Jul
13
Lessons Still Being Taught from Davidson & Goliath
Filed Under Commentary, Tourney History, NCAA Basketball
Gonzaga. Georgetown. Wisconsin. And nearly Kansas.
Behind the unstoppable scoring of sophomore shooting guard Stephan Curry, the cool-as-a-cucumber, even-handed play of senior point guard Jason Richards, and the visionary leadership of Head Coach Bob McKillop , tiny Davidson College – with an enrollment of just over 1,600 students – took down some of college basketball’s biggest heavyweights and gave another one the scare of its life during the 2008 NCAA tournament
Had Richards been able to knock down a last-second three against Kansas during the Midwest Regional Final at Ford Field – a desperation heave that left the destiny of mighty KU and its cupboard of blue-chip talents in the hands of a lightly-recruited guard who few people knew of prior to the tournament – Davidson would have been Final Four-bound, where other heavy-hitters North Carolina, Memphis and UCLA would have been forced to pay attention to the little liberal arts college packing quite a wallop.
In an intriguing article, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel raises the ultimate “What If” question – what if Richards had made that shot against Kansas – and examines how it may have changed the lives of Richards and Jayhawk championship game hero Mario Chalmers, he of the desperation three-point make that propelled Kansas into overtime and eventually past Memphis in the title game.
The basis for such a question comes from the ironic twist that Richards and Chalmers are now teammates on the Miami Heat’s summer league team in Orlando.
While Chalmers – a second round pick who was acquired by the Heat from the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night – is not guaranteed a roster spot but will most likely make the Miami team, the undrafted Richards is facing a role he’s all too familiar with – that of the underdog.
And even though it will be highly unlikely that Richards sticks with the Heat, his point guard skills can not be debated. For a guy with very little athleticism, Richards makes up for it with an uncanny ability to understand how to control the flow of the game at its most important position, especially in terms of knowing when to push the ball and when to pull it back.
While Richards would seem more likely to a career overseas, he was definitely a joy to watch this season and a great example for all those point guards out there who’ve been told that they’re too slow or not athletic enough but simply know one thing: how to play basketball.
Like Richards, Curry – the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell and the 2008 tourney’s brightest star – had a history of being lightly regarded by others and then making people eat their words that he’s too small and not strong enough to play at college basketball’s highest level.
Now it appears that Curry is once again proving that he can hang with the “big boys” at the Lebron James Skills Academy, according to this SI.com article.
How is this a surprise, considering that Curry basically dropped 30 on every team in the tournament despite getting the kitchen sink thrown at him defensively.
Curry is yet another unique player who makes up for any physical limitations with a savvy understanding of the game and a dedication to the fundamentals, whether it’s working defenders off of a screen, getting into the lane and floating the ball over taller players, or using a ball fake to get the opposition off balance and free up a three-point shot.
While Curry is expected to be a first-round pick in 2009 if he does turn pro and his resume in this past tournament displayed more than anything that there will be a spot for him in the NBA considering his outside shooting ability, next season will still prove to be an important one for him as he slides into the point guard position vacated by Richards, who understood better than anyone how to set up and maximize Curry’s abilities for the betterment of the Davidson team.
In other words, the spotlight to pick apart Curry’s game will be shining bright once again in his new position on the court but familiar position of having his game questioned and picked apart off the court.
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