James Curren was one of the most prolific scorers in school and conference history on the basketball court. He was a four-time All-AMCC selection and two-time AMCC Player of the Year at the center position. With few players as dominant as Curren, he powered his way to school records with 1,726 points and 659 field-goals made. He went from AMCC Rookie of the Year as a freshman, to team MVP as a sophomore, to Behrend’s Male Athlete of the Year his senior season. Curren led the team to two ECAC bids and one run in the NCAA Tournament in 2003-04.
Curren’s freshman year proved he could play at the collegiate level, scoring 358 points behind 52 percent shooting and grabbing 174 rebounds to help the Lions finish with a winning season. He was recognized as the AMCC Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference second team.
The hot shooting continued into his sophomore season. He shot 54 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the charity stripe, averaging 15.8 points and pulling down a personal-best 211 rebounds. Curren made history as the third player to score 40 or more points in a game when he poured in a career-high 41 points against Fredonia. The All-AMCC First-Team choice and Team MVP led Behrend to its sixth ECAC Tournament bid, finishing with an 18-9 overall record.
The outstanding numbers produced during his junior year went against Curren’s reputation of a great passer and unselfish player. He poured the most points in a season for his career with 512 for an average of 17.7 points per game. In addition, he grabbed 190 rebounds and dished out 57 assists while making 126 free throws on 167 attempts. Curren also became the second player in program history to be named to the All-Great Lakes Region Second Team after earning one of two AMCC Player of the Year Awards.
Curren’s senior year is one to remember in Behrend’s storied basketball tradition. He was the leading scorer in 13 of the 26 games for a team that went 22-4, held the top ranking in the region and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Lions went a perfect 13-0 at home during the regular season and were first in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 51.9 ppg and were ranked 19th in the nation by D3hoops.com.
Curren was always a team player, but on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 he put himself first in the record books, becoming the all-time leading scorer and shattering a 13-year old record. He turned in a 7-for-9 performance for 17 points to etch his name at the top of the list. Curren repeated as an All-AMCC First Team selection and Player of the Year. He garnered All-Great Lakes Region First-Team for averaging 16.5 points per game and 8.0 rebounds.
Curren, the 2004 Male Athlete of the Year, graduated first all-time in field goals and free throws, fifth in rebounds and sixth in field-goal percentage.