Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Chris Paul headline a group of Warriors' veterans who made their mark in the NCAA Tournament. With the round of 64 beginning on Thursday, the Dubs have nine players who played in the tournament and four players with alma maters in this year’s bracket.
Dubs That Played in Tournament
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Draymond Green, Michigan State
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
Kevon Looney, UCLA
Moses Moody, Arkansas
Gary Payton II, Oregon State
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Lester Quinones, Memphis
Alma Maters Represented in 2024
East Region: No. 7 Washington State (Klay Thompson), No. 9 Northwestern (Pat Spencer)
West Region: No. 9 Michigan State (Draymond Green)
Mid-West Region: No. 4 Kansas (Andrew Wiggins)
Stephen Curry's Magical '08 Run
Before coming to the NBA and ending a 40-year championship drought for the Warriors, Stephen Curry led Davidson to the Elite Eight for the first time in 39 years. First, 10th-seeded Davidson (27-6) defeated 7th-seeded Gonzaga (25-8) in the first round 82-76. Curry scored a game-high 40 points, shooting 8-for-10 from three and 14-for-22 overall from the field. Curry carried that momentum throughout the Wildcats' run, averaging a tournament-best 32.0 points per game. He also recorded the most 3-point field goals in the tournament with 23 3-pointers. Davidson beat 2nd-seed Georgetown and 3rd-seed Wisconsin before ultimately losing to the eventual champions, the 35-3 Kansas Jayhawks.
Chris Paul Leads Wake Forest to Sweet 16 as Freshman
In his freshman season, Chris Paul eclipsed 20 points in consecutive games to lead 4th-seed Wake Forest to the Sweet 16. Paul scored 22 points and dished out seven assists in a one-point win over VCU in the Round of 64, assisting on the go-ahead bucket and hitting four game-sealing free throws in the final seconds. In the Round of 32, Paul scored a personal tournament-best 29 points on 10-for-14 shooting with eight rebounds, six assists and five stocks (three steals, two blocks) in a four-point win over Manhattan. Wake Forest's run would eventually end at the hands of 30-1 Saint Joe's in the Sweet 16.
The following season, Paul would lead Wake Forest to a school-record 27 wins, but they fell short of the Sweet 16, losing in the Round of 32. Paul had his jersey retired by the school in 2013 and was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
Draymond Green’s Four Straight Tournament Appearances
Draymond Green and his Michigan State Spartans were a staple in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans went to the National Championship game in Green's first season before losing to North Carolina. Green scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in the championship game without missing a shot. They again made a deep run the following season, losing to Butler in the Final Four. Green's Spartans made the tournament every year in his tenure and won three Big 10 championships.
Green became the third player in NCAA history to have multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament, joining Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. Green posted 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against UCLA in 2011 and 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against Long Island University in 2012.
MORE NOTABLES:
Andrew Wiggins spent one season at the University of Kansas, leading the Jayhawks to the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The number 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft scored 19 points in Kansas’ first-round victory over Eastern Kentucky.
Kevon Looney and the 11th-seeded UCLA Bruins made the Sweet 16 in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, upsetting sixth-seeded Southern Methodist (60-59) and also beating 14th-seeded UAB (92-72).
Moses Moody spent one year at the University of Arkansas where he helped take the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. He also won SEC Freshman of the Year.
Gary Payton II scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and picked up four steals in Oregon State's first-round loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Trayce Jackson-Davis made the NCAA Tournament in his junior season, leading the University of Indiana to the 12th seed and scoring 12 points in a loss to Saint Mary's in the round of 64.
Lester Quinones started for the Memphis Tigers who advanced to the Round of 32, where they were defeated by top-ranked Gonzaga in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.