HEADER STEPHEN CURRY Point/Shooting Guard Davidson College Wildcats #30 6:01.0-183 Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte Christian School
OVERVIEW Curry left the college game as one of the most prolific shooters in the history of the game.
He ranks third in NCAA Division-I history for 3-point shots made per game (3.98) and fourth for 3-point attempts made in a career (414). His 162 3-pointers for the 2007-08 campaign established an NCAA season record. He joined Hall of Famer Jerry West of West Virginia (908 points in 1959-60 and 903 in 1958-59) as the only Southern Conference players to ever register 900 or more points in a season twice in a career (931 in 2007-08 and 974 in 2008-09).
The son of former NBA star Dell Curry, Stephen (pronounced STEFF-en) holds the school and conference all-time record with 414 3-pointers and 2,635 points scored, accomplishing that feat in 104 games before forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the 2009 NBA Draft. He ranks second in Davidson annals with 871-of-1,866 field goals made and first with 479 successful free throws. His scoring average of 25.3 points per game placed him second on the school career record list and sixth in league history.
There is more to Curry's game than his scoring touch. He finished seventh in Davidson annals with 388 assists for his career. His 221 steals placed him third on the school all-time record list and his 86 steals as a junior set the Wildcat single-season record while ranking fifth on the SoCon annual record book. His free-throw success rate of 87.6% is a school record and second in league history.
At Charlotte Christian School, Curry was named all-conference, all-state and team MVP as a junior and senior. He was the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,400 points and finished with a career average of 18 points per game. The three-time letterwinner led his team to three conference titles, including a runner-up finish in 2006 after posting an impressive 33-3 overall record. As a senior, he hit 48-percent of his 3-point attempts and also lettered in track and golf.
In his first season at Davidson, the Freshman All-American and Mid-Major All-American pick was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. He set the school scoring record for a freshman with 730. He led the league in scoring at 21.5 points per outing, which also ranked ninth nationally and placed second nationally among freshman scoring leaders behind Kevin Durant of Texas. He also held the top spot in the SoCon for free throw percentage (.855), 3-pointers made (122, an NCAA season-record for freshmen) and 3-pointers per game (3.59).
As a sophomore, Curry was a consensus second-team All-American and a Wooden Award finalist. The league's Player of the Year ranked fourth nationally in scoring at 25.9 points per game and finished second in the NCAA in treys per contest, averaging 4.5. He ranked 12th nationally in free-throw percentage at .892 and hit the 20-point plateau 27 times and the 30-point plateau 11 times. He was named the SoCon Player of the Week five times and the conference's Player of the Month for each of all five months of the season.
In 2008-09, Curry led the nation in scoring, averaging 28.6 points per game, a school season-record. The consensus All-American first-team pick was again selected the league's Player of the Year. His 312 field goals made rank second on the school record chart, as he led the team in scoring in 33 of the 34 games he appeared in, sitting out a February matchup vs. The Citadel with an ankle sprain. His 974 points scored also set a Davidson annual mark, along with establishing the season steals record (86).
Curry became just the first Davidson player to earn consensus All-American first-team accolades since Fred Hetzel in 1965. He helped the Wildcats to an 85-20 record and three postseason appearances during his three-year career, and Davidson averaged 28.3 wins a season. He is expected to be just the 14th player in school history to be drafted and the first player to be chosen in the first round since Fred Hetzel was taken by the San Francisco Warriors in 1965.
2008-09 SEASON Consensus first-team All-American selection by The NBA Draft Report, The Sporting News, Associated Press, John R. Wooden, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the first Davidson player to earn the honor since Fred Hetzel in 1965...Curry is only the third Wildcat to earn All-American honors from the NABC and the first to be named to the first team since Fred Hetzel in 1965. Hetzel was named to the third team in 1964, while Mike Maloy earned third-team honors in 1969 and 1970. The NABC has been selecting men's college basketball All-America teams for the past 63 seasons. The first NABC All-America team was selected in 1946-47 with a first and second team for nine seasons in Division I before adding a third team in 1955-56...All-Southern Conference first-team pick, adding SoCon Player of the Year accolades from the league's coaches and Athlete of the Year recognition from the league's media...Wooden Award finalist and NABC first-team All-District choice...Led the nation in scoring with 28.6 points an outing and led the Southern Conference in assists (5.6 per game) and steals (2.5 per game)...Became Davidson's and the Southern Conference's career scoring leader and ranks 25th on the NCAA Division I career scoring chart (2,635 points) and fourth in 3-pointers (414)...After the season, he added Dick Vitale All-American Team and a first-team All-American by NaismithLives.com, a basketball Web site...Was selected Southern Conference Player of the Month for each of the five months of the season...His 312 field goals made rank second on the school list to his 317 in 2007-08, as he also set the school season-record with 687 field goal attempts (45.4%), topping his own record of 656 from 2007-08...His 130 3-point field goals made (336 attempts, 38.7%) rank second in school history behind his record 162 in 2007-08...Hit on 220-of-251 free throws (87.6%) for a school season-record 974 points, surpassing his own record of 931 points scored in 2007-08...Had 151 rebounds (4.4 rebounds per game) with 189 assists (5.6 assists per game), the eighth-best season total in Davidson annals...Set the school record with 86 steals (fifth in SoCon history), topping his previous record of 73 from 2007-08...Blocked eight shots and had 126 turnovers...Led the team in scoring in 33-of-34 games, sitting out The Citadel clash after suffering a left ankle sprain vs. Furman...Had at least 20 points in 31 games, including 15 contests with at least 30 points (league season-record) and four for 40 or more points (school career and season-record)...Curry became the first player to earn back- to-back Southern Conference Player of the honors (2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons) since Western Carolina's Frankie King won the award in 1994 and 1995 and is the first Davidson player to earn the honor in consecutive seasons since Mike Maloy in 1969 and 1970.
2007-08 SEASON Wooden Award Finalist...First-team All-American selection by The NBA Draft Report, adding second-team honors from the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and ESPN...Named the Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Midwest Regional Team...Chosen CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Player of the Year and Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year (all sports)...Added SoCon Player of the Year and first-team All-Conference honors...NABC All-District V first-team and USBWA All-District III choice...Nominated for an ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete...Ranked fourth nationally in scoring at 25.9 points per game, finishing second in the Division I ranks in treys per contest, averaging 4.5...Ranked 12th nationally in free-throw percentage at .892, as he hit the 20-point plateau 27 times and the 30-point plateau 11 times..Made five or more three-pointers in a contest 19 times...Was named SoCon Player of the Week five times and SoCon Player of the Month for November, December, January, February and March -- all five months of the season...Became the fourth player in NCAA history to score 30 or more points in his first four NCAA Tournament games, joining Clyde Lovellette of Kansas, Jerry Chambers of Utah and Glenn Robinson of Purdue (30 vs. Maryland in 2007; 40 vs. Gonzaga, 30 vs. Georgetown, 33 vs. Wisconsin in 2008)...Set a then school season-record with 931 points scored, as he made 317-of-656 field goals (48.3%), 162-of-369 treys (43.9%) and 135-of-151 free throws (89.4%) in 36 games...Grabbed 165 rebounds (4.6 rebounds per game) to go with 104 assists (2.9 assists per game), 73 steals (2.0 steals per game) and 14 blocked shots (0.4 blocks per game).
ANALYSIS Poured in a game-high 24 points in the Wildcats' setback to top-ranked North Carolina... Netted 32 points in Davidson's loss at Charlotte, as he drilled seven buckets from down-town in 40 minutes of action...Recorded a game-high 29 points, including seven treys at North Carolina State...Became the second fastest Wildcat to reach the 1,000-point plateau with 24 points vs. Georgia Southern, as he also recorded 10 rebounds in the contest for his second career double-double...Scored 37 points in Davidson's win over Chattanooga, as it was the first time he went over the 30-point plateau at Belk Arena...Charted 29 points, including six treys, at Western Carolina and backed that performance with 28 points and five three-pointers at The Citadel en route to his second Player of the Week honor...Led the Wildcats to their 10th straight victory with 34 points, including six from deep vs. Wofford and torched the nets for 36 points on 12-of-18 shooting and a perfect 9-for-9 at the charity stripe vs. Elon...Netted a season-high 41 points on 14-of-26 shooting and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the line as the Wildcats rallied from 20 points down to defeat UNC Greensboro...Capped the regular season with 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting and seven 3-pointers at Georgia Southern...Tallied his 1,500th career point in the Wildcats' semifinal victory over UNC Greensboro in the SoCon Tournament, scoring 26 points...Had 40 points, including eight buckets from downtown, to lead the Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament win in 39 years vs. Gonzaga, as it was the most points in an NCAA Tournament game since Gerry McNamara (43) of Syracuse in 2004...Recorded 25 of his 30 points in the second period, as the Wildcats rallied from 17 points down to upset second-seeded and eighth-ranked Georgetown, as he also hit 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and handed out five assists...Hit the 30-point plateau for the third consecutive game in the NCAA Tournament with 33 points, 22 of which came in the second half, vs. Wisconsin... Netted 25 points in the Midwest Regional Final vs. Kansas.
2006-07 SEASON Named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches and media...All-SoCon first-team pick and was named the league's Tournament MVP...SI.com All-Mid-Major honorable mention and NABC District V second-team choice...Collegehoops.net Mid-Major Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman second-team pick...SN/Rivals.com Freshman All-American and NCCSIA first-team All-State selection...Set the Davidson season scoring record for points by a freshman with 730, breaking Chris Dodds' mark of 500 that lasted 29 years...Led the SoCon in scoring at 21.5 points per outing, which also ranked ninth nationally, as he ranked second in Division I among freshman scoring leaders behind Kevin Durant of Texas...Held the top spot in the SoCon for free throw percentage (.855), three-pointers made (122) and 3-pointers per game (3.59)... Also ranked among Southern Conference leaders in field goal percentage (14th), 3-point field goal percentage (sixth), steals (4th) and 3-point field goal percentage (sixth)... His 122 treys was the most ever by a freshman in a single season at the NCAA Division I level...Reached double figures in 33 of Davidson's 34 contests...Had 19 games with 20 points or more, including nine straight, to begin Davidson's season-long 13-game winning streak...Scored 30 points or more in a contest four times, including the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament game vs. Maryland...Three-time SoCon Player of the Week and named SoCon Player of the Month for November, February and March...Made his last 41 attempts from the charity stripe at Belk Arena...Drained at least three buckets from long range in a contest 24 times during his freshman campaign.
CAREER NOTES Played in 104 games, holding the school records, as he scored at least 20 points in 76 contests, at least 30 points 29 times and at least 40 points or better six times...Was the second fastest Wildcat to reach 1,000 career points in school history; Fred Hetzel was the first in 1964...Holds the NCAA freshman season-record with 122 3-point shots made in 2006-07 and his 162 successful 3-pointers in 2007-08 set the NCAA Division I annual record, topping the previous mark of 158 by Darrin Fitzgerald of Butler in 1987...His total of 414 3-pointers made in a career set the school and Southern Conference all-time record and rank fourth in NCAA history behind J.J. Redick of Duke (457, 2003-06), Keydren Clark of St. Peter's (435, 2003-2006) and Chris Lofton of Tennessee (431, 2005-2008)...His average of 3.98 3-point shots made rank third in NCAA career annals, topped by Timothy Pollard of Mississippi Valley State (4.57 pg, 1985-1989) and Sydney Grider of Louisiana-Lafayette (4.36 pg, 1987-1990)...His 2,635 points scored set the school career-record and also broke the conference mark of 2,574 points by Skip Henderson of Marshall (1983-88)...His career free-throw percentage of .876 set the school record and rank second in SoCon history behind Chad Copeland of Chattanooga (88.9%, 1993-94)...His 369 3-point attempts in 2007-08 set the school and league season-record, while his 336 attempts in 2008-09 rank second...Scored a school season-record 974 points in 2008-09, breaking his own mark of 931 points the previous season...Only Frank Selvy of Furman (1,209 points in 1953-54) scored more points in a season in conference annals...His 86 steals in 2008-09 set the school annual record and rank fifth in SoCon season annals...His 25.3-point scoring average placed second on the school career-record list (sixth in league history) behind Fred Hetzel (25.7 points per game, 1962-65)...Curry made 871-of-1,866 field goals, ranking behind John Gerdy (1,052-of-2,057, 1975-79) in Davidson history...His 479 free throws made topped the previous school all-time record of 450 by Hetzel...What makes that total even more impressive is the fact that his 547 free throw attempts rank just fifth on the Wildcats' all-time record chart and his 388 assists rank seventh...His 221 steals placed third in team history, surpassed by Derek Rucker (250, 1984-88) and Ali Ton (222, 1995-99)...His scoring average of 28.6 points per game in 2008-09 marked the first time a Davidson player led the nation in that category and also broke the old school season-record of 27.3 points per game by Fred Hetzel (1963-64)...Scored 30 or more points in a game 29 times, shattering the previous Davidson record of ten, shared by John Gerdy (1977-78) and Dick Snyder (1965-66)...His 974 points scored in 2008-09 and 931 in 2007-08 topped the previous Davidson annual record of 753 points Dick Snyder (1965-66)...His 312 field goals made in 2008-09 and 317 in 2007-08 surpassed the old school season-record of 292 by John Gerdy (1977-78)...Made 43.9% of his 3-point attempts in 2007-08, ranking fourth on the school season-record chart...His free throw percentage of .894 in 2007-08 rank second on the Wildcat annual record list behind John Gullickson (91.3%, 1980-81)... Curry's 73 steals in 2007-08 broke the old Wildcat annual mark of 71 by Alin Ton in 1998-99)...His string of 41 consecutive free throws made in 2007-08 (2 vs. Wofford, 6 vs. Chattanooga, 9 vs. Elon, 6 vs. Charleston, 9 vs. UNCG, 5 vs. Furman, 4 vs. UNCG) topped the old school record of 37 by Brendan Winters, 2005-06...Scored a career-high 44 points vs. both Oklahoma and North Carolina State in 2008, the fifth-best game totals in school history, as his six 40-point game performances established a school record...His 44 points vs. Oklahoma rank as the most points scored in an away game by a Wildcat...His 14 free throws made in that Oklahoma contest is a school game-record, breaking the old mark of 13 that he shares (vs. Western Michigan in 2006) with Mike Maloy (vs. St. John's in 1969).
HIGH SCHOOL Attended Charlotte (N.C.) Christian School, lettering three times in basketball for coach Shonn Brown...Named All-Conference, All-State and team MVP following both his junior and senior campaigns...Was the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,400 points and finished with a career average of 18 points per outing...Led his team to three conference titles and three appearances in the state playoffs, including a runner-up finish in 2006 after posting an impressive 33-3 overall record...As a senior, he hit 48-percent of his 3-point attempts and also lettered in track and golf.
INJURY REPORT 2009: Sat out The Citadel game (2/18) and missed the final ten minutes of the Furman clash (2/14) with a left ankle sprain.
OTHER TOURNAMENTS/TEAMS SUMMER: Was a member of the 2007 U-19 FIBA World Championships squad...Member of the 2007 Silver Medal U-19 USA FIBA World Championship squad...Despite playing just 18 minutes per contest, he averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest, while connecting on 45% of his attempts from the floor...Recorded four double-digit scoring performances including a game-high 19 in Team USA's victory over eventual champion Serbia in Pool Play.
PERSONAL Sociology major...Son of Sonya and Dell Curry...Father was a star at Virginia Tech and went on to enjoy 16 seasons in the NBA for five different teams, including a 10-year career with the Charlotte Hornets...Curry's mother was also a standout on the volleyball team at Virginia Tech...Brother, Seth, was a standout guard at Liberty University in 2008-09...Born 3/14/88 in Akron, Ohio...Resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
SCOUTING REPORT Positives: The best 3-point shooter (41.2-percent shooter on 414 treys) in basketball since the days of Mark Price (ex-Cleveland) and Steve Kerr (ex-Portland)...Has exceptional scoring instincts and has the ability to create his own shot, but to also draw contact, where he has had great success at the foul line (87.6% shooter)...Plays with a strong work ethic on both ends of the court, as he uses his reach well to get in the passing lanes (221 steals in 104 games)...Shows the footwork to change gears in an instant and can slash by defenders with his quickness or execute a nifty hesitation move to slip by on the way to the basket...Has the large, soft hands to catch and shoot, along with the vision and passing ability to create shots for the open teammate...Has the lateral agility and burst to instantly get separation from the defender...Confident player who thrives in the clutch situations...Has the body control to come off screens and the quick release to shoot off the dribble...Effective ball-handler with a high basketball IQ...Crafty field general who knows how to use his fake-and-shake ability to draw fouls when he puts the ball on the floor...Shows the ability to elevate and a fearlessness attacking the glass for rebounds despite an average frame...Quality combo guard who made a smooth transition to the point last year after playing at the "2" guard position his first two seasons...His long-range shooting and ability to connect in spot-up situations draws constant double-team coverage, which frees up teammates for Curry's outlet passes...Teams are constantly game-planning to devise ways to keep him from scoring, but he has the vision and craftiness (compensates for a lack of great quickness) to find and create good shots...Because he faces double-team pressure often, he's had to adjust his game, doing a much better job of going to his weak side to create his shot, as he is crafty enough to use his head and pump fakes to get the defender off-balance...Has the lateral agility to stay in front of the shooter...Has a deadly jump shot coming off screens...Because of his ability to shift gears, he can take the ball to the rim, but seems more comfortable executing a pull-up jumper to keep defenses honest...Scrappy player with little regard for his own safety and thrives floating in the passing lanes...Has the hands, extension and reach-around ability to alter the opponent's shot and steal the ball...Gets bounced around a bit fighting through screens, but his rebound figures indicate that he somehow manages to get under the basket to clear the boards or execute a quick putback...Excellent shooter in transition, but has also improved his shooting touch coming off the dribble, as he is the type that does not need much space to get his shot up...Move to point guard allowed him to show off his ball-handling and passing skills, knowing those were areas of his game he needed to work on in 2008-09 (still has a reputation for being a shoot-first type)...Deft passer who likes to keep his teammates involved and can execute pick-and-rolls...Shows nimble footwork coming off screens, with the stop-and-go action to simply pull up, fade away and unleash a quick jumper...Textbook-perfect shooting from the perimeter, as he has had very good coaching since an early age and knows how to set his feet and fire the ball off with a very quick release.
Negatives: His quick release allows him to fire the ball up in an instant, but he does get bounced around in the post and is not effective executing the play when pressured...Not a true point guard, will still revert to his shoot-first mentality (generous with the ball, but tried to carry the team too often and needs to develop better confidence in role-playing teammates)...Has decent quickness, but lacks the bulk or strength to defend vs. swing-type players...Scrappy defender but must show more explosion when defending at the perimeter...Might be better suited coming off the bench as a combo guard rather than earning the bulk of his minutes at the point...Does not have that explosive burst when trying to get around screens defensively...Lack of strength is evident -- he prefers to float on the perimeter and will have problems finishing around the basket vs. more physical defenders.
Compares To: MIKE BIBBY, Atlanta -- Curry can make a nice career for himself as a perimeter shooter, but he also showed that he has point guard skills to be a capable facilitator with the ball, much like Bibby. His 3-point range draws comparisons to former NBA standouts, Steve Kerr (Chicago) and Mark Price (Cleveland), but he needs to do a better job of finishing around the basket, something that has proven difficult for him, thanks to average athleticism and marginal strength and size. If used as a combo guard off the bench, he could be a dangerous weapon in the NBA.
Rivals.com Home
Highlight Videos
