Q&A with freshman guard Karrington Davis
01/17/2020 | 11:59:00 | Men's Basketball
After missing two seasons with injuries, SIU redshirt freshman guard Karrington Davis has flashed great potential for the Salukis as his minutes have increased over the course of the season. Get to know Karrington with this Q&A.
Background
I'm from St. Louis, Mo. I was born in Joliet, Ill. I have a big family. I have three brothers and three sisters. I'm the middle child. Mom and dad played sports. My sisters played volleyball; my brother plays basketball; my little sister is a dancer. We all stay active. I grew up in Joliet and moved to St. Louis when I was about six.Â
Take us through the experience of playing at big-time high schools with players like Jayson Tatum and RJ Barrett.Â
Coming from eighth grade, it was a big jump. I was used to playing good competition, but these guys were another level. Being in varsity practices, learning defensive principles and how to communicate with teammates was a big jump for me. I'm a quiet guy. I never really had to talk like that. But high school was a big jump in being vocal with teammates. That was probably the biggest jump coming to varsity. I learned a lot from Jayson (Tatum) and Tyler (Cook). (Ed. note: Tatum and Cook are both currently in the NBA; Tatum plays for the Boston Celtics, and Cook plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.) Tyler was a loud, talkative guy, so I learned a lot from him. Jayson was always in the gym working. I always saw him in the gym, and I learned how to work hard. You're going to be tired and you're going to be sore; but at the end of the day, being consistent is the biggest thing. Moving on to Montverde, I tried to take that same work ethic with me. Everyone was good, and we all stayed in the gym. It was a unique experience, but I think it was a good experience for me. I had never been away from home, and it was like going to college one year early. I think it helped me grow as a man. I learned how to take care of myself. My parents weren't there, and I had to be my own man.Â
At Nebraska, you redshirted with an achilles injury. Coming off the hip injury, how frustrating was that to lose another year?
They got me back to 100 percent. I felt like my old self. I had worked so hard to that point, and I then had to wait another season. The achilles was my first real basketball injury. The hip was more of a wear-and-tear thing. I was sad, but I realized the bigger picture. I have to take my time and attack the rehab process.
What was your second recruiting process like, ending with you transferring to SIU?
Coach Mullins and I were talking as I was finishing up my rehab. I liked the plan he had for me. I liked that it was a new team with a new environment. I liked the plan was for me and for the team. I trusted in those plans. The biggest thing for me is trust and being real with what your plans are. As long as you're real with me, it will be a good place. He has been real. I just have to stay consistent every day with my rehab, and I'm confident I will get back to where I need to be.Â
How is getting acclimated as your minutes and practice time increase?
It has been long, learning to trust my body again. The biggest thing is consistency with the work I put in outside practice. I know that work is going to catch up. I put in so much work outside of practice that I know at the end of this, I'll be back where I was. I don't feel 100 percent yet, but I'll get there. Hopefully, I'm making big strides through December, and by the time conference play starts, I can really contribute to us getting some wins.Â
What's your game like?Â
Anything the team needs. I'm learning now what we need on offense or defense. If we need a rebounder, I'm going to rebound. I work on my shooting every day, my 3's. I can get to the rim. Whenever I fully come back, I'll do whatever the void is that the team needs. At different places, I've learned different roles. I know how to be the man. I can be the glue guy. There are so many different roles. I can look at a team and see where I need to fit in. I'm comfortable with that.Â
What are your long-term goals for yourself and the program over your career?
It's a long season. We know that. We need to stay consistent with doing the little things every day. Those little things will add up to the big things. In the games, we see that we're really close. We just have to fine tune to the little things, and we will see a change in our results. I have trust in what Coach Mullins is trying to do. He's bringing a new dynamic to SIU. We're all new, so it takes time to build that chemistry.
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