Western Carolina at Davidson Preview: Curry and Wildcats Look to Claw Catamounts

Western Carolina Catamounts (11-9, 6-4) at Davidson Wildcats (18-3, 11-0)

Monday, Feb. 2, 2009 – 7 p.m. EST

Preview

The North-Division leading Catamounts pay a visit to Stephen Curry and the Wildcats, leaders of the South Division.

This season has been business as usual for the Wildcats, with their only losses coming to Oklahoma, Purdue, and Duke.

Curry, the nation’s leading scorer at 29.0 points per game, is the engine that powers the Wildcats' attack, while Andrew Lovedale scores 12.2 ppg and hauls down nine rebounds per game.

Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo, both over 14 ppg, lead the charge for the Catamounts. Giles (39.5 percent) and Jake Robinson (38.2 percent) can both fill it up from 3-point land.

Western Carolina will have to crash the boards, though, as no player averages more than 4.7 rebounds per contest.

Inside the Stats

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
W. Carolina	11-9	6-4	6-9-1	229	305	76.8	72.3
Davidson	18-3	11-0	10-10	31	111	80.5	66.5

	FG%	D.FG%	3P%	D.3P%	FT%	RPB	APG	SPG	TPG
W. Carolina	45.0	46.4	36.1	37.3	62.4	40.7	12.9	10.1	14.2
Davidson	44.7	40.1	37.6	34.7	73.4	42.0	14.8	8.4	12.4

Prediction

Current line: Davidson -19

Neither Davidson nor Western Carolina is particularly good against the spread.

These are two teams clearly on different levels. Davidson has clearly shown that they can hang with the big boys of college hoops.

Western Carolina, though it's leading the North division, would find itself in fourth place in the South Division of the Southern Conference.

Davidson should win this game going away. The only question will be by how big of a margin?

Steve’s pick: Western Carolina +19.0