The NCAA tournament is the ultimate proving ground for college basketball players. It can take an athlete from relatively unknown, into an instant celebrity overnight. In 2008, a diminutive and under recruited guard by the name of Stephen Curry, led the Davidson wildcats to the NCAA tournament. The wildcats had faced multiple powerhouse schools throughout the season but fell short every single time.
They came into the tournament as a ten-seed and faced former tournament darling themselves, Gonzaga. Curry dropped 40 points in the game, shooting his team to a win by the score of 82-76. The performance made the country aware of just how good Curry and his team were.
In the second round, they matched up against one of the favorites to win the tournament, Georgetown. Georgetown led by as much as 17 points at one point. Curry rallied his team back in the second half and they stormed back to upset Georgetown 74-70. Next up, was the sweet 16 , an unfamiliar spot for small school Davidson. Curry scored over 30 points for the third consecutive game and cruised by Wisconsin in the process.
Curry and his team reached the elite 8, where they fell to eventual national champions Kansas. They fell short of their goal, but Curry and his team left their mark for years to come.
The Big Dance 