SNY.tv: Online Home of All Things Sports

While New York fans continue to dream of LeBron playing regularly on the Garden floor beginning in 2010, they can come see Curry much sooner.

Curry and No. 22 Davidson (6-1) will take on West Virginia (6-1) Tuesday night in the first game of the Jimmy V Classic. No. 17 Villanova (8-0) and No. 8 Texas (6-1) will match up in the second game of the doubleheader.

"Clearly the Garden is the Mecca, it's the Broadway, it's the Taj Mahal, it's the St. Peter's, it's the Palace," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said in a telephone interview. "It's where I believe basketball is at its best, so it's a great environment to come into because of the crowd, the media and, of course, the tradition and history of the Garden."

A 6-foot-3 junior guard, Curry led Davidson on a magical run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last year before falling to eventual national champion Kansas. He became the first player to score at least 30 points in his first four NCAA Tournament games.

It was during that run that James befriended Curry. LeBron watched Curry hang 33 points on Wisconsin during a tournament game in Detroit and said he would continue to follow his career.

After being named to The Associated Press Preseason All-America team, Curry has picked up right where he left off last year. He leads Division I in scoring at 31.3 points per game and tied his career-high with 44 in Saturday's 72-67 victory over North Carolina State.

After Curry drained a 30-foot fadeaway in that game, James leaped from his courtside seat, took several steps and put his arms in the air, as if surrendering to the nation's top scorer.

"His reactions to us on the floor are pretty cool to watch," Curry said of James, according to The Associated Press. "It's all entertainment. We're out there having fun and people appreciate it. That's pretty cool, especially from him."

Opposing coaches have thrown every defense in the book -- and some that aren't -- at Curry.

In a game Davidson won by 30 points on Nov. 25, Loyola (Md.) coach Jimmy Patsos held Curry scoreless by utilizing a bizarre triangle-and-two defense in which three Loyola players defended four Davidson players and the other two covered Curry.

"They did manage to defend him, but they certainly didn't shut us down as we beat them by 30 points," McKillop said.

In his next game, Curry went 15-of-33 from the field, including 4-of-14 from beyond the arc, against N.C. State.

With the game tied at 62, Curry outscored the Wolfpack, 10-5, the rest of the way while N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe looked on in awe.

"He's not just a shooter. He's a basketball player," Lowe said. "That makes it tough when you have someone who can shoot the ball the way he does. But at the same time, if you try to take things away from him, he's clever enough and smart enough to go to something else."

McKillop, who coached New York prep star Lance Stephenson and New Jersey standout Dominic Cheek this summer in the USA U-18 National Team tryouts, said he's never coached a player like Curry.

"As special as he is as a player, he's even more special as a young man," the coach said. "He balances a sense of confidence with a great sense of humility, and that's rare in today's world of outstanding athletes."

McKillop said he hasn't spoken with Curry about turning pro after this year and said that decision would be up to Curry's family.

"His decision will be one based upon what he and his parents assess to be the best future for him ... and that's the way it should be," McKillop said.