2008–09 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008-09 Davidson Wildcats men's basketball team represented Davidson College
in NCAA
men's Division I competition
. The Wildcats had emerged in recent years as a legitimate national power despite being a mid-major
school with one of the smallest student bodies in the NCAA Division I. The team was given high expectations after advancing to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2008.
This season was highlighted by the individual performance of Stephen Curry
, who was the nation's leading scorer after making the switch from Shooting Guard to Point Guard positions. He averaged 28.6 Points per Game and 5.6 Assists per Game. Stephen this season also took the title of all-time leading career point-scorer from former All-American John Gerdy. A few months after the season, Stephen announced his entry into the 2009 NBA Draft, ending his Davidson career.
The season was ended on a disappointing note, as the Wildcats unexpectedly lost to College of Charleston in the SoCon Tournament semifinals, resulting in their omission from the NCAA Basketball Tournament Field. The Wildcats then beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NIT tournament before losing in the Round of 16 to Saint Mary's and their star Point Guard Patty Mills.
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
men's Division I competition
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
. The Wildcats had emerged in recent years as a legitimate national power despite being a mid-major
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
school with one of the smallest student bodies in the NCAA Division I. The team was given high expectations after advancing to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2008.
This season was highlighted by the individual performance of Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (basketball)
-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
, who was the nation's leading scorer after making the switch from Shooting Guard to Point Guard positions. He averaged 28.6 Points per Game and 5.6 Assists per Game. Stephen this season also took the title of all-time leading career point-scorer from former All-American John Gerdy. A few months after the season, Stephen announced his entry into the 2009 NBA Draft, ending his Davidson career.
The season was ended on a disappointing note, as the Wildcats unexpectedly lost to College of Charleston in the SoCon Tournament semifinals, resulting in their omission from the NCAA Basketball Tournament Field. The Wildcats then beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NIT tournament before losing in the Round of 16 to Saint Mary's and their star Point Guard Patty Mills.