General

Stephen Curry, Man Of Many Talents

Oct 18, 2008, 4:00 AM UTC

After last year’s NCAA Tournament, everyone knows what Stephen Curry can do. Everyone saw his jumper along with his driving and passing ability. But, even after thousands of YouTube highlights, did you know he could do this?â†µ
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â†µâ†µThis is Davidson’s spin on Midnight Madness, the Davidson Music Awards, complete with red-carpet entrances for every player, not just the one who spent a whirlwind summer with the likes of Conan O’Brien, LeBron James, Terrell Owens and others. (Curry still packs plenty of his own star power, even helping draw at games where he doesn’t play. The Davidson women’s basketball coach pointed out that Curry comes to every game, so if you want his autograph, that’s where to catch him.)â†µ

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â†µThe whole thing is a night where equal-opportunity embarrassment is available. And if you think dancing in front of a couple thousand people on a Friday night is bad, that isn’t all Wildcats coach Bob McKillop does with his players. Check out the annual event known only as “Songfest.”â†µ

â†µâ†µ“We go up to a cabin in the woods right here on campus and right after practice, we go have a steak dinner there and each freshman has to sing a song in front of the whole team,” McKillop said. “We film it and make a DVD that’s passed down year after year after year.”â†µ

â†µâ†µ“I think they get a little bit more frightened of the Songfest because they have to sing in front of their teammates than the dancing.”â†µ

â†µâ†µThe purpose of all this perceived embarrassment? “That’s what bonds you,” McKillop said.â†µ

â†µâ†µSo the 2008-09 campaign starts in Belk Arena, probably 1/10th the size of Ford Field where last season’s miraculous run ended. What has changed since then? McKillop spent the summer coaching USA Basketball (and watching his daughter get married) while Curry did Conan O’Brien’s show, the ESPY’s and the LeBron James Skills Academy. â†µ

â†µâ†µYou’d think Curry would get mobbed on a day-to-day basis, but that isn’t the case.â†µ

â†µâ†µ“That’s why I’m glad Davidson is so small; I already know everybody so nothing changed after the tournament,” Curry said.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe only thing that has changed is Curry’s role. He’ll handle the ball more often with Jason Richards, the leading assist man in the nation last season, gone due to graduation. Now more than ever, the offense will flow through Curry, even if it isn’t through a traditional “find a cutter” role you’d see from most point guards, according to McKillop. He’ll facilitate and create this season. And if you wondered if he still has that nasty 3-point stroke, the answer is yes.â†µ

â†µâ†µHe took the team’s 3-point contest in dramatic fashion, hitting eight of his final 10 shots, including the money ball to steal the one-point win. In the team’s brief 10-minute scrimmage, he hit dagger after dagger from beyond the arc. You could see the nerves at the start, when he chucked an airball on his second shot, but from there, it was straight out of the Georgetown/Wisconsin/Gonzaga nightmare fuel highlight reel.â†µ

â†µâ†µWith Curry back and surrounded by other key components to last year’s run (big man Andrew Lovedale and wings Max Paulhus-Gosselin and Will Archambault), it figures to be another long season for teams in the Southern Conference and another interesting March run for the Wildcats.â†µ

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â†µBonus clip of Curry's dance moves.â†µ

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â†µSecond bonus clip: Watch Curry bury 22 points in the 3-point contest.
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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