Wildcats Set to Play Maryland in NCAA Tournament
3/15/2007 3:20:12 PM | Men's Basketball
Joey Beeler
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After nearly two weeks away from competition and their second straight Southern Conference Championship, the Davidson Wildcats will tip-off the 2007 NCAA Tournament with a 12:20 p.m. contest against fourth-seeded Maryland (24-8) Thursday at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
The winner of Davidson's first-round matchup will advance to face the victor of the first-round game between fifth-seeded Butler and 12th-seeded Old Dominion.
Making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a school-record 29 wins, Davidson has won 13 straight and 25 of its last 26 contests.
The Wildcats, who began the season as one of the most inexperienced Division I teams in the country with just a total of 30 collegiate starts among all their returning players, are led by a trio of juniors and freshman guard Stephen Curry. The son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, Stephen is eighth nationally in scoring at 21.2 points a game, which is the second highest by any freshman behind Kevin Durant of Texas. Along with earning a number of postseason accolades, the native of Charlotte, N.C., has drilled a freshman NCAA Division I single-season record 117 buckets from long range.
Junior point guard Jason Richards runs the offense and is second nationally in assists per game (7.3) and total assists (242). A member of the all-conference and all-tournament teams, Richards (Barrington, Ill.) is averaging 13.6 points per game as well while shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range and better than 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Todd Drexler, Sideline Sports |
| Coach McKillop has a few words for the Wildcats during their practice in Buffalo the day before the start of the NCAA Tournament. |
The Wildcats are guided by 18th-year head coach Bob McKillop, who is the all-time winningest coach in school and SoCon history. Named the conference's Coach of the Year a record six time this season, McKillop has recorded seven 20-win seasons, including three straight, and led Davidson to eight SoCon divisional crowns, four league tournament titles and seven postseason appearances -- NCAA (4) and NIT (3).
Maryland and the Wildcats have met 10 times on the hardwood with the Terrapins leading the all-time series 7-3. The two clubs last met in the 2005 NIT second round with the Terps rallying from a double-digit deficit to defeat Davidson, 78-63.
The Terrapins are led offensively by Second-Team All-ACC performer D.J. Strawberry, who paces four Maryland players in double figures at 15.2 points per outing. The others averaging at least 10 points a game include Mike Jones (13.4), James Gist (12.7), Ekene Ibekwe (10.5), while Greivis Vasquez is contributing just under the plateau at 9.9.
Davidson is 5-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with its last appearance a 70-62 setback to second-seeded Ohio State a year ago in Dayton, Ohio.
The Wildcats' NCAA Tournament contest with the Terps will be broadcast across the Davidson Sports Network (WHIP 1350 AM, WEGO 1410 AM, WFNA 1660 AM and WAME 550 AM) with John Kilgo providing all the action over the airwaves. Airtime will begin at 11:30 a.m. with an extended pregame show.
The game will also be televised on CBS Sports with Kevin Harlan and Bob Wetzel on the mike.
Todd Drexler, Sideline Sports |
| The starting five answers questions for the media while on the dais in the interview room at the HSBC Arena. |
