What Sydney Curry Brings to Louisville
(Photo of Sydney Curry: Spyder Dann - Marion Republican)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It has been a busy offseason for the Louisville men's basketball program. To make up for the influx of players departing due to the NBA, transfer portal of graduation, the Cardinals brought in six high quality newcomers.
Even with the talent arriving and talent remaining, there were still some questions that remained, one of which revolved around the front court. Malik Williams and Roosevelt Wheeler both have injury concerns, and Gabe Witznitzer is largely unproven. If Louisville was the feel good regarding their group of big men, another piece would have to enter the fray.
On Thursday, the Cardinals landed exactly what they were looking for, and welcomed newcomer No. 7. Louisville announced that JUCO power forward Sydney Curry, a former Kansas signee who had decommitted from the Jayhawks in May, had signed with the program.
The 6-foot-8, 260-pound big man has an impressive resume. He averaged 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season for John A. Logan College, was named the Great Rivers Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a Third Team 2021 NJCAA All-American as well.
But beyond his stat line and resume, what else does Curry bring to the table for the Cardinals?
One concern regarding Louisville's bigs last year was that far too often would attempt a layup (which would often end in a miss), and not go for the easy dunk. With Curry, this concern goes out the window. Not only does the Fort Wayne, Ind. native throw it down every chance he gets, but he is extremely physical around the rim, fighting through contact and positioning himself well to get to the basket.
Coupled with all the raw explosiveness and athleticism, he is an efficient scorer down low. He shot 73.9 percent from the field as a freshman, then 69.4 percent as a sophomore. Though his shooting splits suggest he struggles to shot outside of the lane, as he connected on just 45.1 percent of his free throw in his time at John A. Logan, and three-pointers are not part of his game at all.
His high motor should transition well into Louisville's new offensive scheme spearheaded by assistant coach Ross McMains. While he might not be a true five for the four in, one out that head coach Chris Mack likes to run, he can still hold his own on both the defensive and offensive end thanks to his physical play style.
He averaged 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in his final year at the JUCO level, so his defense isn't tremendous, but there is potential. He is careful not to foul, averaging 2.4 per game last season, and he is able to keep his man in front of him most of the time thanks to his athletic frame.
Bottom line, this is a great pickup for Louisville. He not only provides the front court with some depth, but serves as a contingency plan should Williams or Wheeler have more injury issues. He could even be a contender for early playing time should neither be ready to start the 2020-21 season. With one scholarship open, now the attention fixates to the backcourt.
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