Dec. 19, 2003
The Nova Notebook is a weekly feature detailing stories from inside the Villanova men's basketball program. This week director of media relations Mike Sheridan catches up with sophomore forward Curtis Sumpter.
Although there have been instances in his basketball experience where he scored more points, Curtis Sumpter concedes that Dec. 12 was different. On that night he totaled 39 of the most efficient points ever recorded at Villanova in helping the Wildcats to a 74-55 victory over Northeastern in their home opener at the Pavilion.
The points were the most scored by a Villanova player in nearly eight years (Kerry Kittles dropped 44 points on Boston College at the Pavilion on Feb. 28, 1995). The effort also caught the notice of the Big East Conference, which awarded Sumpter a share of its player of the week honors (Ryan Gomes of Providence also was cited). In 36 minutes, Sumpter was 16-of-20 from the field.
"It just gives me a lot of confidence," states the native of Brooklyn, N.Y. of that effort. "Just knowing that I could do that at this level means a lot. It's so much harder to score at this level than it was in high school or in AAU ball.
"I think it's also does a lot for the team. The guys know I'm capable of stepping up to help out in that area. To be a good team, you have to have different guys step up each night and I'm glad I was able to do that."
Given his high school pedigree - Sumpter was considered one of the nation's top players at Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) High School in 2002 - such success at the college level was not unexpected. But it didn't come instantly and that required a bit of an adjustment for an athlete considered one of the finest in the nation at his position as a prep senior.
"It took a lot longer than I thought it would for things to come together," says the 6-7 sophomore. "I thought I would be able to come out and help right away. Even though I wasn't real experienced at the small forward position, I thought I would be good enough."
As it turned out, the learning curve for Sumpter was steeper than for the other three members of Villanova's heralded class of 2006. Randy Foye, Jason Fraser and Allan Ray were playing in positions not all that different from what they had known at the prep level.
But Sumpter's transition was more complex. In high school, he had mostly been utilized as power forward on the interior. At the collegiate level he was asked to step further away from the basket and absorb the nuances of the small forward position. While he welcomed the change, it necessitated alterations that went beyond the normal transition to college.
Through much of November and December, Sumpter's role was limited. Two seniors with plenty of experience, Andrew Sullivan and Ricky Wright, were returning starters at forward. Plus, there were a logjam of guards, including veterans Derrick Snowden, Gary Buchanan, Foye and Ray.
Sumpter reacted without complaint. He simply plowed forward in practice, often doing extra work before and after the sessions to add to his knowledge.
"People would ask me about it," he says, "but I didn't want to be negative. I just figured Coach Wright had something in mind for me and that if I kept working, it would come."
That attitude served Sumpter well. By January his minutes had increased to an average of 19 per game. This was largely a product of the coaching staff's growing confidence in his defensive acumen. At 6-7, Sumpter is long and quick and is comfortable chasing forwards or guards.
"I'm used to that," Sumpter states. "When we played AAU ball my coach would always have me guard the best player on the other team. It could be guards or forwards, it didn't matter. So I always stepped up to that challenge. I like the fact that my teammates are depending on me to play good defense."
There were moments when Sumpter showed his scoring potential too. On Senior Night at the Pavilion on Feb. 25, he stole the show with 21 points and seven rebounds in a convincing victory over Miami. Then he took on a larger role after the telephone access code incident left the 'Cats with five scholarship players for games against Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Siena. Sumpter played 40 minutes in all three contests and ended the season with a 23 point, seven rebound effort in a loss to Siena in the National Invitation Tournament.
At year's end Sumpter bore the mark of a player who had just begun to scratch the surface of his ability at this level.
To help expedite his development, Sumpter' summer revolved largely around basketball and books. He enrolled in summer school at Villanova and worked diligently to refine his game. A supplemental boost arrived in the form of an invitation to the prestigious Pete Newell Camp for Big Men, an annual off-season clinic that attracts some of the nation's elite interior players.
Standing 6-7, Sumpter wondered if he might not be out of place in this environment. It was a thought that lingered even as he stepped out on the court for the first time with the other campers, which included his 7-0 teammate Chris Charles.
"I was the second smallest guy there," he recalls. "When I first walked out there I was like 'I'm going to be playing post defense against these guys?' But it wasn't like that all.
"Pete Newell told me that I probably had an advantage because we were primarily doing perimeter things and I already had played on the perimeter. So I was the one being used as an example in the demonstrations, showing guys how to do things.
"The camp helped me a lot. It showed me how to work on my pivoting moves around the basket and when I catch the ball on the outside. It wasn't strictly post moves. It was more about footwork and positioning."
With Sullivan and Ricky Wright having graduated and Fraser battling injury, it was apparent from the outset that Sumpter's role in 2003-04 would be more vital than it had been as a freshman. This season he has started five games - sitting out three for his participation in the misuse of the university telephone access code - and Villanova has won all five of those. He played a large part (14 points, nine rebounds) in VU's 73-48 win over Temple in the season opener and his two free throws with just over two seconds left in overtime gave the 'Cats a 53-51 win over Santa Clara on Nov. 25.
Following his fireworks against Northeastern, Sumpter leads Villanova in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg).
"Curt," says Jay Wright, "is our most improved player."
On Dec. 22 Villanova is expected to field a complete roster for the first time this season. 2002-03 starters Snowden and Fraser have now recovered from their injuries and the suspensions stemming from the access code incident have been served.
"It's so good for the team to have them back," Sumpter states. "It's hard to explain but they both contribute so much. The toughness and competitiveness those guys bring is so important to us."
Sumpter empathizes with his longtime friend Fraser. The two were close in high school and eagerly looked forward to the day when they would team up at Villanova. In the beginning, it was Fraser who was on the court in games as Sumpter attempted to find a niche. Lately, though, it's been Fraser watching as he has nursed injuries while Sumpter has begun to emerge as a force.
"It's really, really tough on him," states Sumpter. "I try to talk to him sometimes but it's hard. Speaking from experience, when I had a groin injury last year it was just tough to move around without pain. Now, I feel good and it just does so much for me. I can do the things I'm capable of. I know dealing with his knees and feet has been killing Jason. I just can't wait until he's 100 percent, not so much for me or the team, but for him."
As for his own game, Sumpter believes the fact he is now in a comfort zone on the Main Line goes a long way to explaining his success.
"I'm just so much more comfortable now than I was last year," he states. "I feel my teammates are more comfortable with me and Coach is more comfortable with me. Last year it was more like I was just trying to get comfortable. Now I can go out there and try to make things happen."
The early results suggest he has done just that.
