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PROVO — Davin Guinn had a good thing in Southern California.
A former standout at California’s Vista Murrieta High, the 6-foot-5 wing guard stayed close to home to play at UC Riverside during the 2012-13 college basketball season. He played in 20 games for the Highlanders, including four starts, and had a career-best 16 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in a 92-61 win over Whittier College.
But something was missing, and after a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, Guinn transferred to BYU — electing to take a chance and walk on to coach Dave Rose’s practice squad.
It’s a decision he has never regretted.
“I had a sister who is going to school here and another sister who is committed to play soccer here. I just wanted to be up here, be with them and be closer to some of my siblings,” said Guinn, who had 11 points and six rebounds in Wednesday night's Cougar Tipoff. “Even though it’s Southern California, it’s paradise, but it’s a really different environment. I feel good and I feel at home here in Provo.”
Guinn didn’t know if he would play a year ago as a sophomore; at best, he hoped for time on the practice squad and maybe a few clean-up minutes behind senior guards Kyle Collinsworth and Chase Fischer, as well as rising shooting stars like Nick Emery and Zac Seljaas.
But he earned more than that, appearing in nine regular-season games for the Cougars and scoring a season-high nine points on 3-of-3 shooting against San Diego.
“I was originally just a practice guy, so I was trying to figure out what they needed from me,” said Guinn, who just turned 23 years old. “But it taught me confidence; go out there, no matter what spot you are in, and work as hard as you can.”
Rose has a habit of taking practice-squad players and turning them into contributors. That Guinn wears the same jersey number as his current head coach could be more than a coincidence — even a sign of things to come.
“Dav reminds me of some really tough kids that have really helped us over the years,” Rose said. “Guys who fought their way onto our roster and then really helped our team win. He’s a very, very gifted athlete, but he’s just determined. He works hard, trains hard, plays hard, and he is close to a 4.0 student. He’s a guy who our other guys can learn from; he’s worked his way into a really good spot.”
Guinn’s hard work paid off this offseason, when he went from the scout team to a scholarship spot on the Cougars’ 2016-17 roster. Whether in practice or the three minutes per game he spent on the court, his role also infected his teammates.
“Davin just works hard,” Emery said. “He’s a guy who doesn’t care about opinions. He just does his own thing. It’s awesome; that’s what a team needs — a guy who is going to push you to get better. Davin is that guy.”
Emery and Guinn practiced one-on-one through the summer months, and they still find each other on opposite ends in practice.
And even though Emery won three Utah state championships in high school and helped lead Lone Peak to a MaxPreps national championship, Guinn is one of the most tireless and merciless defenders the younger brother of former BYU standout Jackson Emery has faced.
“It’s been difficult. But it’s gotten me to be a lot better, to score against defenders who can play like Davin: quick and fast,” Emery said. “His mentality: he wants to win, and he’ll do anything for the team. Even if he plays five minutes a game, he’s all about the team. That’s what is great about Davin, and he’ll be huge for us this year.”
Even with a scholarship spot solidified, Guinn knows he can’t stop working. There’s too much talent on this year’s BYU team for him to quit now.
But he hasn’t been known for quitting, and he doesn’t plan to now.
“I feel like I’ve been able to step more into my own as a guy with a little more experience. It’s given me some freedom to be myself,” Guinn said. “Last year, I came into something that was already really established.
“I think coach Rose and I have an understanding,” he added. “He expects full effort from me — 100 percent — and I just know that is what he expects from me and it’s what I try to give him.”
