[Sly Fox]

Haize - If that is the case, why are guys with one year of terrible play at the college level going int he 1st round of the draft each year? And how can kids playing in 4th rate Euro club leagues getting drafted like crazy?

The league drafts nearly completely on upsides. They don'[t care near as much where you play college ball these days as they did a decade or so ago. And based on Stephen's success thus far, Seth will get plenty of hard looks. They only way he significantly improved his draft stock by transferring to Duke was if he became their #1 or #2 option. That's not happening this year and it is yet to be determined if it ever will.

All that said, I'd love to see him have a great NBA career. Bitterness over a decision made my a 19-year-old kid doesn't make much sense. He seems happy to be playing for the defending national champion and current #1. Even if the NBA doesn't work out, I'm sure he is enjoying the ride right now.

[TIMSCAR20]

Personally I think it is WAY TOO EARLY to judge whether a Soph that just sat out a whole season is a bust. I think Seth will end up being a key player for Duke. I think he will get a good look at the NBA if for no other reason than he has the means and the access to make that a realistic goal. I personally wish he would have stayed at Liberty but I don't know how you have a chance to play for Duke and not go if you are at Liberty. Most of the people criticizing Seth would make the same choice if they were fortunate enough to ever be in a position like that. To me having a chance to compete for a National Championship far outways scoring 20-30 points for a lesser team. If I was playing just for numbers I would have left Liberty and went and become a division III All American and scored 30 a game. Everyone is different and everyone plays for different reasons.

Whoever made the point about playing anywhere will still get you a look is dead on. It doesn't matter whether you play at Duke or UNC Greensboro if you are talented. There are so many examples of guys in the NBA that didn't play big time hoops.

Comparing the NFL and the NBA is not even close to an equal comparison. You can make a football team and not even know the rules of the game. Not saying it is easy to make it in the NFL but I am saying that it is far more a league about physical ability than skill necessarily. If you can run a 4.3 40 someone may take a chance on you at a skilled position like Defensive back or special teams. They can teach you technique and how to play the game. Basketball only has 5 guys on the floor so if you are a liability in certain areas you can't play. Plus with only 12 guys on a roster a coach is far less likely to take a chance on a guy in the NBA than in the NFL.

Lastly you really need to have the ball in your hands or be near the action to get noticed in hoops where in football it's more about physical ability. A coach sees you throwing up 400 lbs in the weight room he may think about using you even though he has never seen you play. In basketball just because you see a kid with a 40 inch vertical doesn't mean he can play basketball. If he can't catch, pass, shoot, dribble, there is no use for them on the court no matter how gifted an athlete is.

[Purple Haize]

I prefer to see how players move withOUT the ball, but I am not in the NBA (anymore LOL)

SCAR You will get looked at no matter WHERE you play. But WHERE you play can also determine the amount of questions you have to answer and also lead to assumptions (both positive and negative)
As for the Euro Leagues, that is still the "wild west" of NBA prospecting. Again, it is who they play against to some extent. "Can they do that in the NBA?" But then you get the 'grainy video' of the player doing something amazing and a legend grows. And besides after the great Arvidys Sabonis all the the other "Euros" are just posers!!!

[jenkins]

the biggest point that has been made but hasn't been empasized enough is that he is never going to be the number 1, 2 or probably even 3 scoring option at Duke. Duke is going to bring in at least one maybe even top top 10 players in the nation (every year) who are going to be allowed to do the same thing at duke that seth did at liberty. He's a good player, and he would probably start and score 15 a game on 10 of the ACC schools. The other point i agree with is the nba looks solely at potential. Think back over the last 15 years, how many guys have been 4 year seniors that pumped huge numbers out and got rewarded with a 1st round draft pick. Tim Duncan and david west are the only guys i can think of tho i'm sure there are a few more. He'll get a look based off of stephen's success as long as he stays fairly productive at duke. I just dont think he will ever the opportunity to showcase himself like he would've here. As you guys were saying in another thread it is scary to think how good we could have been this year had we kept some of those pieces in place.

[Purple Haize]

Shall we go down the Duke roster about where he would fit in:
Langdon
Sheyer (who knew he'd be that good)
Collins
Reddick
Marty Clark
Billy McCaffery (even though HE transfered)
Dawkins
Snyder

That's just off the top of my head. All similar size, some better shooters, some better ball handlers, but the point being, there is a place for SC type of player at Duke. Granted, none had a GREAT NBA career, but then again, DUKE isn't a stop over for the NBA like some schools in that area!

[kingaling42]

Quick food for thought- look at Nolan Smith's numbers 2 years ago at Duke.. at 8.4 pts/game he was Duke's 4th leading scorer- the stats are fairly comparable to Curry's this year to date & I'm pretty sure no one would have thought he would develop as he has for his Junior & Senior seasons... I agree with SCAR- way too early & it just looks like you're hating on the kid & still quite bitter- which is sad if you've really moved on as a 4-0 team with new players/coaches etc.. just sayin..

[LUconn]

I know what the Curry clan was trying to do. But Duke is not really the place to do it. Sure, they're in the top tier of number of guys in the NBA, but I would say that it's more because of the sheer number of McD AAs that they get. They are notorious for letting talent rot on the bench or just not developing it. ESPECIALLY if your defense is suspect, which as I recall, it was. He still could have transferred to an ACC, BE, SEC whatever and still have been the focal point of a team or at least the 2nd option. He picked one of only a few schools where he wouldn't be.

[Bigsouthking]

People that pull for LU should have a few sour grapes over this, he basically said I am too good for LU and mom Curry also made negative comments regarding other arenas in BSC, which maybe true, but LU is only school that offfered him coming out of HS. Curry should have showed loyalty back.

My sour grapes are with the college hoops media that puts him on a mountain top... He is a 6ft slow 2 guard, how many of those are in the NBA, and he scores at Duke because of all the other weapons that they have before him... classic role player for next 2 seasons. Curry is no Larry Blair.

And Dale Layer is doing a helluva good job.

[jcmanson]

People that pull for LU should have a few sour grapes over this, he basically said I am too good for LU and mom Curry also made negative comments regarding other arenas in BSC, which maybe true, but LU is only school that offfered him coming out of HS. Curry should have showed loyalty back.

My sour grapes are with the college hoops media that puts him on a mountain top... He is a 6ft slow 2 guard, how many of those are in the NBA, and he scores at Duke because of all the other weapons that they have before him... classic role player for next 2 seasons. Curry is no Larry Blair.

And Dale Layer is doing a helluva good job.

I like you. Good points.

[From the class of 09]

Here is a different twist...maybe we should be thanking Curry? If he wouldn't have left we would probably still have McKay...and given what we've now seen out of both McKay with his time at LU and Layer I much prefer Layer as our coach. Hows that for being an optimist?

[jcmanson]

Here is a different twist...maybe we should be thanking Curry? If he wouldn't have left we would probably still have McKay...and given what we've know seen out of both McKay with his time at LU and Layer I much prefer Layer as our coach. Hows that for being an optimist?

I agree with this as well

[LUconn]

yeah right, check out the Soko thread

[Cider Jim]

I wonder if we will be talking about Curry decades from now, like Giants fans talk about Bobby Thompson or Pirate fans talk about Maz.

Reggie hasn't been an Oriole since 1976, and I'm still a little bitter about that (okay, a lot).

[jcmanson]

yeah right, check out the Soko thread

Short term, I'd prefer McKay. Long term, Layer.

[jcmanson]

Yes it set us back a LONG ways, but we’ve rebounded nicer and quicker than I think anyone could have hoped for. I think Layer is a man of loyalty and will stick with us for a few years, maybe until he retires, who knows. Give him several years (5+) and we’ll be better off with him than we would have been with McKay. McKay showed his true colors and he wasn’t at LU for LU. Even if Curry stayed, McKay would have used that success and bolted once another opportunity presented itself.

[Bigsouthking]

RMK is about image

Curry is about individualism over team


Layer is about substance

Sanders puts team before self

and that is why LU is atop of the Big South.

[From the class of 09]

I'm really happy that we are 4-0, but we are kidding ourselves if we think that the series of events that started with Curry leaving didn't set the program back a good ways.

Oh I'm well aware that it hurt the program but looking at the program right now I feel Layer is the man for the job and I'm glad he's in charge not McKay.

[TDDance234]

Curry also has a future as an actor:



From the movie, Juwana Man:

[Th3rd]

No offense, but that's kinda the exception to the rule. Let's look in the NFL. Sure, there's guys that came out of D2 and D3 schools. Some didn't even go to college. But I was watching the Redskins v. Giants game, and there were certainly more guys from the (Auburn, Miami, Pitt)'s of the world than Northern Michigan Panhandle State.

but havent some of the greatest talents come out of fairly smaller schools... Jerry Rice, LaDanian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, Walter Payton, Marshall Faulk... and some others...

so what was your point?

[thepostman]

Here is a different twist...maybe we should be thanking Curry? If he wouldn't have left we would probably still have McKay...and given what we've now seen out of both McKay with his time at LU and Layer I much prefer Layer as our coach. Hows that for being an optimist?

are you sure? after all God called him to UVa

[Purple Haize]

Just to keep it going...

Not doing to badly against Maryland tonite. On Offense AND Defense!

[TDDance234]

Just to keep it going...

Not doing to badly against Maryland tonite. On Offense AND Defense!

Without Seth, Duke loses that game.

[Sly Fox]

Curious to hear reactions from the FlameFans contingent in Cameron this evening.

[alum82]

LU is blessed that RM, Seth Curry and even a certain overrated senior player from last year are gone. We are already seeing the results on the court now that these self-centered folks are out of the picture. I knew Seth Curry would be a mediocre player at Duke and I suspected that our team would do better without him. It appears I was right on both counts. RM was scatter-brained and there was no substance behind the facade. I believe that is why he has never stayed anywhere very long. He is more of an evangelist than a pastor. The difference is the evangelist has only 5 good sermons.

[Hold My Own]

Tonight was a big night for Seth...he's playing inspired basketball unlike anything I've ever seen him play or know he was capable of. The effort is what is shocking more than anything.....b/c if you ever saw him at LU practices he was generally the one with the least amount of effort