Spicy Curry

Read that on a sign CBS showed during the Davidson-Wisconsin game last night.  Now I haven’t watched a great deal of college basketball this season.  So I didn’t do a bracket for this year’s tournament.  Had I done one I surely wouldn’t have had Davidson making it to the Elite Eight.  I didn’t get the opportunity to watch Wisconsin’s games last weekend so I thought I’d take the time to watch what I figured would be a good game.  Well along with the rest of the nation I watched a pretty good game.  Hard to watch as a Wisconsin fan with the Badgers losing big, but definitely a show for ages.  How did this Curry kid NOT get recruited by a big-name college?

Curry scored more than 30 points for a third straight game, and the 10th-seeded Wildcats pulled off another stunner Friday night, rolling over third-seeded Wisconsin 73-56 to advance to the finals of the Midwest Regional.

Little Davidson has gotten so big, even LeBron James is on the bandwagon, snagging a seat a few rows behind the Wildcats bench.

“It just shows what we’re doing here at Davidson,” Curry said. “We got guys that are in the spotlight and they’re coming to our game and watching us play. It’s pretty cool to give him something to be happy about and cheer about and just entertain him.”

Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, outscored the Badgers all by himself in the second half, 22-20. He finished with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including six 3-pointers.

This says it best when it comes to Curry and Davidson -

The nation got an idea of what Curry can do last weekend, when he scored 30 against Gonzaga and erupted for 40 — 30 in the second half alone — against Georgetown.

But big, brawny Wisconsin (31-5) was supposed to be different. Badgers defensive specialist Michael Flowers has made many a perimeter player ineffective, and Wisconsin was holding opponents to 53.9 points, best in the nation. Their 3-point defense was even stingier; in the second round last weekend, Kansas State didn’t manage a single bucket from long range.

Instead of being intimidated by the big stage — not to mention the monstrous Ford Field venue — Curry and Davidson played with such ease and attitude they may as well have been in their cozy little gym back home. The Wildcats shot 49 percent from the floor, and were 12-of-24 from 3-point range. Jason Richards had 11 points and 13 assists, and Lovedale added 12 points.

“Michael did a pretty good job of chasing Curry and trying to force some things,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. “He made some tough shots. But so did some of the other guys. I thought they got a lot of contributions when they needed them. And that’s how you get to keep playing in the NCAA tournament.”

Even LeBron James was amazed at Curry’s performance -

Curry scored 22 of his 33 points in the second half of Davidson’s 73-56 demolition of Wisconsin. It was his third straight NCAA tournament game with at least 30 points overall and 20 in the second half, and it put the Wildcats into the Elite Eight.

All of it is ridiculous, even to someone as sublime as LeBron James, who had been watching stoically until Curry detonated with 16 points in 6½ minutes midway through the second half. The sequence started with a pair of free throws, but then Curry began mixing in some degree-of-difficulty buckets.

He curled into the lane, caught a pass and kissed a moving 14-footer high off the glass. Davidson led 48-43. LeBron’s eyebrows went up.

Curry next did one of his abracadabra 3-pointers, catching the ball and getting rid of it in the same motion. Davidson led 51-45. LeBron started clapping.

After a Wisconsin turnover, Curry caught a pass in the corner, paused as defender Joe Krabbenhoft flew past, then drained another 3-pointer. Davidson led 54-45. LeBron looked around and mouthed the word, “Wow.”

Minutes later, with the shot clock winding down and two Badgers trying to prevent Curry from getting off a shot, he uncorked a vicious crossover dribble, stepped back and swished a 3-pointer. Davidson led 60-45. LeBron stood and raised both arms.

After a Wisconsin free throw, Curry attacked the rim, floated underneath, hung in the air as he was hit and spun a circus shot high off the glass. He added the free throw, giving him 16 of his team’s previous 18 points. Davidson led 63-46.

LeBron screamed “Oh s—!”

Stephan Curry and his teammates put on a show and Cinderella marches on going for 26 in a row on Sunday.  I know who I’ll be rooting for. It isn’t Kansas.