Davion Mintz (Vicky Graff Photo)
One thing that has impressed me about Davion Mintz is that he never makes excuses. Bad game, bad shot, bad loss … doesn’t matter. He accepts responsibility. Maybe that’s why it was so nice to see him hit a game-winning shot against Auburn, especially after he made a costly turnover the possession before. And don’t forget the previous game if UK had just got a rebound after an Arkansas miss he would have hit the game-winning shot then, too.
Who knows? Maybe he’ll make another one tonight when UK plays at Vanderbilt.
“It was my responsibility to knock that down,” Mintz said Tuesday explaining that he had to make up for his turnover the possession before when he actually passed up an open shot when he didn’t feel his feet were set. “I knew when the ball was coming back to me again because I knew the play was for me and I know I can step into it and knock it down. Do what I do.”
What about the reaction to the shot from family and friends after the game?
“It was love because everybody forgot about the mistakes,” Mintz laughed and said.
But the part I really loved was him talking about dreaming of hitting a shot like that growing up.
“It’s crazy because I have a big backyard at my house, where there’s grass right behind my goal. And in my head, I would imagine there were a bunch of fans right there and I would do my five, four, three, two, one count but the terrible thing about right now is, I’m making the shot with no fans,” he said.
“I know some of them, no disrespect to our BBN, I love them and I feel the love, but I’m imagining it’s a lot crazier in my head as a kid. I used to do that a lot, actually, growing up.”
What if he missed the shot growing up?
“I would be (mad) every time I missed it. I had my older brother outside with me and when he would make it, I would throw the ball at him. I’ve been super-competitive as a kid,” Mintz said.
