Growing up in North Carolina, Seth Curry knew the significance of being a Duke basketball player. He understood the spotlight that accompanied being a member of Coach K’s squad. He knew the benefits of being tutored by one of basketball’s preeminent coaching minds.
“Being from North Carolina, I always thought about coming to Duke,” he said.
Unfortunately, Duke did not feel the same way about Curry, at first. While he had a successful high school tenure at Charlotte Christian School, his basketball skills were not impressive enough to attract the attention of many prominent programs. Many scouts considered him too small and assumed he would have difficulty transitioning to the more physical style of play at the high-major level. That’s why Curry’s first taste of college action was for head coach Dale Layer at Liberty University, a private Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia in the Big South Conference.
Although the Big South sits as one of the NCAA’s lesser-known conferences, Curry saw opportunity in his situation. He tried to prove that his agility and long-range jumper placed him among the nation’s best.
He did not disappoint. In his first year at Liberty, Curry led all freshmen in the country in scoring, deservingly picking up Big South Freshman of the Year honors.
Point proven.
“When I went [to Liberty], I figured that I’d be there for four years,” Curry said. “But at the end of the year, I had to make a different decision. I had to do what was best for me.”
So he opened up his recruitment again. This time, however, he entertained many more attractive suitors. He even received a call from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose Blue Devils had recently suffered a disappointing Sweet 16 loss to Villanova.
“Anytime you hear from Coach K, that’s a big thing,” Curry said.
As Curry recalls, Krzyzewski wanted somebody who could “make plays and score,” a need made particularly evident after that loss to the Wildcats.
Merely a few months later, Curry found himself at practice in a Duke jersey, a year-and-a-half after graduating from high school and ready to restart his career in his home state. Unfortunately, NCAA transfer rules forced him to the bench for the 2009-2010 season. He reluctantly watched from his courtside seat as his teammates put together win after win, on their way to winning the school’s fourth national championship.
And during that time, the Cameron Crazies eagerly awaited his presence on the basketball court. Rumors had begun to fly. Some began to claim that he was even better than older brother Stephen, then a rookie sensation for the Golden State Warriors. To exacerbate this curiosity, coaches and players alike also raved about his performances during closed-door practices. The Duke faithful could only imagine what Curry had in store for this season.
What they saw was a self-described “aggressive scorer.” At Liberty, Curry averaged an impressive 20.2 points per game, in addition to 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals. He drained 41.7 percent of his field goal attempts, including 34.7 percent of his attempts from long-range.
He hopes to have a similar effect on this year’s Duke squad. While he may not break into the starting lineup like he did at Liberty, he does have the potential to be the Blue Devils’ X-factor. With the strength he gained during the NCAA-sanctioned sabbatical and his sharpshooting abilities from downtown, Curry is exactly the type of player that can step into a game and “make plays and score,” to borrow Krzyzewski’s words.
Thus far, he’s done exactly that. Curry currently averages nine points per game, shooting an impressive 47.6 percent from beyond the arc. In a game against Miami of Ohio, he exploded off the bench to lead the team in scoring, putting up 17 points on a 3-of-4 three-point shooting performance.
Going forward in the season, Curry hopes to play a prominent role in arguably the best backcourt in college basketball—one that includes veteran Nolan Smith, highly touted freshman Kyrie Irving, sophomore Andre Dawkins and Tyler Thornton. Next year, Duke will add Austin Rivers and Quinn Cook to its ranks. Some might wonder if he regrets his decision to come to Duke considering such fierce competition for playing time.
His response: To be the best, he must play the best. Curry expects to thrive in an atmosphere that commands excellence.
“Anytime you come to Duke, you know that great players are coming with you,” he said. “That’s what makes practice so fun—you’re playing against the best players in the nation. I did my research before committing.”
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