University of North Carolina Athletics
Curry Makes Transition to Basketball Seem Easy
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
February 11, 1999
by Meggan Everidge
Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant
By the end of the 1998 football season, Ronald Curry was a household name among Carolina fans. The phenomenal freshman was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Tar Heels' Las Vegas Bowl win and led the team with 1,394 total offensive yards, setting a new season record for freshmen at Carolina. Fortunately for Tar Heel fans, they don't have to wait until football season to see Curry in action again. Instead, they can check him out on the basketball court.
Curry says going straight into basketball only days after the end of football season was difficult, but the two-sport star says he thinks he has adjusted well.
"The transition from football to basketball was harder than what I expected," Curry says. "I had based it on high school, but I knew it would be really different because the competition is harder and more physical. It took me a little while longer to get in shape for basketball."
Once he could devote more time to basketball, Curry also had to get into the rhythm of practices and learn the plays. He says that kept him from being prepared as early as he had hoped.
"I only practiced with the [basketball] team a couple of times while I was still playing football; it was just too much to do," he says. "Once I could go 100 percent, I still had to learn all the plays and learn to work with the other guys on the team. I was there mentally, but physically it was kind of hard to catch up."
Because he was still learning the plays and getting used to the system, Curry spent much of his initial time with the basketball team watching from the Carolina bench. He has played more in recent weeks, but he says that he has learned as much from watching his teammates as he has on the court.
"It's been nice to sit back and watch and not feel a lot of pressure to perform," Curry says. "In football, I had to take on a greater role when Oscar [Davenport] got hurt. Basketball has been different because I've had to wait my turn."
Waiting his turn is something new for the Hampton, Va., native who as a high school senior was named the McDonald's National Basketball Player of the Year. But Curry says he doesn't mind waiting; he knows his turn will come one day.
"My role at Carolina is very different from my role in high school. This was a big change, but it's helped me learn the system better," Curry says. "I'm supposed to be more of a defender and be able to bring the ball up the court and give Ed [Cota] a relief and just be able to hit the open shot."
Curry's recent performances have shown that he has adapted to his new role and become an important part of the team. In Carolina's final game against N.C. State in Reynolds Coliseum on Jan. 16, Curry hit a much-needed three-pointer and then hit three crucial free-throws to help the Tar Heels pull off a three-point win. For Curry, the game was more than a great win; it was a huge confidence booster.
"I had been struggling and it really helped my confidence to know that Coach Guthridge wanted me to be in at the end of the game," he says. "Coach knew we would be getting fouled and he knew he could risk sending me to the free-throw line. He really helped me feel better about my game."
As Curry gained confidence, he stepped up to a new level of play. Starting in the place of the injured Cota, Curry achieved career highs of 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the Tar Heels' win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 31. In his next start, against Clemson on Feb. 4, Curry scored eight and had four assists.
"I really felt like I made some important contributions, like I was settling into my role on the team," Curry says. "It's fun just being on a team like this where everybody accepts their role and does their thing."
Although the players have different roles, Curry says that the team is very close-knit and that he enjoys being a part of the "Carolina Family."
"It's a very family-oriented program," says Curry. "The coaches think about the players first; they want the players to be happy. And the guys on the team really took me in and let know I was one of them from the beginning."
Curry says that his teammates helped him catch up and adjust from one hectic schedule to another. He said they have also given him pointers on how to improve his game and offered him mental support.
"A lot of the guys helped me keep my head up at the beginning; they were really there for me mentally," Curry says. "They helped make the transition from football a lot smoother."
Will Curry have to make this transition again? He says he hasn't made any definite decisions, but he would like to continue to play both football and basketball.
"I would love to keep playing both, but I know I might have to make a decision," Curry says.
But for now, Ronald Curry is content to stay right where he's at -- in the Carolina spotlight in both football and basketball.
