It?s officially Davidson versus the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
It may as well be the Southern Conference version of the Celtics and Larry Bird versus Reggie Miller and the Pacers in their heyday.
The SoCon?s two most prolific 3-point shooters will match up against each other when UTC?s Mocs (10-14, 3-9) visit the Wildcats (20-4, 11-1) tonight.
"It?s not going to be about how many 3s go down, but how many go up," UTC senior Casey Long said. "It?s going to be interesting to see what happens.
UTC senior guard Keddric Mays is second in the nation with 92 made 3-pointers, one behind the leader, and Davidson freshman Stephen Curry is tied for seventh, 11 behind Mays.
Fans in attendance at Belk Arena should be in for a show. In their Dec. 18 meeting in Chattanooga, Mays and Curry were a combined 14-for-25 from beyond the arc. Davidson pulled away late to win 92-80. Curry led all players with 30 points and Mays had 25, tying his career high of eight 3s.
"I think the first game was fun to watch," UTC coach John Shulman said. "I didn?t much like the result, but it was fun. Keddric got his game off, and Curry got his game off too."
What if they moved the 3-point line from 19 feet, 9 inches back to the NBA distance of 23-9?
"It really wouldn?t matter," Mays said. "We?ll still get our 3s up."
He has hit 43.8 percent of his long-range attempts this season; Curry has hit 40.6 percent.
Curry inherited his by-thebook technique from his father, Dell Curry, a longtime NBA sharpshooter who can still beat his son at H-O-R-S-E in the driveway.
Mays claims he has Godgiven talent and honed it in his back yard growing up in southeast Texas.
"Every time we go up against them, it?s a little personal," Mays said. "But I?ll be playing for a win, not to see who can make more 3s."
The winner of their matchup may not determine the victorious team. UTC and Davidson are not the two best defensive teams in the SoCon.
"We?ve got to get better at defending people," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said last week. "Whether it?s in transition, in the post or dribble penetration, we have weaknesses in every aspect of our defense."
So Shulman wants to make sure the Wildcats have to work on defense. In the first matchup, UTC often made one or two passes before shooting, which let the Wildcats get out on the fastbreak or run their complicated half-court sets.
"They scored 92 and we can?t win that type of game," Shulman said. "The shot clock could have been set at 15 seconds and neither team would have needed it. That?s more to their liking than ours."
Long shots that miss the mark usually result in long rebounds. UTC may be hampered on the boards a bit because center Khalil Hartwell has sprained ligaments in his right foot and has been limited in practice the last two days.
It may as well be the Southern Conference version of the Celtics and Larry Bird versus Reggie Miller and the Pacers in their heyday.
The SoCon?s two most prolific 3-point shooters will match up against each other when UTC?s Mocs (10-14, 3-9) visit the Wildcats (20-4, 11-1) tonight.
"It?s not going to be about how many 3s go down, but how many go up," UTC senior Casey Long said. "It?s going to be interesting to see what happens.
UTC senior guard Keddric Mays is second in the nation with 92 made 3-pointers, one behind the leader, and Davidson freshman Stephen Curry is tied for seventh, 11 behind Mays.
Fans in attendance at Belk Arena should be in for a show. In their Dec. 18 meeting in Chattanooga, Mays and Curry were a combined 14-for-25 from beyond the arc. Davidson pulled away late to win 92-80. Curry led all players with 30 points and Mays had 25, tying his career high of eight 3s.
"I think the first game was fun to watch," UTC coach John Shulman said. "I didn?t much like the result, but it was fun. Keddric got his game off, and Curry got his game off too."
What if they moved the 3-point line from 19 feet, 9 inches back to the NBA distance of 23-9?
"It really wouldn?t matter," Mays said. "We?ll still get our 3s up."
He has hit 43.8 percent of his long-range attempts this season; Curry has hit 40.6 percent.
Curry inherited his by-thebook technique from his father, Dell Curry, a longtime NBA sharpshooter who can still beat his son at H-O-R-S-E in the driveway.
Mays claims he has Godgiven talent and honed it in his back yard growing up in southeast Texas.
"Every time we go up against them, it?s a little personal," Mays said. "But I?ll be playing for a win, not to see who can make more 3s."
The winner of their matchup may not determine the victorious team. UTC and Davidson are not the two best defensive teams in the SoCon.
"We?ve got to get better at defending people," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said last week. "Whether it?s in transition, in the post or dribble penetration, we have weaknesses in every aspect of our defense."
So Shulman wants to make sure the Wildcats have to work on defense. In the first matchup, UTC often made one or two passes before shooting, which let the Wildcats get out on the fastbreak or run their complicated half-court sets.
"They scored 92 and we can?t win that type of game," Shulman said. "The shot clock could have been set at 15 seconds and neither team would have needed it. That?s more to their liking than ours."
Long shots that miss the mark usually result in long rebounds. UTC may be hampered on the boards a bit because center Khalil Hartwell has sprained ligaments in his right foot and has been limited in practice the last two days.
