JACKSON — Javontae McDavid has a home in any gym.
Maybe that’s why the Columbus High School senior guard has earned the nickname “gym rat.”
During the course of the 2015-16 season, it was common to see McDavid shooting jump shots or practicing free throws prior to practice or after practice to make sure his touch was ready. McDavid never knew when he was going to get his opportunity, especially after losing his starting position to classmate TJ Gray early in the season.
But instead of sulking and falling deeper into coach Luther Riley’s rotation, McDavid kept shooting and working because he knew he was going to get his chance to shine.
McDavid made the most of that opportunity Saturday night. In the process, he helped the Columbus High boys basketball team make history.
McDavid hit four free throws in the final 17 seconds to help push Columbus to a 37-33 victory against Starkville in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State title game at Mississippi Coliseum.
McDavid was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line for a team-high 13 points to help Columbus (27-5) dethrone Starkville (27-6), the 2015 champion, and win its first boys basketball championship.
For his accomplishments, McDavid is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
McDavid said he remembered Riley telling him earlier in the season that the hard work he was investing in practice was going to give him the confidence to “guarantee” he was going to make clutch shots or free throws. He said he believed he was going to convert both ends of the one-and-one with 17 seconds and another one-and-one with five seconds to play that sealed the deal.
“I had a lot of confidence because when you practice so much on one thing it becomes a habit,” McDavid said. “You get so used to doing that one thing that you know when the time comes it is going to happen.”
McDavid smiled when asked if he was a “gym rat.” He said he “loves” being in the gym because it fuels his love for basketball. He understands how difficult it is to be perfect, so he continues to hone his skills so he can be a contributor.
Finding where he fit in with the 2015-16 team was a challenge at first, though. McDavid said he thought he should have been starting, but he realized Riley was sending him a message that the best way for the Falcons to win was to have him come off the bench. He said he figured out he still could score and help his teammates coming off the bench. That epiphany fueled the Falcons’ run to history.
“It happened midway through the season,” McDavid said. “After we beat Starkville the second time we played them, I figured out we can win by more if I come into the game with fresh legs and make a contribution.”
Riley, who won his sixth state title, including the Grand Slam crown he won leading the Provine High boys, said he had the utmost confidence McDavid was going to do his job and make the free throws down the stretch. He said he trusted McDavid and Cameron Douglas to milk the clock with the lead and force Starkville to foul them to get them into the bonus.
Earlier in the game, Riley tweaked his lineup and played McDavid and senior guard TJ Gray more together to get more quickness on the floor. He said both guards worked well to help offset the efforts of Starkville High’s Tyson Carter, who had a team-high 12 points. He said he was especially pleased to see defense play such an important role because his team matured on that end of the floor throughout the season.
“We have been through all kind of games, and it didn’t faze us losing the lead because we had two quarters left to play,” Riley said. “The second quarter we went from the game plan. We started getting individual and we forgot about our game plan. We got back to that after halftime and we were able to get a win.”
McDavid deserves credit for helping to lead the Falcons back in that direction. After a season of ups and downs in which he lost his starting position and had to adjust to a role off the bench, McDavid couldn’t imagine a better way to end his senior season. He hopes his showing in pressure situations will help him realize his goal to play basketball in college.
“If I can do this now and keep working on my game, maybe I can be a be a better free-throw shooter at the next level,” McDavid said. “Being a gym rat and going into the gym and working on my game every day, I know I should have a better outcome if I am bettering myself.
“I was very poised and calm and just trying to help my team win. I used to be lazy, but when I met coach Riley he always kept me in the gym and used to tell me great players come in before practice and work and stay after practice and work on their games. That is what I did. I started coming in early and practicing hard. When practice came, I ended up going as hard as I could to make it feel like it is a game moment. It wasn’t easy at first, but I had to adjust to it. When I adjusted to it, it became a habit and it started flowing. I started to flow.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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