Lefty's Legacy

Davidson v. West Virginia Set for the 2008 Jimmy V Classic

Yesterday, it was officially announced that Davidson will face West Virginia in the annual Jimmy V Classic on December 9th at Madison Square Garden.

While there is no bigger stage in college basketball than the NCAA Tournament, a prime-time game at Madison Square Garden comes pretty darn close. Davidson will once again have an opportunity to put the college basketball world on notice, and do so early in the season.

West Virginia lost star Joe Alexander to the NBA this past spring, but with Bob Huggins at the helm, this team will likely remain a Big East power this season.

Having humbled last year’s Big East Champion, Georgetown, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Davidson will not be taken lightly by the Mountaineers. Indeed, inclusion alone in the Jimmy V Classic stamps Davidson as a team that has arrived on the scene, and has made its mark as one of the top programs in college basketball today.

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4th Watts

Jason Richards' NBA Debut

Last week, Jason Richards was picked up by the Miami Heat and placed on the team’s summer league roster. Stephen Curry’s future NBA potential is obvious, but Davidson Basketball followers know that Jason Richards’ NCAA point-guard prowess could also translate well in the NBA, a league that has suddenly become fond of point-guards.

Last night, the Heat played its first summer league game against the Bulls. While Michael Beasley’s 28 point outburst topped the major headlines, Davidson fans should be excited to know that Richards saw about 14 minutes of floor time, and managed 3 points and 2 assists along with 2 turnovers. Not exactly a jaw-dropping effort, but still exciting to see Richards in NBA uniform alongside NBA super-prospect Michael Beasley and second-round pick Mario Chalmers.

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“ Yeah man we’ve got 2 more years of this.

— Stephen Curry, Speaking with 2005 Alumnus Nicholas Carlson at Davidson Graduation this past weekend.

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[More than 200] programs posted subpar academic progress rates (APRs), which have been computed by the NCAA for the last four years and hinge on retaining players, keeping them academically eligible and ultimately graduating them. Twenty-six teams — including 20 in the longtime problem sports of men’s basketball, football and baseball — were flagged as chronic underperformers and handed stiffer penalties, including reductions in practice tim …

Atop the latest listings were 418 teams that posted perfect 1000s, including NCAA tournament darling Davidson and Columbia in men’s basketball and Creighton and seven other teams in women’s basketball.

— Steve Wieberg, “NCAA Dishes Out Penalties for Academic Shortcomings,” USA Today, May 7, 2008.

“ Who the Wildcats are is no longer a national question after that trio of NCAA wins, the school’s first NCAA wins since Lefty Driesell took the Wildcats to the regional finals in 1969. What they do from here, though, will determine whether they can stay in that spotlight for the longer term.

— Andy Glockner, NCAA Tourney Run Puts Davidson on the Map, and a Target on its Back, April 23, 2008.

» Link: It's Official -- Ben-Eze Signs with Wildcats

Might need one of these to get ready for the 2008-09 season.

“ Curry also received encouraging news. His left wrist still has a slightly torn ligament, but since he is pain free, he isn’t planning to have surgery. That would have made him miss two months. He also said an X-ray taken last week showed he still has two inches to grow.

— Kevin Cary, “Davidson Fans Savor Wildcats’ Elite Season,” Charlotte Observer, April 16, 2008.

» Link: Davidson Ranked #9 in Final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll