridor of Fame.
Longtime Davidson males’s basketball coach Bob McKillop knew there was one thing particular about Curry earlier than the purpose guard even performed a sport.
Even now, McKillop’s sentiment concerning the now four-time NBA champion nonetheless rings true: There’s nobody fairly like Curry.
“I might hear on a regular basis, ‘My son is the following Steph Curry. This man is the following Steph Curry.’ There’s just one Steph Curry,” McKillop just lately stated at Curry’s annual basketball camp. “I've lived in a time interval during which there’s been a Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Joe Montana and Tom Brady, Jim Brown, iconic figures on the earth of sports activities. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen somebody as impactful globally as Steph.”
Curry wanted solely three seasons to turn into the Southern Convention’s all-time main scorer. Throughout these three years, he set a convention profession report for made 3-pointers (414) and set an NCAA season report with 162 in 2008.
However essentially the most thrilling chapter of his school profession got here throughout the 2008 NCAA Match.
Curry averaged 32 factors in 4 video games whereas capturing 46% from 3-point vary. He stirred up pleasure together with his second-half scoring flurries.
In a first-round win over No. 7 Gonzaga, Davidson’s first March Insanity victory since 1969, Curry scored 30 of his 40 factors after halftime. Likewise, within the second-round, Curry helped the Wildcats storm again from a 17-point gap, scoring 25 of his 30 factors within the second half.
After the primary two rounds, Curry was within the nationwide highlight. A lot so, LeBron James went to see the blossoming school basketball star in particular person within the Candy 16 as Davidson took on third-seeded Wisconsin.
Curry scored 33 factors and went 6-for-11 from deep because the Wildcats earned their third consecutive upset and this system’s third Elite 8 berth.
Davidson additionally got here near sending top-seeded Kansas dwelling. The Jayhawks smothered Curry with a double staff on the ultimate possession, forcing him to move to an open Jason Richards within the final seconds, who missed a deep 3-pointer. Curry completed with 25 factors and made solely 4-of-16 pictures from 3-point vary.
Davidson missed the NCAA Match the following yr, and Curry opted out of his senior season to enter the 2009 NBA draft, when the Golden State Warriors took him No. 7 general.
Curry is by far essentially the most completed and well-known athlete — and maybe alumnus — to return out of the comparatively small school that had an enrollment of about 1,700 in 2008. However for Davidson to retire Curry’s jersey, he wanted to earn his diploma, a purpose he genuinely desired to finish.
Time isn’t precisely ample for Curry, however he did a few of his left over classwork throughout the 2011 NBA lockout earlier than re-enrolling this spring to complete the final of the educational necessities for his sociology diploma.
Curry didn’t stroll throughout the stage at Davidson’s commencement ceremony in Could as he had different enterprise to take care of — getting ready for the Western Convention finals en path to his fourth NBA title.
However the accomplishment of getting his diploma — one thing he promised his mom and McKillop he would do when he entered the NBA draft in 2009 — wasn’t misplaced on Curry.
“It is a very long time coming,” Curry stated throughout the NBA playoffs. “Simply clearly a way of accomplishment.”
Curry’s No. 30 jersey will be part of seven different gamers’ already hanging in Belk Area. There can be a livestream of the sold-out ceremony on Davidson’s athletics’ web site.
“Representing this system that [McKillop] constructed and to be a part of that historical past, it means loads,” Curry stated.
Employees reporter Shayna Rubin contributed to this report.