Before becoming a four-time NBA champion, two-time MVP, nine-time All-Star, the most prolific outside shooter of all time and more broadly one of the best playmakers in the history of the Big League, Stephen Curry was this gifted scorer with a silky shot but with a frail physique who bathed in a jersey often too big for him, on the side of davidson in NCAA.
On March 21, 2008, 15 years ago to the day, the man who would become “Chief Curry” made his first big hit on the national scene. After an exceptional “sophomore” season, concluded with averages per game of 25.9 points at 48% on shots including 44% from behind the arc (on… 10.3 shots per game!), 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2 steals, the young Wardell, who played exclusively back in college, tackled with his team the main course of a college season: “March Madness”.
Stephen Curry, the child-faced assassin
Holders of a #10 seed in the Midwest region, the Wildcats started the tournament against Gonzaga, seeded #7. A tantalizing and relatively open confrontation on paper, even if most observers still expected Mark Few’s team to win the meeting.
But it was without counting on the Olympic form of the “Baby-Faced Assassin”, who signed one of the best performances in the history of the “March Madness” to carry Davidson to a superb “upset”: 40 of the 82 points of his team, at 14/22 on shots including 8/10 from 3-pointers, with in particular 30 of the 46 points scored in the second half, not to mention 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals! A master class absolute, entered into the legend.
” I approach every game the same way. So I didn’t do anything different » he threw flatly after the match, in such a calm tone that he was almost unintentionally arrogant considering the carnage he had just caused in Gonzaga’s defense. ” I warm up the same way, I shoot the same way. I don’t let myself be distracted by the stakes and the environment. »
Opposed to Stephen Curry in defense for a good part of the match, the “freshman” Steven Gray gave his feelings, which would become those of hundreds of future opponents of the prodigy Davidson in the NBA.
Already very cerebral in his game without the ball
” Personally, I do not think I have run so much in my life behind screens to try to defend a player noted the Gonzaga player, completely haggard afterwards. ” And he knows how to use those screens. He is very cerebral from this point of view. »
After having spoiled most of the “brackets” in the first round, the Wildcats, under the impetus of their star back, will not stop there and they will offer themselves a magnificent “run” until the Elite Eight , where they will lose against Kansas, the future champion, after having eliminated Georgetown (#2) then Wisconsin (#3).
Individually, in his four games in this “March Madness”, Stephen Curry had compiled 32 points at 47% on shots, including 44% from behind the arc! A “postseason” which will place him on the right dynamic to confirm the following year with a third and final university season: 28.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.5 assists. Before becoming the 7th choice of the 2009 Draft, for the NBA career that we know today.
His complete tournament highlights
