‘Time for a change,’ but not necessarily a huge step up for Davion Mintz
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During a Zoom teleconference Monday, graduate transfer Davion Mintz was asked why he moved from Creighton to Kentucky.
He included the predictable salute to Kentucky’s exalted status in his response. But his move was not from basketball famine to feast.
Creighton actually had a better NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rating on March 12 than Kentucky: No. 11 to No. 16. And Lindy’s 2020-21 preview ranks Creighton at No. 13 and Kentucky No. 16.
Mintz likened his move to looking for a new challenge.
“It’s just kind of like a job,” he said. “You’ve been there for a few years. You just feel in your heart there’s something else out there for you.”
No hard feelings. Mintz espoused love and respect for Creighton.
“But there always comes a time for change,” he said.
Mintz, a 6-foot-3 guard, is perceived as someone who can provide a steadying influence given the experience of having played 97 college games (79 starts) and averaging 21.2 minutes in three seasons for Creighton.
When asked about giving UK guards what Reid Travis and Nate Sestina supplied in the front court the previous two seasons, Mintz smiled.
“I still look at myself (as) young in the world,” he said. He turned 22 on June 30.
“But definitely old being experienced.”
How the latest crop of freshmen are receptive to his influence will make his role easier, Mintz said.
“They’re always looking forward to advice,” he said. “They don’t look at it as I’m trying to tell them what to do. They’re, like, ‘Let me listen to this guy. He’s seen it.’ (Experience) means nothing if guys aren’t willing to listen. That’s what’s special about this group. Everybody’s willing to listen. Everybody is just trying to learn and be their best self.”
In one respect, Mintz acknowledged lacking any more experience than most of his Kentucky teammates. Playing in the Big East meant going against older, more knowledgeable competitors, he said.
“You rarely ever have one-and-done,” he said. “You’re seeing teams that know your game (and) know what you’re bringing every night. To me, that’s a huge challenge.
“So, being somewhere where I’m somewhat new …, I think that will be fun for me and prepare me a lot.”
Of UK’s latest assortment of five-star freshmen, Mintz said, “guys are definitely backing up what their résumés said.”
‘No layups’
When asked about any new teammates standing out, Mintz offered a list of such players: Shot-blocking by Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware, shooting by Dontaie Allen and Terrence Clarke and steady, solid play by Devin Askew.
Mintz suggested that defensive intensity and rim protection will be part of the Kentucky team.
“No one was able to get layups,” he said of the first practice. He then described an attempted layup.
“Lance smacked it off the backboard,” he said. “Isaiah came back and smacked the same shot off the backboard. And Jacob (Toppin), like, grabbed it and threw it out of bounds. I know it sounds crazy, but it was, like, insane what was going on.
“If you’re playing against us, no layups. Either you come in and dunk it hard or you better float it or take threes because not a lot is going on in that paint.”
Hunter to hunted
Mintz acknowledged the transfer moved him from a program that was the hunter (Creighton) to one that is the hunted (Kentucky).
“I think that’s exciting,” he said, “because I come from a guy (Creighton Coach Greg McDermott) who wanted to hunt down a program like this. … I know what and how those other guys are feeling. It just gives me more motivation.”
‘Positive energy’
Mintz put the video in support of combating systemic racism that UK players posted earlier this year as potentially impactful.
“Definitely important, especially when you have a stage like this one,” he said. “A lot of people are paying attention to what you’re going to say.”
When asked about the mixed reaction to the video, Mintz advised, “Don’t really focus on negativity. … As long as you put positive energy in the world, that’s really all you can do.”
While noting the positive response to the video, Mintz acknowledged that there was criticism.
“That’s OK,” he said. “… That’s … the awareness we’re trying to spread. All we can do is keep pushing.”
UNC fan/UK player
Although he’s from North Carolina (Charlotte, to be exact), Mintz became a Kentucky fan. He credited a fellow North Carolinian, ex-Cat John Wall (Raleigh).
“Everybody from North Carolina, especially guards, was a huge John Wall fan …,” Mintz said. “I was a Tar Heels fan. But Kentucky is one of those schools you dream of going to.”
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 3:47 PM.
