| Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
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| | hit the 30-point mark in his first 3 NCAA
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| For the first time in the history of the
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| | tourney games, finished with 25 on
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| NCAA National Basketball Tournament, all
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| | 9-of-25 shooting. He was picked as the
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| four No. 1 seeded teams made it safely
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| | Most Outstanding Player in the Midwest
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| through the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 brackets
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| | Regional.
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| to the Final 4?UCLA, Memphis, North
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| | As a sophomore, he nailed 160 3-pointers
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| Carolina and Kansas. Three #1 seeds have
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| | this season to set an NCAA Division I
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| advanced to the Final 4 only three times
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| | record. He will return to Davidson for
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| in NCAA history, most recently in 1999.
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| | his junior year, wisely not choosing to
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| West Regional Champion UCLA (35-3) meets
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| | go pro without more seasoning, Curry was
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| South Regional Champion Memphis (37-1),
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| | an 89% free throw shooter this year and
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| and East Regional Champion North Carolina
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| | shot 44% from 3-point land.
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| (36-2) faces off against Midwest Regional
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| | Many fans had no idea there was a
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| Champion Kansas (35-3) Saturday (4-5-08)
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| | Davidson before the tournament. Davidson
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| with the winners playing Monday night in
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| | was not exactly overwhelmed with national
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| the national championship game.
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| | publicity and exposure before March
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| The entire Sweet 16 and Elite 8 action
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| | Madness began. Davidson is so small there
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| reminded me a whole lot of the run-up to
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| | are very few fans who could tell you it
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| a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. There
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| | is located in Davidson, North Carolina.
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| are always a lot of common meals before
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| | The liberal arts school, which has only
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| the magnificent Thanksgiving feast.
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| | 1,770 students, could not even fill a
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| I could have fallen asleep during 9
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| | scant part of the student section at
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| actual blowouts and a somewhat close
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| | UCLA.
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| Xavier-West Virginia game that only
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| | The loss snapped Davidson's 25-game
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| seemed close because it ended in overtime
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| | winning streak, the longest in the
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| with Xavier taking down West Virginia,
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| | nation. The Wildcats were nothing short
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| 79-75.
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| | of amazing during their run, upsetting
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| The only two marquee games involved
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| | the likes of Gonzaga, Georgetown and
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| upstart Davidson with "please shoot the
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| | Wisconsin before running into Kansas.
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| lights out" Stephen Curry, who scored 33
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| | Davidson won the South Division of the
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| points as the unsung #10 seed embarrassed
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| | Southern Conference with a perfect 20-0
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| the hell out of #3 seed Wisconsin's
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| | record and finished the season with a
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| famous lock-down defense.
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| | 29-7 mark. The Wildcats are coached by
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| Davidson then came within a inch or two
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| | Bob McKillop, who deserved to be in the
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| of sending Kansas back home as the #1
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| | spotlight after 19 seasons at Davidson.
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| seed Jayhawks were just able to hang on
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| | Until this season, Davidson has not won
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| for dear life, barely advancing to the
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| | an NCAA tournament game in 39 years!
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| Final 4 with a 59-57 victory when stealth
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| | Davidson's mighty run to greatness will
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| shooter Stephen Curry drained another
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| | be talked about for years in Davidson and
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| 3-pointer with 54 seconds left. It would
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| | every nook and cranny in North Carolina,
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| be the last basket of the game, which
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| | a state obsessed with basketball after
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| proved to be the most exciting game of
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| | basking in the immense success of Duke
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| dozen played.
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| | and North Carolina over the years.
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| Curry, who became only the 4th player to
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