Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Stephen Curry's big day

This is a pure case of numbers not telling the whole story. In fact, it didn't even touch on a fraction of it.

The appalling moment of the game came when Loyola's squad went down by 20, and still applied the shadow technique on Curry. Check out, among other tidbits, this mirthfully foolish quote by Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos:

"We had to play against an NBA player tonight," Patsos explained. "Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. They're going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?"

Some will remember the catcalls Patsos received from the fans when he stuck with the defense well after the game was decided. Davidson coach Bob McKillop was so annoyed he kept Curry in the game until the final minute.

"It seemed to me they were willing to risk the game at the expense of locking Steph up," McKillop said. "When you put two people on somebody and you do it for 30 minutes and at the end of the game, you have to wonder what the reasons for that are."


The amazing thing about all of this is that Curry was perfectly content with sharing the ball, not in an "I wanna pad my assist total" way, but in a "let's win the game and stats-be-damned" way. That's commendable. People around me now how much I abhor bandwagons, but my fervor for Curry and his flight will have to be an exception. I latched onto him in the NCAA tournament game - UM vs. Davidson - in the opening round two years ago. He put up 29 in a losing effort but caught my attention if only for the baby-faced ease he put into that effort.

Now, over 1,000 NCAA points later, he has added another chapter to his legacy. The self-less play of a man who actually has much to prove this year otherwise. If he would have garnered 9-10 dimes along with the nil he put on the board, then he and Davidson benefits statistically. But to one who didn't see the game - yours truly included - his three assists, three rebounds and two turnover game makes him look as if he was Mugsy Bogues on Space Jam after his skills had been absconded. That wasn't the case. Humility has been his calling card and there will be many tests that will compel him to give up that card. But for now, it's still in his hand.

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