Forward Sydney Curry Talks Transition to Louisville, Start of Practice
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ahead of the first day of preseason practice for the Louisville men's basketball program, power forward Sydney Curry took some time to meet with the media. He discussed his transition to Louisville, his time at the JUCO ranks, the start of preseason practice, his connection with Malik Williams, and more.
Below is the transcript from the press conference:
(On adjusting to Louisville since arriving)
It’s been a pretty good adjustment. I’m gelling with guys pretty well. It’s been a good adjustment for me, really more than I expected. The guys brought me in, it’s been going good.
(On his bond with Malik Williams)
It’s a really tight bond. That’s my step cousin, so a really good bond. We played against each other high school, been working out with each other, and he was a big impact on me coming to Louisville. He’s a really good, close friend.
(On the physical work he’s done since arriving, and how much weight he has lost)
I lost 22 pounds, so I’ve been doing a pretty decent job with (strength) coach (Andy) Kettler. Working every day, conditioning in the morning and afternoon, really get prepared for the season. Coach Kett has been a big help.
(On what he did to lose the weight)
It more of weight training, adjusting my diet and taking control of my calorie deficit. So, really the combination of both.
(On if any part of his game is similar to Malik’s)
We both rebound the ball and run the floor. He can shoot a little bit better to me, but I probably say out-physicality him at rebounding the ball.
(On his high school matchups with Malik Williams)
I only played him one time, so the matchups were pretty good. Going back and forth with each other. It was pretty good game.
(On what the first day of practice is like)
We start our first practice later today, so we're gonna get a whiff of what that’s gonna be like. Really high energy, lots of drills and stuff, just getting ready for the season. Really high intensity stuff full court, really focusing on defense this year.
(On what brought him to Louisville after decommitting from Kansas)
I knew Coach Mack since he was at Xavier, so I had a connection with coach Mack. It is a bit closer to home, so my family comes to some of my games. It’s only three hours away, so it was convenient for my family, too. I felt like it was a good fit for me and for my game, I trust coach Mack with my game. I like the team, the teammates, everybody here has brought me in, and I had a really good feel on my visit.
(On how he feels about this team's ability in the frontcourt)
I feel like we have a good ability to rebound the ball, score and pass out of double teams. We’re getting better on the defensive end, but I feel like overall, we got a pretty decent frontcourt this year. A lot of depth with Roosevelt (Wheeler), Gabe (Wiznitzer), Malik and myself, so we are in a pretty good spot right now. We just got to keep working.
(On how things look on the defensive side)
We’re really looking on the defensive end. Obviously we focus on offense, but in the last month and a half, we’ve been focusing on defensive stuff. That’s really picking up, making that an emphasis in practice. That’s really been a main focus that coach Mack is trying to install on us.
(On how Ross McMains and his style is impacting practice)
Coach Ross is a good coach, bringing in a new offensive style to our team. We're playing faster, with more intensity. Coach Ross has brought a new offense to us that we really like, and we're just going with it.
(On where he thinks he fits in, and where he’ll be able to contribute)
I can be rebound it, score in the post, being a defender. Really, just a high energy guy, coming in and rebounding the ball, being there for my teammates whenever needed. I feel like I do a good job trying to be a leader on the team, being a high energy guy.
(On how he would describe his style, and who he models his game after)
I have a high energy motor, I like to dunk the ball, just a high energy player. I don’t really model my game after anybody, but I'll probably say I’m just a high energy guy that plays both ends of the floor, doing anything for the team to win.
(On how his time at the JUCO level affected him)
Going to junior college made me grow up and mature a little bit more. It also made me develop my game overall, spending more time in the gym. We had a good staff at John A. Logan. It helped me spread my game a little bit more than what I had in high school. That was a good point for me, going to junior college and really maturing.
(On what parts of his game he improved at John A. Logan)
My free throw shooting, me being able to run the floor a little bit more, being more agile, being smarter and thinking about the game. I think a lot more about the game now since I want to junior college.
(Photo of Sydney Curry via JayHawk Slant)
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