Photo by: AJ Henderson - Georgia Southern Athletics
At Long Last, Curry Finding Stride with Eagles
10/12/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The center's path has never been easy, but he's now in a spot to succeed
By his admission, men's basketball centerCarlos Curry has been behind the eight-ball since the beginning of his basketball career.
Not starting the sport until high school and not making the varsity team at Dougherty Comprehensive until his junior year, it's hard to believe that same kid is now a reliable starting center for a Division I basketball program.
Even so, starting so late did not allow him to enjoy the sport as much as his peers.
"At first, I resented basketball because I came so late in the game," Curry said. "At that point, everybody was so advanced in their development, and with me being a bigger guy, expectations were placed on me that I wasn't living up to. My love for the game came slowly, and as I got better, my love for the game grew."
As he was getting recruited for college and moving on to the next level at Ole Miss, Curry still did not trust his ability to go further in the sport, even when enrolling at a Power Five institution.
"I didn't believe in myself fully until after I got to college," he said. "Even though I went Power Five [at Ole Miss], I still didn't believe in myself then. I didn't think I was ready. Once I got there, I started working and going against my teammates, and my confidence grew."
Redshirting his freshman year of 2018-19, Curry worked his way into the rotation in Oxford, appearing in 17 games in 2019-20. He went 6-of-15 from the field, grabbing 12 rebounds.
However, for Curry, the timing and opportunity were not right for him at Ole Miss. He harbors no ill will towards the university because, for him, he needed a step back.
"Ole Miss was a great spot, but I felt that it was a little too advanced for me because I started so late," he said. "I needed to learn the game and work on some of my blind spots to better myself and become a better all-around player."
He recounted that he learned toughness and resiliency with the Rebels, which was something he needed at his next stop, deciding to go the junior college route. He needed to get reps against other players, something he likely would not have seen if he remained in Division I coming late to the game.
The center enrolled for a year at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where things were going well until disaster struck once again; he ruptured a disc in his back, and after going through a grueling rehab process, was not the same upon returning, which once again hampered his development.
"My JuCo season didn't pan out the way I wanted. I went from being nationally ranked in JuCo and getting a bunch of offers to losing a lot of offers just like that," Curry said. "That was a tough time for me, but I got through it."
Moving on from Senatobia, Miss., Curry made the now-important decision to return closer to home in Georgia by joining Georgia Southern, a little over three hours from his home in Albany. The impact was immeasurable, as it allowed him to be more comfortable out on the court.
Noticing the program was on the rise, and needing development himself, Curry began his junior season, which was a step in the right direction for him, averaging 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in a little under ten minutes per game, taking the floor in 27 contests.
That level of comfortability for Curry finally showed up on Nov. 26 of the 2022-23 season. Taking the court against Oglethorpe, Curry had a Game Score of 31.6 – the highest for any Georgia Southern player in the last 13 years, scoring 30 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in a 13-of-15 performance from the field, helping the Eagles to a 101-76 win.
For Curry, he didn't pay attention to the stats, simply wanting to get the season rolling in a good way.
"I just wanted to set the tone for how Georgia Southern basketball was going to do that year," he said. "I didn't notice I had 30 and 15 until after the game. I was just crashing the boards, trying to play hard, and had probably the best game of my life."
Curry closed his senior season averaging a career-best 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting .590 from the floor, a marked improvement across the board playing in all 32 games.
Entering the offseason, the Eagles moved on from the previous regime with the hiring of head coach Charlie Henry. Curry entered the transfer portal for his graduate year, something men's basketball athletes often do, but soon found that staying put was the right decision all along.
"He reached out about asking if he could watch some workouts, and he sat up in the bleachers and watched a few during the summer," Henry said. "We reconvened after, and he said that he was never looking to leave Georgia Southern, he was just looking for a different basketball opportunity. The coaching transition allowed him a different basketball opportunity, and he didn't have to leave Georgia Southern, which he really loves."
For Curry, the decision was easy.
"One of the things that stood out to me with Coach Henry was his vision for Georgia Southern," Curry said. "He's a very determined coach. He knows what he wants, and he sets the level high. A system like that with a coach like [Coach Henry], you can only get better."
A big addition to Henry's staff was the arrival of assistant coach Marreese Speights, who took Curry under his wing almost immediately after coming to Statesboro, something both agree was the best thing that could have happened.
"Coming into this program, Carlos reminded me of myself in a way," Speights said. "He started playing basketball late and around people who probably didn't have confidence in him. I just wanted to give him confidence and work with him, be able to put him on a routine that he's able to get better in every day. I always wanted to make sure he trusted me and we could talk about anything because I can help him with anything when it comes to basketball and life."
Curry echoed the sentiment, stating how much the addition of Speights has helped him this offseason.
"He's been like a big brother to me on and off the court," Curry said. "He's taught me a lot of stuff outside of basketball, like how to take care of myself as a professional. He's my biggest critic. He takes coaching me personally, and I needed that."
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Curry enters as one of the veterans on an almost completely new roster for the Eagles, joining five other returning players on Henry's squad.
The second-leading returning scorer behind guard Tyren Moore, Curry has risen to the occasion in terms of leadership and work ethic in the eyes of the coaching staff, especially with a pair of freshman forwards joining the team in Avantae Parker and Collin Kuhl.
"He's definitely had [a big impact] on Avantae," assistant coach Kente' Hart said. "They've worked out a lot together. I think the biggest thing he's done with Avantae is teaching him how to go hard, teaching him the approach to getting into a routine when it comes to working out and practice."
Coach Henry also noted his work ethic, citing him as following the model of what the coaching staff is instilling in the team.
"His attitude has definitely been impressive," Henry said. "He's embraced everything we've asked him to do, and he's been a positive influence on his younger teammates. He uses his voice and leads by example. He's embraced coaching others, and everything we're trying to do as a staff."
In less than a week, Curry will travel to New Orleans for Sun Belt Media Day to represent Georgia Southern with Henry, an experience he is looking forward to as one that reinforces his work to get to this point.
"[That opportunity] means the world to me," he said. "I've been in college for six years, and seeing myself work up from the bottom all the way to the top, it's something I look forward to, finally getting to do it in my last year."
The Eagles have a non-conference schedule rife with tough opponents, including in-state rival Georgia Tech, whom Curry faced as a junior in 2021-22 in a tough loss in Atlanta, and other top-25 schools in Michigan State and Tennessee.
"We played Georgia Tech my first year at Georgia Southern, and we lost at the buzzer," he said. "I still have a bitter taste in my mouth, and to get that upset to start the season and a little revenge, that'd be great momentum headed to Michigan State and Tennessee."
Heading into conference play, Curry will look to remain one of the best big men in the conference as he is driven to bring the Eagles a Sun Belt Championship.
If you see Curry play, you probably wouldn't know how hard he has worked to get to this point, and now, he can finally say he's finding his stride.
Not starting the sport until high school and not making the varsity team at Dougherty Comprehensive until his junior year, it's hard to believe that same kid is now a reliable starting center for a Division I basketball program.
Even so, starting so late did not allow him to enjoy the sport as much as his peers.
"At first, I resented basketball because I came so late in the game," Curry said. "At that point, everybody was so advanced in their development, and with me being a bigger guy, expectations were placed on me that I wasn't living up to. My love for the game came slowly, and as I got better, my love for the game grew."
As he was getting recruited for college and moving on to the next level at Ole Miss, Curry still did not trust his ability to go further in the sport, even when enrolling at a Power Five institution.
"I didn't believe in myself fully until after I got to college," he said. "Even though I went Power Five [at Ole Miss], I still didn't believe in myself then. I didn't think I was ready. Once I got there, I started working and going against my teammates, and my confidence grew."
Redshirting his freshman year of 2018-19, Curry worked his way into the rotation in Oxford, appearing in 17 games in 2019-20. He went 6-of-15 from the field, grabbing 12 rebounds.
However, for Curry, the timing and opportunity were not right for him at Ole Miss. He harbors no ill will towards the university because, for him, he needed a step back.
"Ole Miss was a great spot, but I felt that it was a little too advanced for me because I started so late," he said. "I needed to learn the game and work on some of my blind spots to better myself and become a better all-around player."
He recounted that he learned toughness and resiliency with the Rebels, which was something he needed at his next stop, deciding to go the junior college route. He needed to get reps against other players, something he likely would not have seen if he remained in Division I coming late to the game.
The center enrolled for a year at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where things were going well until disaster struck once again; he ruptured a disc in his back, and after going through a grueling rehab process, was not the same upon returning, which once again hampered his development.
"My JuCo season didn't pan out the way I wanted. I went from being nationally ranked in JuCo and getting a bunch of offers to losing a lot of offers just like that," Curry said. "That was a tough time for me, but I got through it."
Moving on from Senatobia, Miss., Curry made the now-important decision to return closer to home in Georgia by joining Georgia Southern, a little over three hours from his home in Albany. The impact was immeasurable, as it allowed him to be more comfortable out on the court.
Noticing the program was on the rise, and needing development himself, Curry began his junior season, which was a step in the right direction for him, averaging 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in a little under ten minutes per game, taking the floor in 27 contests.
That level of comfortability for Curry finally showed up on Nov. 26 of the 2022-23 season. Taking the court against Oglethorpe, Curry had a Game Score of 31.6 – the highest for any Georgia Southern player in the last 13 years, scoring 30 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in a 13-of-15 performance from the field, helping the Eagles to a 101-76 win.
For Curry, he didn't pay attention to the stats, simply wanting to get the season rolling in a good way.
"I just wanted to set the tone for how Georgia Southern basketball was going to do that year," he said. "I didn't notice I had 30 and 15 until after the game. I was just crashing the boards, trying to play hard, and had probably the best game of my life."
Curry closed his senior season averaging a career-best 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting .590 from the floor, a marked improvement across the board playing in all 32 games.
Entering the offseason, the Eagles moved on from the previous regime with the hiring of head coach Charlie Henry. Curry entered the transfer portal for his graduate year, something men's basketball athletes often do, but soon found that staying put was the right decision all along.
"He reached out about asking if he could watch some workouts, and he sat up in the bleachers and watched a few during the summer," Henry said. "We reconvened after, and he said that he was never looking to leave Georgia Southern, he was just looking for a different basketball opportunity. The coaching transition allowed him a different basketball opportunity, and he didn't have to leave Georgia Southern, which he really loves."
For Curry, the decision was easy.
"One of the things that stood out to me with Coach Henry was his vision for Georgia Southern," Curry said. "He's a very determined coach. He knows what he wants, and he sets the level high. A system like that with a coach like [Coach Henry], you can only get better."
A big addition to Henry's staff was the arrival of assistant coach Marreese Speights, who took Curry under his wing almost immediately after coming to Statesboro, something both agree was the best thing that could have happened.
"Coming into this program, Carlos reminded me of myself in a way," Speights said. "He started playing basketball late and around people who probably didn't have confidence in him. I just wanted to give him confidence and work with him, be able to put him on a routine that he's able to get better in every day. I always wanted to make sure he trusted me and we could talk about anything because I can help him with anything when it comes to basketball and life."
Curry echoed the sentiment, stating how much the addition of Speights has helped him this offseason.
"He's been like a big brother to me on and off the court," Curry said. "He's taught me a lot of stuff outside of basketball, like how to take care of myself as a professional. He's my biggest critic. He takes coaching me personally, and I needed that."
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Curry enters as one of the veterans on an almost completely new roster for the Eagles, joining five other returning players on Henry's squad.
The second-leading returning scorer behind guard Tyren Moore, Curry has risen to the occasion in terms of leadership and work ethic in the eyes of the coaching staff, especially with a pair of freshman forwards joining the team in Avantae Parker and Collin Kuhl.
"He's definitely had [a big impact] on Avantae," assistant coach Kente' Hart said. "They've worked out a lot together. I think the biggest thing he's done with Avantae is teaching him how to go hard, teaching him the approach to getting into a routine when it comes to working out and practice."
Coach Henry also noted his work ethic, citing him as following the model of what the coaching staff is instilling in the team.
"His attitude has definitely been impressive," Henry said. "He's embraced everything we've asked him to do, and he's been a positive influence on his younger teammates. He uses his voice and leads by example. He's embraced coaching others, and everything we're trying to do as a staff."
In less than a week, Curry will travel to New Orleans for Sun Belt Media Day to represent Georgia Southern with Henry, an experience he is looking forward to as one that reinforces his work to get to this point.
"[That opportunity] means the world to me," he said. "I've been in college for six years, and seeing myself work up from the bottom all the way to the top, it's something I look forward to, finally getting to do it in my last year."
The Eagles have a non-conference schedule rife with tough opponents, including in-state rival Georgia Tech, whom Curry faced as a junior in 2021-22 in a tough loss in Atlanta, and other top-25 schools in Michigan State and Tennessee.
"We played Georgia Tech my first year at Georgia Southern, and we lost at the buzzer," he said. "I still have a bitter taste in my mouth, and to get that upset to start the season and a little revenge, that'd be great momentum headed to Michigan State and Tennessee."
Heading into conference play, Curry will look to remain one of the best big men in the conference as he is driven to bring the Eagles a Sun Belt Championship.
If you see Curry play, you probably wouldn't know how hard he has worked to get to this point, and now, he can finally say he's finding his stride.
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