Last week, in what was thankfully the final chapter of his mega-recruitment saga, quarterback prospect Terrelle Pryor committed to Ohio State, shattering the perhaps naïve dreams of the Penn State faithful in Pryor's home state and the hopes of countless other schools around the country that tried their hand at Pryor's pot.

And though the spotlight now dims on Jeannette, it will follow Pryor to Columbus, where he figures to combine with incumbent signal-caller Todd Boeckman to form a tandem not unlike Florida's twosome of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, which won the BCS National Championship Game in 2007.

But with March Madness tipping off, it was amidst this recruiting regalia in which one of college sports' best stories in years came to pass barely one week later.

Avid fans of college basketball prior to this weekend's first- and second-round matchups in the NCAA men's basketball tournament had already heard of little Stephen Curry from little Davidson College (enrollment 1,700) in North Carolina. His courageous performance as a freshman in last year's tournament helped his team almost pull off a colossal upset against Maryland, a squad just five years removed from a national championship.

Still, in the world of college basketball, far too many players break out in big wins that the "almosts" are usually forgotten.

But though Curry couldn't get a win in 2007, he added to the growing chip on his shoulder. Curry, now a sophomore and one of the nation's most prolific scorers at 25.7 points per game, was ignored by all the basketball powers in his native South out of high school. No scholarship offers from Duke. No offers from North Carolina. No offers from Clemson.

And no offers from Virginia Tech, which hurt the most for Curry. He had grown up wanting to don the Tech maroon. See, Curry's father, Dell, starred with the Hokies in the 1980s, and enjoyed a 16-year NBA career as one of the league's most feared long-range shooters. But scared of Stephen's slight 6-foot-2 frame, Virginia Tech and the others ignored the same sweet stroke with which his father poured in more than 1,200 3-pointers.

While Duke and Clemson are sitting at home after looking lethargic in upset losses and Virginia Tech dawdles around in the second-rate National Invitation Tournament (think games like the Alamo Bowl compared to the Rose Bowl), Curry had two of the most impressive single games in NCAA tournament history for his 10th-seeded Wildcats.

And he had them back-to-back, scoring 40 points in a minor upset of Gonzaga and 30 points -- 25 in the second half -- in a monumental takedown of second-seeded Georgetown on Sunday. While several of Georgetown's superstars might have the NBA on their minds, Curry sent them to pre-draft camps sooner than expected, gladly taking their spots in this weekend's Sweet Sixteen.

Davidson's Cinderella slipper might shatter this weekend against Wisconsin. Or the Wildcats could pull off another unthinkable pair of upsets en route to the Final Four.

But regardless of outcome, Curry has something he might never have had at a bigger school. He has an entire country of fans pulling for his little team that could, and fans of his opponents fearing that they may be his next victims.

Now, like Pryor, the nation knows who Stephen Curry is. Consider the entire Atlantic Coast Conference deeply regretful.

And consider us, the fans, extremely thankful for their neglect.