NEW ORLEANS — For a player who is averaging only 10.2 minutes per game on a 17-13 team, LSU senior Malcolm White has had way too much national publicity for the wrong reason.
It was White who reached out from behind and slammed Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis to the floor to prevent a breakaway dunk during Kentucky’s 74-50 win on Jan. 28. He was ejected from the game and suspended for the next game by LSU¿coach Trent Johnson for what Johnson called a “stupid play.” White later wrote a letter of apology to UK¿coach John Calipari and Davis for his play.
LSU plays Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament here today and if the Tigers win, they would get another game with Kentucky on Friday in the tourney quarterfinals. It’s a matchup White would relish.
“It would be nice to get a chance to play Kentucky again.¿I think Kentucky’s whole team would be looking behind them every time,” White laughed and said. “No, just taking a second peak behind them. Really, it would be a good opportunity to show them (Kentucky fans) I¿am not that type of player and can just go out there and play basketball and show I am not trying to hurt anybody. I am a good guy. I have been in this league for a long time.”
White didn’t duck questions or try to justify what he did.
“It was out of character. I just made a bad play. I should have made a play on the ball,” White, who missed his only shot in seven minutes of play against Kentucky. “
White says he wished “I could have taken it back” as soon as he made the play and knew it would become a national incident and “hang around because of the team and program we were playing and the player.”
He still feels the play was “blown up” perhaps too much but he knows he has no one to blame but himself.
“When you make stupid plays, that’s what happens,” he said. “I¿am just glad Davis was not hurt. I was not trying to do that.
“A lot of people were saying that play reveals your character, but that’s not me. I¿am a very approachable guy. Very outgoing, very outspoken. Once you get on the court, you have to be a different person and bring a winning mentality. At that moment, I was just in the winning mentality to do whatever it takes. I just made a wrong decision.”
Kentucky won its next three games by a combined 69 points after finishing off the 24-point win over LSU. The blow to Davis seemed to make the Cats become more physical and play tougher.
Any chance White lit a fire under UK¿that might lead to the Cats winning a national title?
“I don’ think that I necessarily lit a fire under Kentucky. Calipari has his guys ready to play every single game. Everybody knows that,” White said. “He gets his guys to always play hard. Anthony Davis, it may have made his game better and made him get a little more aggressive on the floor, but as the far as the whole team, it’s all Calipari. He’s a great coach and his guys show that.
“I¿think he builds player-coach relationships and keeps it business and fun at the same time. He takes a business approach and gets them to understand what a great opportunity is in front of them. He shows them how to get to the next level and he’s real good with those guys coming in one year and getting them to the NBA. Anthony Davis is a good player and has a bright future at the next level. He is a great player, great kid.”
White, who also missed LSU’s SEC opener because of the death of his grandmother, stopped short of saying Davis was the best post player he’s faced.
“He is the most talented young player I¿have ever played against. I still see some things that Anthony Davis needs to work on, but he is talented. I¿mean, he is just talented. He has a lot of potential.¿He could be a pro a long time,” White said. “He just has that natural ability to block shots, but he’s going to get better. He’s not a go-to guy in the post yet. He does not have a lot of post moves yet. But it will come.”
White said he had “move on and keep playing basketball” after the Davis incident and that even Calipari told me to “move on from it” after he sent the letter.
“We are basketball players and it is an emotional game. In the moment, I¿just made bad decision,” White said. “It gets a little real on the court. They are not choir boys, either. They will talk some. Every player, every game goes back and forth. But it’s respect with them. It’s nothing vicious, personal. You enjoy playing against them and for one play I just didn’t play right against them and that was no one’s fault but mine.”
It was White who reached out from behind and slammed Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis to the floor to prevent a breakaway dunk during Kentucky’s 74-50 win on Jan. 28. He was ejected from the game and suspended for the next game by LSU¿coach Trent Johnson for what Johnson called a “stupid play.” White later wrote a letter of apology to UK¿coach John Calipari and Davis for his play.
LSU plays Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament here today and if the Tigers win, they would get another game with Kentucky on Friday in the tourney quarterfinals. It’s a matchup White would relish.
“It would be nice to get a chance to play Kentucky again.¿I think Kentucky’s whole team would be looking behind them every time,” White laughed and said. “No, just taking a second peak behind them. Really, it would be a good opportunity to show them (Kentucky fans) I¿am not that type of player and can just go out there and play basketball and show I am not trying to hurt anybody. I am a good guy. I have been in this league for a long time.”
White didn’t duck questions or try to justify what he did.
“It was out of character. I just made a bad play. I should have made a play on the ball,” White, who missed his only shot in seven minutes of play against Kentucky. “
White says he wished “I could have taken it back” as soon as he made the play and knew it would become a national incident and “hang around because of the team and program we were playing and the player.”
He still feels the play was “blown up” perhaps too much but he knows he has no one to blame but himself.
“When you make stupid plays, that’s what happens,” he said. “I¿am just glad Davis was not hurt. I was not trying to do that.
“A lot of people were saying that play reveals your character, but that’s not me. I¿am a very approachable guy. Very outgoing, very outspoken. Once you get on the court, you have to be a different person and bring a winning mentality. At that moment, I was just in the winning mentality to do whatever it takes. I just made a wrong decision.”
Kentucky won its next three games by a combined 69 points after finishing off the 24-point win over LSU. The blow to Davis seemed to make the Cats become more physical and play tougher.
Any chance White lit a fire under UK¿that might lead to the Cats winning a national title?
“I don’ think that I necessarily lit a fire under Kentucky. Calipari has his guys ready to play every single game. Everybody knows that,” White said. “He gets his guys to always play hard. Anthony Davis, it may have made his game better and made him get a little more aggressive on the floor, but as the far as the whole team, it’s all Calipari. He’s a great coach and his guys show that.
“I¿think he builds player-coach relationships and keeps it business and fun at the same time. He takes a business approach and gets them to understand what a great opportunity is in front of them. He shows them how to get to the next level and he’s real good with those guys coming in one year and getting them to the NBA. Anthony Davis is a good player and has a bright future at the next level. He is a great player, great kid.”
White, who also missed LSU’s SEC opener because of the death of his grandmother, stopped short of saying Davis was the best post player he’s faced.
“He is the most talented young player I¿have ever played against. I still see some things that Anthony Davis needs to work on, but he is talented. I¿mean, he is just talented. He has a lot of potential.¿He could be a pro a long time,” White said. “He just has that natural ability to block shots, but he’s going to get better. He’s not a go-to guy in the post yet. He does not have a lot of post moves yet. But it will come.”
White said he had “move on and keep playing basketball” after the Davis incident and that even Calipari told me to “move on from it” after he sent the letter.
“We are basketball players and it is an emotional game. In the moment, I¿just made bad decision,” White said. “It gets a little real on the court. They are not choir boys, either. They will talk some. Every player, every game goes back and forth. But it’s respect with them. It’s nothing vicious, personal. You enjoy playing against them and for one play I just didn’t play right against them and that was no one’s fault but mine.”
