It’S All About Effort Super-Sub Spink, Gonzaga’S Scrawny Redhead, Relishes Role Of Sparkplug Who Ignites Bulldogs
A neutral spectator was sitting courtside at Gund Arena in Cleveland, watching No. 1-ranked Cincinnati pound on Gonzaga in the opening game of the Rock ‘n Roll Shootout last December.
It was early in the season, early in the game and the Bulldogs were getting torched. Kenyon Martin of the Bearcats had set up shop in the lane and was swatting every other GU shot into the third row of the bleachers.
In an attempt to check Cincy’s dominance, Bulldogs coach Mark Few sent Mark Spink into the game, a decision that prompted the spectator to laugh out loud. “Check that guy out,” he said to a friend in the next seat as he nodded toward Spink, who was crouched in front of the scorer’s table. “He looks like he’s about 13 years old.”
He and his friend shared another laugh, just moments before Spink went out and promptly scored against Martin with an ugly, but effective, George Mikan-like, step-under-and-scoop move right out of the 1950s.
Then, on the Bearcats’ ensuing possession, the spindly, baby-faced Spink rejected a dunk attempt by Cincinnati’s chiseled 6-foot-8, 235-pound All-American.
“Hey, the redheaded kid can play!” the spectator marveled.
“I know,” his friend agreed, “but I still wouldn’t choose him in a pickup game.”
Mark Spink has heard such belittling comments before, from opposing players and coaches, as well as spectators.
“I already know my scouting report - 6-foot-7, 190 pounds and scrawny,” laughed Spink, a Bellingham native who came to GU as a recruited walk-on in the fall of 1996 after helping unbeaten Sehome High School (30-0) win the State AAA championship.
“But I think that’s to my advantage. People tend to underestimate you, and then you just come in, play harder than they do and take it to them.”
Spink has done that on a consistent basis for the past three seasons, endearing himself to Few and his teammates. In his three seasons as a backup forward at GU, he has played in 73 games and averaged a modest 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds.
But his biggest contribution, according to Few, has been his effort.
“He plays the way every coach wants his players to play - all out, with no fear, on every play,” Few said. “He brings so much energy to our team, even our entire arena, when he’s in the game.”
It’s not as difficult as it might seem, insists Spink. “What’s nice about the role I play on our team is that playing 15 minutes a game allows me the opportunity to bust my hump,” he explained. “I can play as hard as I can for 15 minutes, because I don’t have to play a 40-minute game.
“People always tell me, `You play so hard,’ but it’s a great role the coaches have given me - go in there and play as hard as you can for a 5-minute spurt. It’s real easy to go in and do that.”
Spink’s awkward, hell-bent style of play has made him a favorite among GU fans, who appreciate his toughness and disregard for his own well-being.
During last year’s storybook run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, Spink was bounced around like a pinball by Stanford’s massive front line during the Bulldogs’ 82-74 second-round upset win over the Cardinal. He emerged from the game with a huge bruise in the middle of his chest - courtesy of a wellplaced Mark Madsen elbow.
“He bruised me all over,” Spink said of Stanford’s power forward, who outweighs him by nearly 45 pounds. “He’s a real warrior, but that’s the one thing I’ve found about all those good players. They’re all warriors, and that’s what I draw from their games - to go out every night and play harder than other people.”
And while Spink usually plays with more heart than his opponents, he seldom plays with as much grace. He has shots blocked, clanks more than his share of free throws and routinely gets knocked to the floor. But he never gets embarrassed or discouraged.
“Style points? Not me, not here at Gonzaga, not in The Kennel,” he said. “Here, we’re all about doing whatever we need to do, anyway we can do it.”
It was that kind of selfless approach, along with his huge heart and untapped potential, that caught the attention of GU coaches - even though he played just one year of varsity basketball in high school.
“It was a no-brainer,” Few said of the decision to recruit Spink. “He was woefully thin in high school, but he was a good player with a great feel for the game. “Mark was somebody we really wanted in our program but, at the time, we just didn’t have a scholarship available at that position.” “Gonzaga had asked me to come and play,” recalled Spink, whose brother, Scott, played on GU’s 1994 NIT team. “They told me they didn’t have a scholarship that first year, but that there was a spot on the team for me and that if I came and redshirted I’d get a scholarship the second year.
“I didn’t really plan on playing basketball in college until my senior year when our team did so well. I didn’t think I was talented enough.”
Spink, who has started only one game in his career, will come off the bench again Thursday night when the Bulldogs (19-6 overall, 9-1 WCC) play at home against San Diego (15-8, 6-4) at 7 in Martin Centre.
Spink is averaging 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season, and Few is expecting him to contribute an immense amount of leadership and emotion as the Zags try to keep a grip on their share of first place in the WCC standings.
“Actually, he’s been a huge key to our success the last couple of years,” Few said. “He’s just one of those guys who’s invaluable. We knew he was a kid that we needed in our program and we wanted him dearly.
“But getting him has worked out better than anyone could have imagined.”
Especially that disbelieving fan back in Cleveland.