Hinton embracing role as ‘junkyard dog’ for VCU

ANALYSIS/OPINION

Jim Swing Sports Editor

PORTLAND, Ore. – When I walked up to David Hinton amidst the horde of media crowding the VCU locker room Friday afternoon, he was sitting all by by himself gazing around.

To his surprise, I asked him if I could talk to him for a few minutes.

“Me?” he asked, pointing toward himself with a smile.

Hinton, VCU’s scrappy junior forward, doesn’t receive a lot of playing time and therefore not a lot of attention from the media. But what he lacks in glitz and glamour, he more than makes up for when an opportunity is presented.

If there ever was a player who’s contribution doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, it’s Hinton. He averages just 2.8 minutes a game, and usually only shows up when VCU’s frontcourt is in foul trouble.

Prime example: Sophomore big men Juvonte Reddic and D.J. Haley each picked up two fouls in the first half against Wichita State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hinton entered the game and threw his 6-foot-9, 235-pound frame around in the paint and drew a pair of crucial charges that sent the momentum spiraling VCU’s way.

“It was definitely an energy boost,” Haley said. “He came in and made the right play at the right time.”

Hinton played just five minutes and had zeros all across the board, but his presence in the paint for that short amount of time spoke volumes. It’s the kind of role Hinton has embraced in his three years at VCU.

“Coach Smart just told me he needs me to do the little things, be very physical on defense and just play your game and things will come to you, don't try to force anything just play your role,” Hinton said. “My role is a junkyard dog, to be aggressive and help out the team.”

A junkyard dog, really?

“Yeah, that's what they call me,” he said.

But perhaps Hinton is known most around the team for his tireless effort in practice. Reddic and Haley know it best. They go toe-to-toe with him everyday in practice.

“It's kind of tiring; he works hard every play so I have to match his energy or exceed his energy,” Reddic said. “So going up against him has helped me out tremendously." CT

Photo Essay

Per usual, CT photo editor Chris Conway had one of the best seats in the house for VCU's game versus Indiana in Portland Saturday with his spot right on the baseline. The game was a gripping encounter that saw players on both sides oozing insane amounts of emotion. Being so close to the action gives Conway the acute ability to capture such emotions at their rawest and most real – and we as viewers are better off for it. CT

Check out full galleries from the NCAA Tournament on our website at commonwealthtimes.org