Curry bulks up GCU for strong career finish

Grand Canyon landed a burly center who once closed an ACC regular season with a 28-point, seven-rebound game against Wake Forest, an 18-point, 11-rebound game against Virginia Tech and a 24-point, 14-rebound game against Virginia.

Sydney Curry, a 6-foot-8, 270-pound transfer from Louisville, chose GCU to bring two years of starting experience while trying to recapture that 2021 form for his final college season.

Last season, the left-handed post player and Cardinals co-captain averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds with 53.3% shooting from the field. That included six double-digit scoring games, featuring a 13-point, 19-rebound effort against Florida A&M and a 16-point, five-rebound game against North Carolina State in 23 minutes.

The 19-rebound game was the most by a Louisville player since 2004. He posted four consecutive double-digit scoring games, including two of Louisville's four wins.

"I've been following Grand Canyon over the last couple years and know it's a top program," Curry said. "I wanted to be a part of a winning team like that.

"It's a place where I can come in and produce right away. It's a change of scenery. I felt really comfortable with the coaching staff, and that was a big thing for me."

The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native is coming off enduring a 4-28 Louisville season and joins a GCU program that has reached the NCAA tournament in two of head coach Bryce Drew's three seasons with a 64-27 record in that span.

"Sydney comes with a great amount of basketball experience," Drew said. "He is a physical player who has the ability to finish very well around and above the rim. We also love his ability to rebound and his desire to win in his last year of college basketball."

Curry started 37 of 60 games over two Louisville seasons after playing two seasons at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, where he was a junior college All-America third-team selection. For his first Cardinals season in 2021-22, Curry averaged 10.3 points and shot a team-best 67% from the field over the final 16 games of the season. His 13-for-18 shooting game against Wake Forest in February 2022 marked the most field goals made by a Louisville player since Russ Smith in 2004.

"I'm definitely ready to work ASAP," said Curry, initially a Kansas signee out of Nortrop High School. "I'm a high-energy player who can rebound and really be a good team player, a leader and a good defensive threat. I'm definitely going to get back to myself at that.

"I know what my potential is. I definitely didn't have the year I wanted to have last season, but I'm going to get back on track."

Curry was already connected to the program after keeping up with GCU graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. since they were traveling club teammates in middle school.

He also has been mentored since fifth grade by fellow Fort Wayne native Vernard Hollins, a former pro basketball player who starred for Lopes assistant coach Ed Schilling's team when Schilling was the Wright State head coach.

This offseason, GCU has added Arizona State transfers Duke Brennan, a center, and Malcolm Flaggs, a shooting guard, along Oregon transfer forward Lök Wur and former DePaul and Kansas small forward Tyon Grant-Foster.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Duke Brennan

Sydney Curry

Malcolm Flaggs

Tyon Grant-Foster

Lök Wur

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