A year ago, Davidson was just another non-conference opponent for Duke, albeit an increasingly tough one, and Stephen Curry had not yet become a household name, let alone a friend of some of the NBA's best players.
That all changed with an unexpected NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, where the Cinderella Wildcats were one buzzer-beater away from beating eventual national champion Kansas and advancing to the Final Four.
Now, the No. 2 Blue Devils-and everyone else in the country-are well aware of the threat Davidson poses Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"Davidson is one of the best teams in the country," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I think Curry's the best guard. He may be the best player in the country."
Last season, the Wildcats (10-2), who were ranked as high as No. 22 in December, were able to take everyone by surprise, nearly defeating UCLA and North Carolina in the regular season before upsetting Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin in the postseason.
Davidson can't sneak up on anyone now, and Curry, a candidate for the National Player of the Year award, certainly can't, either.
All eyes are likely to be on Curry, who currently leads the nation in points per game, averaging 29.2 overall and 31.8 excluding a 0-point performance against Loyola Nov. 25. Last year, the point guard nearly helped Davidson upset Duke (12-1) in Charlotte, hitting two late 3-pointers in the final two minutes before Duke pulled away to win, 79-73.
Containing Curry figures to be a major part of Duke's game plan, especially because Davidson's next leading scorer, Andrew Lovedale, averages fewer than 11 points per game. Earlier in the season, Purdue exposed the Wildcats' reliance on Curry, as double-teams held the acclaimed point guard to just 13 points on 5-of-26 shooting in Davidson's second loss.
It won't help, either, that Duke will be playing its third game in six days.
"We'll have to put together a good game plan," forward Gerald Henderson said. "That's one of the things we take pride in-being prepared for every game. We'll really get ready for them."
After injuring his knee last week against Loyola, sophomore Nolan Smith will most likely be guarding Curry for much of the game. Although the point guard did not appear to lose any speed against the Hokies, he has not yet had to face an opponent as explosive as Curry.
Another option for the defensive assignment would be Henderson, whose athleticism and height might be enough to overpower the 6-foot-3 guard.
For Henderson, the chance to guard one of the most talented players in the country is something he wouldn't pass up.
"Do I want to guard him?" Henderson said. "Yeah, he's one of the best players in the nation, so why wouldn't you?"
NOTES: ESPN'S NBA announcing trio of ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Tirico will call tonight's game instead of Dick Vitale and Dan Shulman, who will announce an NBA game. Only Tirico has called an NCAA game before.
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