Stephen Curry heats up, Trent Johnson's weak ejection

It would be nice to watch Stephen Curry play without a discussion about whether or not he'll succeed in the NBA. John Biever/SI

By Ty Hildenbrandt

As if you couldn't see it coming, newspapers and online publications have run the gamut of clever, Stephen Curry-related headlines over the last couple days, ranging in subtlety from "Curry heats up in Davidson's win" to my personal favorite, "Hot Curry continues to spice up NCAA Tournament recipe." Simply brilliant. Pan-Asian cuisine hasn't gotten this much attention since the British colonized India.

Regardless of the headline, everybody's writing about Curry -- the basketball player, that is -- and for good reason. The Southern Conference's Player of the Year averaged 35 points in two come-from-behind wins last weekend, landing Davidson back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1969. The media has taken the cue, yapping all about his father (Dell Curry), his emotional mother and how he looks like he could be your younger brother.

But there is one thing nobody's mentioned a whole lot about: the NBA.

For whatever reason -- perhaps because of his smaller stature -- people seem more fascinated with Curry in the context of a college game than a professional one (at least with bracket pools and prize money on the line). That's not to say Curry won't make it on the next level -- he's clearly got a strong pedigree -- it's just an anomaly nowadays to watch a star player for an entire game and NOT see a stray NBA draft projection during the broadcast. Can't say I understand it. At this point, it's a novel, refreshing concept to the average college hoops fan. And it's the polar opposite of what's becoming commonplace, with one-year wonders treating college basketball as if it were red tape, and the media taking every opportunity to talk about big bucks and the grandeur of the next level.

It seems inevitable that Curry will take his sharp shooting to the NBA one day. But, by some strange twist, it's nice to know you can enjoy a game without listening to how it'll be next season.

TRENT JOHNSON COULD USE AN INTENSITY TRANSPLANT

Of course, it's appalling any time the coach of college basketball team gets ejected in the middle of a closely-contested tournament game. And if we're looking to harp on a point, we could call it irresponsible or senseless or whatever adjective makes Stanford's Trent Johnson look the worst. However, I think I'm most offended by his lack of intensity. Johnson was so mild-mannered and stoic in his exit from Saturday evening's game that you have to wonder why he even bothered walking on the court. Somebody needs a lesson or two from Lou Piniella.

Folks, if you're going to get booted from an NCAA Tournament game -- usually a pretty rare occurrence -- you'd better make it worth the trouble. You don't have to throw a chair or drop an F-bomb, but at least act somewhat disgusted. Throw up your arms. Raise your voice. Put on a dirty look. Do something to get people fired up. Fans expect at least some irrational behavior once a coach goes past the point of no return.

But Johnson is a true gentlemen and a class act, and essentially did nothing. There was so much potential here. Instead, it proved one of the most underwhelming ejections in sports history.