Stephen Curry shoots over a Kansas player in a game last year. (Tim Cowie photo)

As Davidson College’s men’s basketball team heads out of town this weekend for a big TV game against Purdue, star Stephen Curry has reeled in another big honor: 2008 College Athlete of the Year chosen by Sporting News magazine. In an interview in the magazine’s latest issue, due out today (Friday), Curry talks about the challenges of fame and how he thinks this year’s Wildcat team could repeat last year’s tournament run. He also talks about whether he’ll be back next year.

The 22nd ranked Wildcats play No. 13 Purdue at 3:30 Saturday in the 9th annual John Wooden Tradition tournament. The game is scheduled to air on CBS.

In a press release Friday, Sporting News notes that Curry currently leads the nation in scoring, with a 31.9 points per game average. And he’s led his team to an 8-1 start.

Curry tells Sporting News reporter Steve Greenberg how his life has changed since last season’s NCAA Tournament.  “I’m from Charlotte; (Davidson) is sort of my back yard, and people recognize not only me but my teammates in everyday places. They’re always asking for autographs, and there are a lot more Davidson T-shirts running around. That kind of attention has really changed our daily lives,” he said.

On whether his newfound fame has made life harder: “There’s less time for myself. After games and practices, there’s a lot more media attention. The fan base has grown a lot. I have a lot more things to do, a lot more people to talk to. It does get difficult, but the coaches and everybody around me help me.”

On whether Davidson can continue to shake up the postseason: “I think we have all the ingredients to do what we did last year, if not go further. Everybody on our team has experienced what we did last year. It’s not something new. If we continue to get better, especially in conference with everybody giving us their best shots, we can get in and make another story like we did last year.”

On whether he’ll be back for his senior year: “That’s the plan right now. I don’t want to think too much about a decision I have to make at the end of the year because that will distract me for this season.”