Mack Attack

-- Shelvin Mack Has Unfinished Business To Attend To With USA Basketball And Butler University --

June 21, 2009 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Shelvin Mack

Butler guard Shelvin Mack is enjoying quite a year in 2008-09, but the 6-foot-3, 214 pound standout player isn't sitting back and just taking in the ride.

Nope, he has work to do " some unfinished business to attend to.

A late addition to the USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Trials, during the three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs he impressed the USA Basketball committee enough to be selected as one of 12 players for the USA U19 World Championship Team that will compete for gold and a World Championship title from July 2-12 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Twice named all-state and also selected finalist for Kentucky's Player of the Year honor, he led Bryan Station High School in Lexington, Ky., to 112 victories during his high school career and helped Bryan Station to a 30-3 campaign, a district championship, a regional runner-up finish and a No. 1 state ranking as a senior. As a senior he averaged 23.7 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 7.5 apg. and 3.8 spg., and over his prep playing career compiled 1,725 points and more than 500 career assists.

His on court dominance continue as a freshman in 2008-09 at Butler. Starting in all 32 games, he averaged 11.9 ppg., 4.4 rpg. and 3.5 apg. as a freshman. He led Butler in assists with 111, becoming just the third freshman in the Bulldogs' history to record 100 or more assists. Ranked second in the Horizon League in assist/turnover ratio (1.6) while finishing sixth in the league in assists per game (3.5), Shelvin was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team and the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.

USA Basketball took some time Sunday morning to get to know Shelvin a little better.

When did you start playing basketball?
I got interested in basketball when I was young, six or seven years old. I watched it on TV and saw how fun it was and I enjoyed playing the game.

When did you realize basketball was going to be your sport?
Probably when I was in the 5th or 6th grade. I started getting really good at it and I started to get addicted to it. I would go to the park every day, play every day, play late.

Did you play any other sports when you were young?
I also played a little football but I stopped playing that when I got a little older.

You grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, a place with a lot of basketball tradition.
It was a lot of fun growing up in Lexington. You've got the UK Wildcats, then you've got the Louisville Cardinals. There aren't any pro teams so college basketball is the big thing in Kentucky.

How did you end up attending Butler University?
Coach Stevens recruited me hard. I liked the coaching staff there and then also the academics played a huge role in it. My largest class this year was like only 30 people so I got a lot of one-of-one attention with the professors.

What are you majoring in?
Media arts.

Butler had a really good season, finishing 26-6 and making the NCAA Tournament. What did you thinbk of your first year?
I was pretty happy with it but we could have finished the season stronger. We finished on two losses, which wasn't good, we lost in the (Horizon) conference championship and in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But overall I think we did a pretty decent job of playing together as a team.

How do things look for next season?
We should have a very exciting season coming up. We have a lot of expectations for ourselves. We have our whole team coming back.

Is it fun being here (at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.) and playing with your Butler teammate Gordon Hayward?
Yeah, it's a lot of fun playing with Gordon,playing with Darius (Miller), playing with Howard (Thompkins). There are a lot of great players on this team. On this team everybody is a nice star at their school so you make the extra pass with hesitation.

How did you feel about making the USA U19 World Championship Team?
It's a big accomplishment for me. When I went to Butler, coming out of high school, I never expected that I'd have a chance to play for the United States of America. It's a big compliment to me.

Have you ever travelled outside the U.S.?
No. I'm very excited to go. I know it is winter time and I heard it's a nice place, a beautiful place to be.

It's a 14 hour flight you know?
Yeah, it's going to be a killer right there!

Tell me about your family.
I have two little sisters, Sierra and Keena and mother, Victoria (Guy).

What kind of things besides basketball do you enjoy?
I like playing video games a lot, and joking around with my teammates. That's what we've been doing the last couple of days in the dorm, just joking around and having a good time with each other.

How has the experience been overall?
It's been a nice experience. I come here and work hard every day and enjoy a free trip as long as you come and work hard.

Playing against some of the best players every day in practice obviously has to help improve your game. Is there anything you want to work on?
I'm just trying to play hard every play because here if you don't play hard every play you get exposed because you're playing against another great player so it makes you pick your level up every time you get on the court.

Split Second Decisions …

Would you rather read or watch a movie? Watch a movie
Fly or drive someplace? Fly
Steak or fish? Steak
Make a 3-pointer or a dunk? 3-pointer
Watch NCAA Final Four or NBA Finals? NBA Finals
Summer or Winter? Summer
LeBron or Kobe? Kobe
Read Sports Illustrated or Time? Sports Illustrated
Work out or chill on the couch? Work out
Read the Indianapolis Star or the Lexington Herald? (laughing) The Lexington Herald
Sleep in or get up early? Get up early
Baseball or football? Football
Eat healthy food or junk food? It depends…healthy food
A great assist or great steal? Great assist
Kentucky or Louisville? (laughing) oh man…..Kentucky...no make it no comment.
Watch reality television or sports? Sports
Be the quarterback or safty? Safty.