Curry finally gets his shot with Devils

DURHAM -- Seth Curry doesn't have any hardware to show for the role he played on Duke's 2010 NCAA championship team.

Curry practiced with the Blue Devils but wasn't allowed to play in the games under NCAA transfer regulations after leaving Liberty for Duke.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski was critical of the NCAA for not allowing Curry to receive a championship ring like his teammates did. Curry said he was disappointed, too, but is using it as motivation.

"I'm going to try to go out there and get one of my own," Curry said.

The quest for a first ring for Curry - and a second straight NCAA title for Duke - begins today at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The top-ranked Blue Devils play host to Princeton in their season-opener.

Curry, the brother of former Davidson and current Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, is expected to add scoring punch off the bench in the backcourt for the Blue Devils.

In 2008-09 at Liberty, Curry led the nation's freshmen in scoring at 20.2 points per game.

"Seth is an unbelievable scorer, as people saw his freshman year," Duke sophomore forward Ryan Kelly said. "A lot of people forget that now that he hasn't played in a year."

Curry, a 2008 graduate of Charlotte Christian, left Liberty for Duke because he wanted an opportunity to play against stronger competition. He said practicing against the Blue Devils' McDonald's All Americans in practice - he usually guarded Nolan Smith last season - has helped him improve.

Although Curry isn't in the starting lineup, he is expected to be the first guard off the bench.

"I come in to be aggressive, offensively and defensively," Curry said. "I'm expected to play and pressure the ball, not make any mistakes on my rotation and things like that. I'm just going to be an aggressive scorer when I come in."

He said playing for Krzyzewski has taught him the value of bringing his best effort to practice every day. He is physically stronger than he was when he left Liberty, and said he has improved defensively.

Now he is ready to play on a bigger stage and begin his chase for a ring of his own.

"Every game is a big game [at Duke]," Curry said. "You're on TV a lot more and everybody is scrutinizing you. So every game, you can't come in and lay an egg. You have to come in and play your hardest. Every team you play is going to come in and give you your best shot."