Davidson won’t retire Stephen Curry’s number until he graduates

STEPHEN Curry is the most high-profile basketball player Davidson has ever produced, but there’s still one thing he must do to have his number retired.

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 06: Stephen Curry #30 of the Davidson Wildcats reacts to his team's 72-67 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on December 6, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

STEPHEN Curry is the most high-profile basketball player Davidson has ever produced. He holds many school records and led the team to the Elite Eight in 2008. Retiring his No. 30 seems like a foregone conclusion, right?

Well, as it turns out, Davidson has a policy that it will not retire a jersey number if the player has not graduated from the school. The school isn’t willing to make an exception for Curry, who went pro a year early.

Curry has spoken of his desire to finish his degree, but he hasn’t done it yet.

“I knew what I signed up for when I went to Davidson,” Curry said, via ESPN’s C.L. Brown. “I made a promise to coach [Bob] McKillop and my family that when I left school back in ’09 that that would be accomplished — and it will be soon. Hopefully sooner than later.

Stephen Curry of the Davidson Wildcats reacts to his team's 72-67 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on December 6, 2008.

“It’s still a priority for sure; obviously there’s a lot going on right now. Taking advantage of my career right now on the court in the NBA, it’s only a very short window, so you want to give all the attention and effort. But to be able to finish out that part of my life, whenever it does happen, will be huge.”

Davidson doesn’t offer summer classes, which complicates Curry’s situation, but he said he’s “researched a plan of attack of how to get it done.”

“There has not been an exemption for it, to my understanding, for anyone,” said Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy. “The policy itself speaks a lot to what Davidson is all about. It’d be an interesting discussion, but it hasn’t been started yet.

“It’s one of those things where I’m not even sure who would make that decision, to be honest with you, just because it’s never come up before. I assume it would be the board of trustees.”

Principles are principles, and it sounds like Curry wants to get his degree soon, so this should become a moot point in due time if all goes according to plan.

Originally published as Davidson won’t retire Stephen Curry’s number until he graduates