NCAA Tournament Sleeper: Davidson

This year's men's NCAA Tournament features quite possibly the worst Field of 65 there has ever been.

If ever there was a year for a low seed (seeded 6 through 16) to reach the Sweet Sixteen, it's 2008.

Davidson went undefeated in the Southern Division of the Southern Conference, but has yet to capture the attention of the majority of America.

The Wildcats have one of the best shooting guards in the NCAA in Stephen Curry, and should make a strong push for the Sweet Sixteen—and possibly beyond.

The Wildcats are also the hottest team in the country right now, as they have won 22 games in a row, all but three by double digits. Head coach Bob McKillop thinks that their undefeated conference play this year won't go unrecognized:

"I think college coaches understand what a 20-0 conference record is," he says. "Every night there are no gimmes, there are no guarantees. So for 20 games we were able to come out on top. Some teams can do it for 10, for 12, for 14, for 16. I think 20 is quite an accomplishment."

The leader on this Davidson team is obviously Curry. Curry won the Player of the Year award in the Southern Conference, and also won the respect of his coach.

Curry averages 25.2 points per game. He is the eighth-best free throw shooter in the NCAA (89.6 percent), the second best in three-pointers made (134), and third in three-pointers per game (4.3).

While Curry is definitely the star, though, it doesn't mean that the Wildcats are one-dimensional.

Jason Richards, a senior point guard, leads the NCAA with 7.9 assists per game. He is a playmaker who knows how to find the open man. Richards averages 13 points per game and made 52 three-pointers this year.

He also has the respect of his coach:

"He's the consummate quarterback," McKillop of Richards. "He's a guy that understands our system, executes our system, gets the ball to the right player at the right time."

There is also the talented Max Paulhus Gosselin. Gosselin is a superb defensive player and rarely turns the ball over.

When we move to the Davidson frontcourt, we find more of the same: playmakers.

Andrew Lovedale, Boris Meno, and Thomas Sander are the veteran post players. All three can change a game by themselves if given the chance.

Davidson is clearly a young, fast team that loves the outside shot. They will control the tempo of any game they're in. They're in great physical condition, and they have a coach who believes in them.

I expect them to beat Gonzaga, and then I expect them to upset the Georgetown Hoyas in a close game.

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