Stephen Curry took the college basketball world by storm.
Under recruited due to a perceived lack of size, strength, and athleticism, Dell Curry's eldest son was ignored by seemingly every big time program, landing in the lap of Bob McKillop at Davidson. McKillop will likely never in his lifetime receive a gift quite as nice as Steph, as the kid that wasn't good enough spent three years scoring at will on any and every opponent he faced. That includes a sophomore year run in which Steph single-handedly led the tenth-seed Wildcats to tournament upsets of Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin before coming up two points shy of a Final Four trip against eventual national champion Kansas.
While Curry couldn't repeat that magical run as a junior, he did perform well enough to get himself picked 7th in the 2009 NBA Draft, averaging 17.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 5.9 apg as a rookie with the Golden State Warriors. Not bad for a kid that couldn't even get a scholarship offer from his dad's alma mater, Virginia Tech.
You would think the country's big time programs would have learned their lesson, but when Steph's younger brother Seth graduated from high school, no one in the ACC came calling. Seth was headed to Liberty. Like Steph did to the Southern Conference, Seth tore up the Big South, averaging 20.2 ppg in a freshman season that included a 26 point performance in an upset of Virginia and 24 points in a five point loss to Clemson.
Seth Curry dominated the Big South in his one season at Liberty.(photo credit: GoDuke.com)
To many an outside observer, it looked as if younger brother was well on his way following older brother's footsteps; a career full of gaudy numbers against shoddy competition. But finally, after four season's worth of the Curry family lighting up college basketball's lower level, the big boys came calling.
Seth was transferring to Duke.
"After my freshman year at Liberty, I was evaluating my time at Liberty and how much fun I was having and how much better I was getting," the younger Curry told me over the phone. "I went to my father and talked to him about it, and he could tell I wasn't getting better throughout the year."
"I wasn't being pushed enough. I wanted to go to a place where I could maximize my potential."
As a guard, there aren't many places better suited to accomplishing that feat than at Duke under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils have an impressive track record when it comes to developing back court talent over the course of three or four years -- Bobby Hurley, Jay Williams, JJ Redick. You would have a tough time arguing against all three of those players finding a place among the top ten (maybe even the top five) collegiate guards of all-time.
At heart this was a selfish decision that Curry made. But it is a decision that 99.9% of the basketball players in this country would have made in that situation. Duke is one of just a handful of programs in the country whose call you always answer.
Curry wanted to opportunity to "maximize [his] potential" -- a phrase he used multiple times during out conversation -- as a basketball player. He wanted the chance to not only play against the best, but to put himself into a position where he can be the best. What better way to do that than by transferring to a team that will, in all likelihood, be in the top five throughout the remainder of Curry's collegiate career.
Spending a year going against the likes of Nolan Smith everyday is an easy way to get better.(photo credit: Ballers Network)
Curry sat out last season due to the NCAA's transfer rules, but he practiced with the team every day. His role? To lead the scout team. To play the role of Greivis Vasquez or Malcolm Delaney or Ishmael Smith while preparing Duke's eligible players for their next game. And he did it going against one of the best back courts in the country in Jon Scheyer, an all-american last season, and Nolan Smith, a preseason all-american this year. Its impossible not to improve going head-to-head with that kind of talent and experience on a daily basis.
"Last year I was on the [scout] team all year," Curry said. "Trying to run the offense against the starters, I learned how to be a leader and run a team all year. That's definitely going to benefit me."
"Playing against guys at this level in practice everyday, you get to the paint and you're finishing over 6'10", 6'11" guys. Being crafty in the paint, shooting my floaters when I go in the paint, that's the biggest thing [I've improved on]."
Curry also had a chance to improve his body. Not only did he grow an inch or two -- he told me he is 6'2 1/2" now -- but he added some much needed strength.
"I got a lot stronger and gained more weight. That's all going to help me throughout the year, through the grind of the season," Curry said.
Seth Curry will be able to suit up for Duke this season.(photo credit: Duke Blue Planet)
The great irony in all of this is that while Curry's decision to transfer was made with selfish intentions -- getting better as a player, getting a better education, winning national titles -- he ended up in a place where he has been forced into playing a selfless role.
Duke won the national title last year. And while you and I and every Duke fan in the country recognizes the contribution Curry made and the importance of his role within the Duke program last season, the people whose opinion ultimately matters -- the NCAA -- doesn't. Per NCAA rules, Curry did not get a ring last season. Not getting a ring had to hurt, but being forced into a spectator's role for a national title run was worse.
"I was just taking it in as a regular player would, but not competing," Curry said. "That was the toughest part. Watching them go out and battle."
Curry was, in essence, nothing more than a glorified team manager. A season's worth of hard work and dedication to the team, and all he got was a promise that he will be on the roster next year.
Curry will be eligible this season, but the hype surrounding his commitment back in March 2009 has subsided. Part of the reason he was deemed a "savior" of the program -- his commitment even spawned a blog title "Seth Curry Saves Duke!" -- was the lack of depth that Duke had in their back court. Last season, Smith, Scheyer, and freshman Andre Dawkins were the only guards on Coach K's roster.
But Duke being Duke, that issue was addressed in the form of Kyrie Irving, a potential first round pick and arguably the best incoming guard in the country. With Irving in line to see major playing time in the back court alongside Smith, and another all-american in Kyle Singler back for next season, shots and minutes are not a guarantee for Curry. If Irving returns for his sophomore season, the back court will once again be loaded as Coach K has gotten a commitment from Austin Rivers, the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2011.
Staying at Liberty would have allowed Curry to be "the man", to be the guy that gets all the shots and scores all the points. When he announced his intentions to transfer to Duke, he seemed destined to fill that role for the Blue Devils. Even if he had known his role would be diminished by incoming freshmen when he left Liberty, Curry would still have ended up a Blue Devil.
"I don't think [my decision would have changed]," Curry said. "Being at Duke, they always recruit well. Any big time program is always recruiting and trying to get the best players."
"I'm competitive. I'm a competitive guy. I came to Duke to play with the best players."
Webster's definition of the word selfish is "arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage." Given that definition, its to argue Seth Curry's decision to go from being a Liberty Flame to a Duke Blue Devil was not a selfish move.
But it was a selfish decision made by a selfless player.
"I know what I can do, I know my abilities," Curry said. "Its my job to go out there and maximize my potential on the court and bring to this team what they brought me in for."
"They brought me here for a reason so I'm going to do that."
Any team that can count a kid with Seth Curry's talent and mindset as their third guard is a team that is destined for greatness.
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