Louisville's Sydney Curry Shines Against NC State
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Against NC State on Wednesday night, there wasn't much that went right for Louisville.
The starting five for the Cardinals only put up eleven total points in the game - the lowest scoring output by Louisville starters in a single game since 1933. On the other side of the court, the defense allowed the Wolfpack to shoot 56.1 percent from the field, including 66.7 in the second and 12-25 on three-point attempts for the night.
The 79-63 loss was full of lackluster performances on the court, as you can expect. But if there was any player who could come away from that game with their head hung high, it was Sydney Curry.
The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward put on a show down low in the paint, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes, which were all career-bests at Louisville. He was 10-13 from the field including three dunks, with his scoring output matching the highest total by a Cardinal in any game this season.
"I was encouraged by a few guys that didn't start. Sydney was tremendous," head coach Chris Mack said. "He’s been the same guy every single day. When he didn't play, same guy."
Through most of the season, the JUCO transfer has been a relative non-factor. In his first ten games of the season, Curry was putting up just 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, averaging just 5.4 minutes per outing.
But over the last three games, the big man has taken off, and carved himself into a crucial backup role behind starter Malik Williams. Against Pitt, FSU and NC State, Curry is averaging 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game.
I try to bring toughness, rebound the ball and just finish everything around the rim," Curry said. "I just try to be the same guy every day. Whether that's in practice or in the game. When I do get in, be aggressive."
Curry says that he has slowly become more comfortable in practice, and that his "understanding of the game as a whole at the D1 level" is a lot higher since he arrived on campus.
"I'm just asking coaches what I need to do better just to be more effective, and what I could be doing better on the court," he said.
Louisville will be back in action this weekend, traveling to the Steel City to take on Pitt. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
(Photo of Sydney Curry: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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