USF Gets First 2006 Hoops Commit

[Omniscientbull]

Capko was absolutely not on scholarship.  He was a walk on.

[Velcro]

Dennis did play the point on occasion last year.  Most of the time he was a 2, but that was because Swift was the clear cut point guard.  When Swift went out, Dennis took over (even Prek a couple times).

Dennis was a PG in HS and is very capable of playing that position.  I see sills as a 2 and dennis splitting time between 1 and 2 and Howard playing point.  Capko will be on the bench again, for an occasional breather if we are in foul trouble.

[Papa_Bull]

Curry emerges as top prospect

Strong performances at summer camps help a Poinciana High basketball standout raise his stock.

By Tom Wyrwich | Special to the Sentinel

Posted July 15, 2005

He prefers to keep things to himself, a "yes, sir" and "no, sir" kid who, even when speaking about himself and this great summer he's having, keeps his responses short and sticks to vague words such as "good" and "all right."

This is how Poinciana senior-to-be Dante Curry always has carried himself, quiet and reserved, even as far back as his childhood days in Hawaii, where he took this demeanor from his father, Alexis, a Navy retiree and a self-described "disciplinarian."

There's one place, though, where Curry always has felt free to express himself.

"On the court," Alexis Curry said. "He's a completely different person."

And this summer, Dante Curry has been making quite a racket. With some impressive performances in high-scale tournaments, Curry has transformed himself from Osceola County unknown to one of the country's rising high school guards.

"Oh, yeah, he's quiet," said Kenny Gillion, his summer coach with Team Breakdown, a Florida-based Amateur Athletic Union team. "But on the court, it's kind of like a silent thunder."

Last week in Tallahassee, Curry averaged 16 points per game at a tournament at Florida State, but that doesn't match his performance at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina.

Curry came out of that tournament, featuring many of the country's top high school players, as the third-leading scorer with an average of 27 points per game.

"He's had an excellent summer," Gillion said. "He's probably the most athletic guy on our team."

These performances have boosted Curry up the recruiting rankings -- to 24th in the country among point guards by scout.com -- but he already has committed to USF. On Tuesday, he said he plans to honor that commitment.

"The big thing about the kid is, he's committed," Gillion said.

"You're not going to find that very often."

That commitment likely will be tested seriously in the next several months. Wake Forest, Arkansas and Georgia -- universities with more prestigious basketball reputations than USF -- have shown their interest to Curry. Several others could follow.

Gillion, who is also an Apopka-based national basketball scout, found Curry at a showcase in Lake Brantley called Battle of the Rankings, which invited about 200 of the best players in Florida. After Curry wowed Gillion while finishing as one of the top scorers, Gillion offered him a spot on Team Breakdown.

"People had heard of him, but they didn't really understand how good he was," said Jay Lunce, Curry's coach at Poinciana.

Curry showed some of this potential last season while averaging 19 points and performing best against his Osceola County competition -- 27 points per game against Osceola and 35.5 points against Gateway. He played on a losing team, though, and much of the attention in the county went to Gateway standouts Keaton Grant and Chris Baez.

"With him being at Poinciana, he didn't get a chance," Lunce said.

He didn't have quite the same luxuries, either -- most notably a gymnasium. Last August, Hurricane Charley ripped off the roof of Poinciana's new gym, and that forced the basketball team to practice on the outdoor courts. As a result, Lunce decided to focus more time on the weight room.

"We try to be there every day," Curry said.

And in the weight room, Curry began to grow into his 6-foot-4 body, and he developed the strength to take on that daunting competition he faces at national tournaments every other week this summer. With each tournament, Gillion has seen Curry's confidence grow.

Before, it was, 'I think I maybe can play there,' " Gillion said. "Now it's, 'I can play anywhere.' He's going to be the best player in the Central Florida area this year."

There is one thing, though, Gillion said Curry will have to work on, and unlike basketball, this won't come so easily.

"When he hits a big shot, he's going to have to learn to open up in the interviews," Gillion said with a laugh. "He's going to have to get a lot better in the interviews."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-rsptoccurry15071505jul15,0,3487288.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines

[Guest Johnny G Lyon]

say, what is Stevie Moss' status?

[Velcro]

say, what is Stevie Moss' status?

wasn't he a senior last year?

[Papa_Bull]

Curry is putting up some impressive numbers again this weekend:

Curry is avg. 20 points and 9 rebounds

http://www.breakdownmagazine.com/discusboard/messages/974/7638.html?1122152215