Filed under: DukeDURHAM, N.C. -- Seth Curry needed eight stitches after teammate Nolan Smith inadvertently struck him with an elbow during Duke's Countdown to Craziness event Friday night, but Curry may have suffered an even bigger blow from the NCAA due to a rule disallowing him from collecting a championship ring.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called the bylaw "horrible" and "totally wrong," in a post-practice press conference.
Curry, who sat out last season after transferring from Liberty, was ineligible to be awarded a ring even though he participated in every practice last season, according to Krzyzewski, and was often described as a key practice contributor by teammates. So, as his teammates on Duke's 2010 championship team, including returning graduates Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas, picked up their rings, Currry once again watched from the sideline.
The rule, NCAA bylaw 16.1.4.2, limits championship awards to players "eligible to participate in the championship event." Transfer players are ineligible to receive the award, but players who do not participate in championship games or later declare for redshirt status are eligible to be given rings.
The rule also limits the total value of the ring to $415.
Krzyzewski characterized the provision as an "archaic rule about not rewarding a kid who's a transfer" after the event.
"One of the tragic things about our NCAA rules is what happened tonight where Seth Curry could not get a ring or watch," Krzyzewski said. "It's just totally, totally wrong that a kid who's on scholarship last year and participated in every practice [couldn't get a ring]."
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"Tonight ... I only felt sad about one thing and that was [Curry not getting a ring]. That is totally, totally wrong, totally wrong, because he's a scholarship player. It's just horrible. And there's no way of getting around it. You can't even buy it.."
Curry, however said that being on last year's championship team without being able to participate in games or receive a championship ring would make him the team's hungriest player.
"I was with them for the ride last year and I didn't get a ring." he said afterward. "I know what it takes to get there, I saw them get there, so I just want to get back there in my playing career."
Smith would later add injury to insult, striking Curry between the eyes with an elbow as Smith tried to drive midway through the first of two 12-minute scrimmages. Curry was immediately attended to on the bench before returning to the lockerroom for eight stitches.
Curry said after the game that he felt a "little sore, but OK."
But he did have a message for Smith.
"I joked around with him," Curry said. "I told him to watch the elbows."
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