Warriors Have Share of March Madness Memories
Rookies guard Nico Mannion and center James Wiseman both did not play in the Big Dance. Guard Klay Thompson has appeared in five NBA Finals, but didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament in his years at Washington State.
Luckily for Warriors fans, however, some current Golden State players have taken part in memorable March Madness moments, with the list capped off by an unsurprising name.
G Jordan Poole (Michigan, 2017-2019)
Before ping-ponging between the G League and NBA this season and finally securing a place as a leader of Steve Kerr’s second unit, Poole made the leap from reserve player as a freshman to a starter in all 37 of the Wolverines’ games in 2018-19, securing All-Big Ten honorable mention honors that season. In his first season off of the bench, Poole’s squad made it all the way to the championship game in the tournament, but if not for some early-round heroics from the guard, it wouldn’t have made the Sweet Sixteen. Down 63-61 to No. 6 seed Houston, Poole caught a pass from well past the three-point line, took a flailing shot as time expired and prolonged No. 3 seed Michigan’s postseason run as the shot went through the basket. Madness had ensued. The Wolverine’s run, however, would fall short of immortality, thanks to the team of the next person on the list.
F Eric Paschall (Fordham, 2014-15, Villanova, 2016-2019)
It’s hard to be more successful in March Madness than being on a team which cuts down the nets when things are all over. Paschall started his collegiate career at Fordham before transferring to Villanova, where in March 2018 the Wildcats were the last ones standing. The forward had 14 points in the Sweet Sixteen against No. 5 seed West Virginia, 12 points and 14 rebounds in the Elite Eight versus No. 3 seed Texas Tech and 24 points while shooting 10-of-11 from the field in the Wildcats' Final Four win over the fellow No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks. In the championship game against Poole’s Michigan, Paschall had six points and eight rebounds, and won the title alongside another member of the 2019-20 Warriors, forward Omari Spellman.
F Draymond Green (Michigan State, 2008-2012)
Green would eventually be the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2011-12, but had his most tournament success in his first two seasons. In his freshman year, Green and the Spartans made it all the way to the championship game, but ran into multiple future NBA players as the North Carolina Tar Heels took the title. Green would have a more substantial role the next season as Michigan State made a second consecutive Final Four appearance. Off of the bench as that season’s Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, Green turned up his scoring when games mattered most. The No. 5 seed Spartans got 13 points from Green in their Elite Eight victory over the No. 6 seed Tennessee Volunteers, and the forward had 12 points and six rebounds in Michigan State’s 52-50 Final Four loss to No. 5 seed Butler.
G Stephen Curry (Davidson, 2006-09)
No list of any kind about the Warriors is really complete without Curry. The two-time NBA MVP and two-time consensus All-American started all but one of his games played in his collegiate career, and he made all five games of his NCAA tournament career count. In his freshman year, the Wildcats got bounced by the Maryland Terrapins in the first round, but Curry chipped in 25 points on 5-of-14 from distance. Then in March 2008, just as he would for Golden State for years to come, Curry found another gear. No. 10 seed Davidson first took down No. 7 seed Gonzaga behind 40 points from Curry, who went 14-of-22 from the field and 8-of-10 from three. The guard poured in 30 points in the second round and 33 points in the third round on 11 total threes as the Wildcats upset the No. 2 seed Georgetown Hoyas and the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers, respectively. Curry’s lowest-scoring game of the tournament would come in the Cinderella’s Elite Eight loss to eventual National Champions in No. 1 Kansas. Swamped by defenders, Curry would score 25 points on 9-of-25 shooting.