Just minutes after Duke defeated Temple on Wednesday night, Seth Curry started looking ahead.
"Yeah, I know where our next game is," Curry said with a laugh, referring to today's game at Virginia Tech (9 p.m., ESPN Ch. 33).
Curry, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Liberty, will be playing for the first time in Blacksburg, where his parents were stars. Many Tech fans consider Dell Curry the best basketball player in school history, and Sonya Curry was a star volleyball player for the Hokies.
"It's going to be fun," Seth said. "It's going back to where my dad played and where I was a fan growing up, so it's going to be an exciting night for me."
While waiting for Seth after Wednesday's game, Sonya Curry was developing a wardrobe plan for tonight. Both parents will be at the game, but it'll take a close look to see where their allegiances lie. ESPN cameras most likely will show the parents in the stands several times.
Sonya Curry said she plans to wear Virginia Tech tennis shoes and a Duke sweatshirt.
"I've got some Virginia Tech tennis shoes as well, and that might be a good idea," Dell said. "We'll wear Tech shoes and have Duke stuff on up top."
Dell Curry, whose No. 30 Tech jersey is retired, scored 2,389 points as a sharp-shooter in the mid-1980s when college basketball didn't have the 3-point shot. He ranks second in school history in points, and he went on to an outstanding 16-year career in the NBA.
"My prayer is he won't put too much pressure on himself when he sees his father's jersey up there and all of that," Sonya said of Seth.
Sonya said that the family has been talking about this game for a long time.
"I will be excited," she said. "I will still cheer for Virginia Tech, but I'll also be cheering for my son. I'll be a little torn at first but hopefully by the first half, I'll have it all together."
Dell said that Seth will have to endure special attention from the student section at Cassell Coliseum.
"For him to play on the court that I played on there at Virginia Tech is going to be fun," Dell said. "It will be a great atmosphere there, and he'll have to be ready for a little ribbing from the fans."
Seth and brother Stephen Curry, who starred at Davidson and now plays for the Golden State Warriors, grew up as big Virginia Tech fans, and Seth has a vivid memory of a Tech loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2005 — Sean Dockery made a shot from near midcourt at the buzzer as Duke won 77-75. "That hurt me bad," Seth said earlier this season.
Seth Curry will enter today's game playing the best basketball of his Duke career. He transferred after one season at Liberty and sat out during last season's national-championship run. His defense has steadily improved, and he has picked up his game in the wake of Kyrie Irving's toe injury and the recent struggles of sophomore Andre Dawkins.
Since his 22-point game against North Carolina on Feb. 9, Curry has started four straight and has been lethal from the outside, making 12 of 24 3-point shots in his last five games.
Although Curry said he's excited about playing at Virginia Tech, he realizes that top-ranked Duke has more important things at stake.
"The big picture is it's a conference game and we are still fighting for that first-place spot," Curry said. "And (Virginia Tech) has a lot on the line because they are trying to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament. There's going to be a big crowd, and we have to go in there and get a win."
Curry said he doesn't think he'll be any more nervous than he is for any other game.
"I get nervous before every game," he said. "I'll just try to go in there and calm myself and play my normal game."
jdell@wsjournal.com
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