Popularity on the rise for Davidson's Curry

Guard's appeal is widespread

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CORRECTION

A story Wednesday in the Sports section incorrectly reported the first time Davidson sold out a home basketball game. Although the school went several years before selling out a game last season, the team often packed Johnston Gymnasium while winning 59 consecutive games there from 1962 to 1971.

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Bucky Waters hasn't watched a college basketball player this eagerly in almost 40 years.

The former West Virginia and Duke coach regularly attends games at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Davidson and All-American guard Stephen Curry will visit at 7 p.m. today.

"To me, he's like Pete," Waters said.

That would be the late Pete Maravich, someone Waters knew well. Maravich, the former Raleigh Broughton High sensation, wanted to play at West Virginia under Waters.

Maravich instead went to Louisiana State with his father Press Maravich, who was hired away from N.C. State to coach there. For three straight seasons starting in 1967, Maravich led the nation in scoring, as Curry is doing this season.

Former CBS commentator Billy Packer said it's a big stretch of the imagination to compare Curry to Maravich and other greats of the past, because early NBA draft entries have diluted the college talent.

But if the Wildcats' junior guard is not in the same league as Maravich, Curry is still an outstanding player elevating an otherwise below-the-radar team into a must-see favorite.

"I think people can identify with him," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "One, he's not this big kid. He's not some incredible athlete. He's 6-2, 6-3. But he plays with incredible savvy and courage and smarts, and people can identify with that."

People also want to be in the arena when he's there. For the first time ever, scalpers prowl the town of Davidson, carrying signs that say they need tickets.

When the Wildcats defeated N.C. State at Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena on Dec. 6, LeBron James watched with delight as Curry poured in 44 points. Three nights later, Davidson and West Virginia drew a crowd of 14,675 at New York's Madison Square Garden, where the noise level rose every time Curry touched the ball.

Raycom Sports president and CEO Ken Haines said it would have been "very, very difficult" for Davidson to get a nationally televised game scheduled at Madison Square Garden, except for one thing.

"Curry really makes that possible," Haines said.

Duke forward David McClure was among those flipping through the channels on Dec. 29 when he saw Davidson playing Charleston on ESPNU. Ordinarily, he might have stopped and watched for a minute.

He watched longer because of Curry.

"He's fun to watch," N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said. "He's not fun to play against, but he's fun to watch."

Michael Kruse, whose book "Taking The Shot: The Davidson Basketball Moment" chronicles the Wildcats' 2008 trip to the NCAA Midwest Regional final, identified several reasons for Curry's appeal:

* He has an interesting lineage as the son of former Charlotte Hornets guard Dell Curry.

* His wholesome image -- Curry writes references to Biblical scripture on his sneakers and attends an academically elite school -- has parents citing him as a role model.

* The sheer statistics -- 29.2 points, 7.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game -- amassed by Curry have entranced the fans' love of big numbers.

"It hasn't happened a heck of a lot over the last generation of college basketball to have a guy who is a legitimate threat to go for 40 every night," Kruse said, "and people love guys who can put the ball in the basket a lot and from all over the place."