RALEIGH -- Stephen Curry is used to big arenas. The star sophomore guard for the Davidson Wildcats has been around them all his life as the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. Now he is on the biggest stage of his career once again, as upset-minded Davidson looks to knockoff Gonzaga and advance in the NCAA Tournament.

Stephen Curry grew up, basketball in hand, in the heart of ACC country as he calls it, while his dad made a name for himself as a clutch shooter for the Charlotte Hornets.

“I was always around the ACC Tournament and was a big fan of the ACC as a whole,” Curry said.

Hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps, he wanted to go to Blackburg, Va. for college and wear the same Virginia Tech jersey his dad once donned. The only problem was, Virginia Tech didn’t want him.

“I mean of course every person has dreams and hopes of where they want to go, but you have to look at what’s on the table and so Virginia Tech, they weren’t recruiting me heavily and teams like Davidson were.

“I guess I couldn’t take an opportunity that wasn’t there.”

For Virginia Tech, it was an opportunity lost, and Davidson has enjoyed the virtues of finding a diamond others looked at and discarded. Curry’s teammates though say they knew very early on what type of player they were getting.

“We knew we had something special when he came and played pickup with us before his freshman year, and he’s just gotten tremendously better from there on out,” said senior guard Jason Richards.

“Davidson is a better place for me, a better situation, and I have to just focus on and take in the most of the opportunities I have at Davidson. I think that’s what I’ve done so far,” Curry said.

Curry has certainly done that, averaging 25.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season while garnering Southern Conference Tournament MVP honors. He has made an astounding 44 percent of his three-point attempts and led his conference in scoring for the second straight year.

While Curry deflects questions like a seasoned pro when asked how it feels to do so well now after being overlooked by so many schools before, it’s obvious he is enjoying the ride, albeit at a smaller school.

“It’s all worked out for me in the end,” Curry explained. “I wouldn’t say I have a chip on my shoulder or anything, trying to play like, oh ACC coaches look what you missed out on. I don’t really have that kind of attitude.

“Just enjoying my teammates, enjoying my school, and making the most of what I have here.”

Strong schedule helps Davidson in tourney

Davidson currently enjoys the longest winning streak in the nation at 22 games. It dates back to Dec. 21 when the Wildcats ironically lost to N.C. State at the RBC Center, the same arena they will play in Friday.

Unlike last year though, Davidson is tournament ready this season having faced a number of the nation’s top teams, including North Carolina, Duke and UCLA.

“I think the experiences we had with playing different styles of ball and just close games that we had will definitely help in the tournament,” Curry said.

Thanks to that tough schedule, if Davidson should advance, it will play in arenas the team is familiar with all the way up to San Antonio. The first two rounds are in Raleigh, and the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 are both in Charlotte at Bobcats Arena.

“We’ve played [in the RBC Center] before,” explained senior forward Thomas Sander, “so we’re definitely familiar with the environment. I feel like Coach [Bob McKillop] in the beginning of the season, he wanted to schedule some games in some arenas where the NCAA Tournament was going to held like Bobcats Arena, out in Anaheim, and here in Raleigh, so it definitely helped us out.”

The game between Davidson and Gonzaga will tip off at 12:25 p.m. in Raleigh. The winner will likely get second-seeded Connecticut in the second round.