Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 1, 2010
I Swear...
Curry legend grows
Vic Fleming
The squib in the Nov. 26, 2008, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette read:
“No. 24 Davidson 78, Loyola, Md. 48. … Stephen Curry, the nation’s leading scorer at 35 points a game, went scoreless and attempted only three shots because of constant double teams …, but Davidson (5-1) still beat Loyola of Maryland (2-4) ….”
I’m sure that the above is an acceptable editing of a wire service piece, but it doesn’t come close to telling the story. Borrowing language from Fox, USA Today, TSN and others, here’s my account:
“From ‘best seat in house,’ Curry watches teammates decimate Loyola”
The legend of Stephen Curry grows. He’s seen lots of defenses: box-and-one, diamond-and-one, triangle-and-two, double teams galore. But this was absurd.
In Tuesday’s game against Loyola (Md.), Davidson’s star guard was hounded by two defenders, no matter where he went, all game long. That was the order of Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos.
“I felt like I was dreaming,” Curry said. “It was the weirdest thing ever.” For the first time in his career, Curry put up a goose-egg. Most players would call it a nightmare. Not Curry.
Instead of forcing shots, Curry stood in the corner, took his two defenders with him and let his teammates play 4-on-3. “I had the best seat in the house,” Curry said.
Those teammates have no slouch among them. Andrew Lovedale muscled inside for 20 points and 10 rebounds. Bryant Barr hit six treys. Will Archambault scored 13 points.
The Wildcat staff plotted screens to free Curry up, but Curry wanted no part of it. “He told me that he wanted to stay in the corner with the two guys and we could play 4-on-3,” Coach Bob McKillop said. “He said we’ll just dice them up.” Davidson won by 30.
Averaging 35 points, 8 assists and 4 steals a game, Curry was a legitimate Player of the Year candidate. After the game Tony Kornheiser of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” said, “To me, more than ever he is a candidate for Player of the Year. Because he is about winning with his team!”
Though not concerned with his numbers, Curry did find the situation comical. “Every dead ball I asked them how long they were going to do this,” Curry said he asked his shadowing defenders. “They weren't very conversational about it.”
An unapologetic Patsos explained. “Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. Are they going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?”
“They” may remember the catcalls when, down by 20, 25, 30, Patsos stayed with his strategy. “They” may remember his attitude. “They” may remember that he coached without trying to win.
McKillop was annoyed, yet restrained: “[T]hey were willing to risk the game at the expense of locking Steph up. ... When you put two people on somebody ... for [an entire game], you have to wonder what the reasons for that are.”
Curry had scored a career-high 44 in a loss to Oklahoma the previous week. He followed that with games of 30 and 39.
“If Oklahoma can't stop him, how is Loyola College going to stop him?” Patsos asked.
Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., is President of Loyola College in Maryland, a Jesuit school. His mailing address: 4501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD. 21210. His email address does not appear on the school’s website, but he has some assistants—Vicki Weller, vweller@loyola.edu, and Darryl Coward, dcoward@loyola.edu. Perhaps Rev. Linnane would like to have your thoughts on the Patsos method of roundball coaching.
© Vic Fleming
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