Not being completely healthy didn’t really bother Seth Curry, who has the back-court to himself entering his senior year for Duke. If his performance against the national champions is any indication, he’s not going to be talked about as Stephen Curry’s little brother anymore.

Duke were always the favorites going into their game against Kentucky in the Georgia Dome, especially if you listen to the slick and slippery John Calipari. Having the best recruiting class in the nation isn’t going to be good enough this year, it seems early on, to dominate college basketball from the get go. Duke? While Curry might not be your typical college basketball superstar, he looks mighty ready to lead them in their quest towards and ACC title and a much better NCAA tournament performance this season.

The injury? Not quite clear – leg fatigue, or shin splints. Whatever it is, it seems to be affecting him, as he’s taking a lot of time off from practice. It didn’t really show for most of the game, leading Duke with 23 points and was especially clutch down the line from the free throw line as Kentucky desperately tried to get back into the game, going six for six.

While not the high profile star Stephen Curry was before he reached the NBA, Seth is playing for a much more heralded program, and a good season from him will be getting much more attention. After becoming a starter for Duke and having to share the spotlight with Austin Rivers last season, this year is all about him. Mike Plumlee seems to be the classic Duke player that won’t make it big in the pros but does well in college and gets a lot of national hate for being the token white-star for Duke (18 points, 3 rebounds), but he isn’t Curry.

He isn’t the kind of big man that a team revolves around, or at least a team that is always aiming to the highest possible goal should be built around. Duke have talent, but not the kind that can contribute right away. Ryan Kelly, Rasheed Sulaimon, Quinn Cook and Josh Hairston are good players, but this team relies on Plumlee in the paint and Seth Curry for everything else. To push this team forward, and not too far from where they were two and a half years ago, winning the NCAA title.

He was the difference-maker. The fact that he’s a fifth-year senior has to help. I’m so proud of him. He really hasn’t practiced much. Since the start of practice he’s had four practices. I’m shocked by the level of condition.

Coach K was probably a little bit afraid from yet another Kentucky Freshman group, the closest thing to an actual prep-to-pro program available in American basketball today. Right now, they’re just a bunch of talented guys who jump higher and run faster than anyone else. Calipari still hasn’t made a team, a frightening team, out of them. Quite a few people are rooting against, hoping he’ll fail, or at least wishing these guys aren’t as talented as the group that is now in the NBA.

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