With a deft perimeter stroke and a knack for staying off the media's radar, senior guard Javin Tindall can simply be referred to as "the silent assassin."
The 5-foot-11 point guard enters the 2003-04 season with a little more hop in his step and poise in his voice than he had last year. In essence, he is one of only two seasoned veterans on this year's UNM basketball squad.
"I've got a lot more confidence this year," Tindall said. "I'm the point guard and I'm a senior. I'll do what I can to make the team better."
Tindall has the ability to consistently shoot the lights out with his sniper-like ball release. He will be relied on heavily this year to handle a bulk of the scoring load, to get the ball to his teammates in the motion offense and be an effective leader on the floor. The task at hand may seem like a heavy weight to carry, but the confident and mature Tindall is prepared to accept the assignment.
"I know I can handle the load," he said. "I have four years at the collegiate level. I've been through a lot and there isn't much I haven't seen."
Tindall, a transfer from Redlands Community College in Oklahoma, made his Division I debut last season, displaying sweet, but streaky shooting from behind the 3-point arc. He averaged a respectable 9.1 points per game, shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range and was second to Ruben Douglas at 31.6 minutes per game.
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But this year is a whole new ball game. Tindall will not be masked in the shadows of Douglas. He has the opportunity to showcase his skills among an unselfish and talented group of teammates, unlike last year when Douglas accounted for 50 percent of the offense.
"That's the difference from last year," Tindall said. "You see the open man and you hit him. That's how you play basketball."
During the off-season, Tindall worked on improving his shooting and his ability to penetrate.
"I worked hard on everything," he said. "Driving and getting into the lane, creating for my teammates and getting to the free-throw line. I also worked on my strengths, my shooting in particular."
His off-season effort has paid off quickly as he has come out of the gates smoking.
In preseason, Tindall enjoyed mammoth success. In six games, he played his average 30 minutes per game, but his point production and shooting percentages skyrocketed. Now with the regular season underway, Tindall is averaging 22.5 points per game, while shooting 67 percent from inside the arc and a remarkable 62 percent from behind it.
In UNM's last matchup against New Mexico Highlands, Tindall matched his career scoring best with 27 points.
Along with his success on the court, Tindall was recently blessed with the birth of his first child, Javin Giann Tindall on Aug. 27. He said it marked a moment that meant much more than any basketball-related milestone.
"He's the best thing that ever happened to me," Tindall said. "He's my heart. He's my inspiration and I'll give everything I have on the court to try to make his life better. Whether that's going overseas to play or getting my degree, I have to make that money for him."
If Tindall's early-season statistics are any indication, then his status as the silent assassin may simply change to "the assassin," as he will undoubtedly be a marked man in the Mountain West Conference.
